Which bass notes over melody

[rodmbds]

Hi all!

I've benm trying to pick up some nursery rhymes on the acoustic. While I can find the notes on the high strings, I can't seem to find the correspondent bass notes or chords to go with them, to make it sound fuller in a fingerstyle way.

Do you have any tips?

Thanks!

[Howard Emerson]

Originally Posted by rodmbds

Hi all!

I've benm trying to pick up some nursery rhymes on the acoustic. While I can find the notes on the high strings, I can't seem to find the correspondent bass notes or chords to go with them, to make it sound fuller in a fingerstyle way.

Do you have any tips?

Thanks!

Hi Rod,
This falls under basic theory & ear training.

I know how to do it, but explaining or teaching it is another thing.

Twinkle Twinkle, for example starts on a root note of the first chord which is also the key of the song. Take it from there and find the point at which you want to change chords, or where the same chord doesn’t sound right.

That’s it in a nutshell. I’m willing to bet that there are oodles Of YouTube videos demonstrating exactly that.

Regards,
Howard Emerson has

[DukeX]

What Howard said.

This is how I arrange guitar for my own song melodies:
List the notes.
Determine the key.
Determine chord changes.
Transpose to different key if wanted.

It takes a little time for me to do this (I'm no master), but it is fun and educational. Also, as with most things, you get more proficient the more you do it.

[rick-slo]

Bass notes are under the melody.

I use my ears for most everything when composing or arranging. Careful listening is important. That is usually easier and quicker then "rule" calculating.

If you are unsure of the chords of a tune it helps to know what key it is in and then knowing the basic chords of that key. If stuck then find a chord sheet
of the tune to get started.

For a base note it's most simple to start off using the root note of whatever chord you are playing - that may well not be the most interesting thing to do but at
least it's a start and rarely flat out wrong. Then try some other notes of the chord you are playing as the base note. Then multiple notes for bass plus harmony.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by rodmbds

Hi all!

I've benm trying to pick up some nursery rhymes on the acoustic. While I can find the notes on the high strings, I can't seem to find the correspondent bass notes or chords to go with them, to make it sound fuller in a fingerstyle way.

Do you have any tips?

Thanks!

HI r

My tip is to start with a chord chart of the song (or figure out the chord progression of the nursery rhyme song).

Then the simplest bass note will the the root of the chord playing under the part of the melody that's being sung/played.

Then you can use the 5th of the chord being played to create an alternating bass with the root.

[rodmbds]

Thanks for the tips everyone. I'll follow them and try to work something out, hopefully post the outcomes here.