Friday, July 8, 2016

U-Bass Bass-ics: Bass Ukulele

Adding a U-Bass to a ukulele ensemble adds harmonic and rhythmic interest. Use the chart below to visualize the notes on the bass ukulele.  

The bass ukulele is tuned differently than other ukes; it is tuned like a string bass or bass guitar: E A D G (from the thickest to thinnest string). Smaller bass ukuleles are tuned an octave higher than indicated in the chart below, but the note names are the same. 

The U-bass strings are a perfect fourth (four scale degrees) apart, which makes it easy to create bass patterns based on the bottom note and top note of any triad (first and fifth of any scale).

The simplest way to add bass accompaniment is to play the root (note name) of the chord on the first note of each measure (group of beats). One can also create a more interesting rhythmic pattern using this note. 

A more interesting way to create bass accompaniment is to alternate between the bottom note and the top note of a triad. (Triad: three-note chord structure that uses the first, third, and fifth degrees of a scale, e.g., root, skip, skip: A C E or C E G.) 

For example, bass back-up for a C chord uses C (root of triad, first note of C scale) 
                                                                    and G (top of triad, fifth note of C scale). 

And bass back-up for an F chord uses the root, F (first, main note)
                                                                     and C (alternating with F). 

The second, alternating note may be played higher than or lower than the main/root note. Often when the alternating note is played lower than the root, it will be in the same fret as the first note but on a neighboring string. Have fun adding bass notes to your ensemble!

Notice that the colors on my ukulele charts match other color-coded instruments such as Boomwhackers. If a U-bass ins't available, create bass accompaniment with Boomwhackers or homemade boom pipes