Exercise: Write a Looping Bassline

Write a Looping Bassline

Transcript

You will create a looping baseline to a drum beat in this exercise. Use a drum beat you've made earlier or copy the template below this video and build on that one. First, create a new live_loop for the bassline. Put a use_synth command into the loop and select the synth you want to use for the bass. Remember that you can change it at any time even while the code is running. Next, choose the notes for your bassline. Bass is a low instrument, so notes from the second and third octave or between the numbers 36 and 60 work the best. It's a good idea to keep the bass simple. Start with the two note baseline and add more later. Think about the rhythm of the beat and how the bassline will fit into that. If you have a lot of movement in the drum beat, the rhythm of the bass can be simple and slow but if the drumbeat is more static it might be really interesting to place the notes in between the drum hits. Use the options attack: and release: to shape the beginning and end of the notes. Remember that you can always click on a play command in your code and use the shortcut control+i to find out how it's options work. When you're ready save your code.

Exercise instructions

Write a looping bassline

Create a loop for the bassline in a buffer with a drum beat

You can also use the example drumbeat below, but remember to make it your own!
Change the sound with use_synth
Use the play command and start with a two note bass line
Use notes from the second and third octave (36-60)
Use at least one option to shape the note
Think about how the bass fits with your drum beat
Save your code

Don't spend more than 20 minutes on the exercise

#Template for your bassline
#Remember to hack it!!!
use_bpm 120
#Bass and Snare
live_loop :drums do
  sample :drum_bass_hard
  sleep 1
  sample :drum_snare_hard
  sleep 1
  sample :drum_bass_hard
  sleep 0.5
  sample :drum_bass_hard
  sleep 0.5
  sample :drum_snare_hard
  sleep 1
end
#Try to figure out the hats by playing with them!
live_loop :hihat do
  4.times do
    sample :drum_cymbal_closed, amp: 0.5
    sleep 0.5
  end 
  4.times do
    sample :drum_cymbal_closed, amp: 0.5
    sleep 0.25
  end
  sample :drum_cymbal_closed, amp: 0.5
  sleep 0.5
  sample :drum_cymbal_pedal, amp: 0.33
  sleep 0.5
end