Can I turn any synthesized instrument into a bass by lowering the frequency?
In terms of electronic music, when I'm picking a "bass" can I choose any instrument, including leads, and just set that instrument to be of lower frequency (lowering the octave) in order to create a bass. Does a bass just depend on frequency and not the type of instrument?
theory harmony production
edited 8 mins ago
Ben Crowell
51229
asked yesterday
foreyez
4,14522371
add a comment |
In terms of electronic music, when I'm picking a "bass" can I choose any instrument, including leads, and just set that instrument to be of lower frequency (lowering the octave) in order to create a bass. Does a bass just depend on frequency and not the type of instrument?
theory harmony production
edited 8 mins ago
Ben Crowell
51229
asked yesterday
foreyez
4,14522371
2
It’s important to clarify that “bass” is the lowest voice of any given texture. Even if all of the sounds are relatively high.
– jjmusicnotes
yesterday
add a comment |
In terms of electronic music, when I'm picking a "bass" can I choose any instrument, including leads, and just set that instrument to be of lower frequency (lowering the octave) in order to create a bass. Does a bass just depend on frequency and not the type of instrument?
theory harmony production
edited 8 mins ago
Ben Crowell
51229
asked yesterday
foreyez
4,14522371
In terms of electronic music, when I'm picking a "bass" can I choose any instrument, including leads, and just set that instrument to be of lower frequency (lowering the octave) in order to create a bass. Does a bass just depend on frequency and not the type of instrument?
theory harmony production
theory harmony production
edited 8 mins ago
Ben Crowell
51229
asked yesterday
foreyez
4,14522371
edited 8 mins ago
Ben Crowell
51229
asked yesterday
foreyez
4,14522371
edited 8 mins ago
Ben Crowell
51229
edited 8 mins ago
Ben Crowell
51229
edited 8 mins ago
Ben Crowell
51229
51229
asked yesterday
foreyez
4,14522371
asked yesterday
foreyez
4,14522371
asked yesterday
foreyez
4,14522371
4,14522371
2
It’s important to clarify that “bass” is the lowest voice of any given texture. Even if all of the sounds are relatively high.
– jjmusicnotes
yesterday
add a comment |
2
It’s important to clarify that “bass” is the lowest voice of any given texture. Even if all of the sounds are relatively high.
– jjmusicnotes
yesterday
2
2
It’s important to clarify that “bass” is the lowest voice of any given texture. Even if all of the sounds are relatively high.
– jjmusicnotes
yesterday
It’s important to clarify that “bass” is the lowest voice of any given texture. Even if all of the sounds are relatively high.
– jjmusicnotes
yesterday
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
when I'm picking a "bass" can I choose any instrument..?
Yes, you can. However, you might find that not all instruments work well to your ears as 'bass' instruments.
When you see 'bass' in a synth patch name, it usually doesn't only refer to the instrument being low - because, as you say, you can usually play low notes with any sound in a synth. Instruments designated 'bass' often have certain characteristics that make them subjectively suitable for playing in a 'bass' role - such as:
- a strong fundamental when playing low frequency notes, giving a 'solid', bassy sound (in contrast to, say, the piano - whose low notes have weak fundamentals)
- a harmonic structure that makes the pitch of the notes easy to identify
- a harmonic structure that doesn't fill up the whole frequency range and leave no 'space' for other instruments
- a reasonably fast attack, suitable for the 'bass lines' found in many genres of music
Of course not all 'bass' instruments necessarily exhibit all these characteristics, but you would expect instruments labelled 'bass' to exhibit most of them. The labels we give to sounds aren't there to restrict you, but they can be useful!
answered yesterday
topo morto
22.5k23795
1
Adding to the harmonic structure point, the instrument also needs to survive being played on some loudspeaker. This is a problem when loudspeakers can't reproduce those bass fundamentals. Higher harmonics let your brain reconstitute the fundamental, even if it isn't actually there.
– Graham
8 hours ago
add a comment |
Simple as that. Bass refers to the range of the instrument, so electronically, turn a piccolo into a bass if you want. It's much harder with fish, though. Turning a salmon into a bass doesn't seem to work as well...
answered yesterday
Tim
95.7k1098241
but I saw the bass is used in the instrument word such as "Double bass". I guess the word 'bass' just refers to the instrument being low then. so I could make a 'piccolo bass' then by just lowering the frequency.
– foreyez
yesterday
It's all about the bass.
– Robert Columbia
23 hours ago
@RobertColumbia ... no bubbles...
– Graham
14 hours ago
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
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active
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active
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votes
when I'm picking a "bass" can I choose any instrument..?
Yes, you can. However, you might find that not all instruments work well to your ears as 'bass' instruments.
When you see 'bass' in a synth patch name, it usually doesn't only refer to the instrument being low - because, as you say, you can usually play low notes with any sound in a synth. Instruments designated 'bass' often have certain characteristics that make them subjectively suitable for playing in a 'bass' role - such as:
- a strong fundamental when playing low frequency notes, giving a 'solid', bassy sound (in contrast to, say, the piano - whose low notes have weak fundamentals)
- a harmonic structure that makes the pitch of the notes easy to identify
- a harmonic structure that doesn't fill up the whole frequency range and leave no 'space' for other instruments
- a reasonably fast attack, suitable for the 'bass lines' found in many genres of music
Of course not all 'bass' instruments necessarily exhibit all these characteristics, but you would expect instruments labelled 'bass' to exhibit most of them. The labels we give to sounds aren't there to restrict you, but they can be useful!
answered yesterday
topo morto
22.5k23795
1
Adding to the harmonic structure point, the instrument also needs to survive being played on some loudspeaker. This is a problem when loudspeakers can't reproduce those bass fundamentals. Higher harmonics let your brain reconstitute the fundamental, even if it isn't actually there.
– Graham
8 hours ago
add a comment |
when I'm picking a "bass" can I choose any instrument..?
Yes, you can. However, you might find that not all instruments work well to your ears as 'bass' instruments.
When you see 'bass' in a synth patch name, it usually doesn't only refer to the instrument being low - because, as you say, you can usually play low notes with any sound in a synth. Instruments designated 'bass' often have certain characteristics that make them subjectively suitable for playing in a 'bass' role - such as:
- a strong fundamental when playing low frequency notes, giving a 'solid', bassy sound (in contrast to, say, the piano - whose low notes have weak fundamentals)
- a harmonic structure that makes the pitch of the notes easy to identify
- a harmonic structure that doesn't fill up the whole frequency range and leave no 'space' for other instruments
- a reasonably fast attack, suitable for the 'bass lines' found in many genres of music
Of course not all 'bass' instruments necessarily exhibit all these characteristics, but you would expect instruments labelled 'bass' to exhibit most of them. The labels we give to sounds aren't there to restrict you, but they can be useful!
answered yesterday
topo morto
22.5k23795
1
Adding to the harmonic structure point, the instrument also needs to survive being played on some loudspeaker. This is a problem when loudspeakers can't reproduce those bass fundamentals. Higher harmonics let your brain reconstitute the fundamental, even if it isn't actually there.
– Graham
8 hours ago
add a comment |
when I'm picking a "bass" can I choose any instrument..?
Yes, you can. However, you might find that not all instruments work well to your ears as 'bass' instruments.
When you see 'bass' in a synth patch name, it usually doesn't only refer to the instrument being low - because, as you say, you can usually play low notes with any sound in a synth. Instruments designated 'bass' often have certain characteristics that make them subjectively suitable for playing in a 'bass' role - such as:
- a strong fundamental when playing low frequency notes, giving a 'solid', bassy sound (in contrast to, say, the piano - whose low notes have weak fundamentals)
- a harmonic structure that makes the pitch of the notes easy to identify
- a harmonic structure that doesn't fill up the whole frequency range and leave no 'space' for other instruments
- a reasonably fast attack, suitable for the 'bass lines' found in many genres of music
Of course not all 'bass' instruments necessarily exhibit all these characteristics, but you would expect instruments labelled 'bass' to exhibit most of them. The labels we give to sounds aren't there to restrict you, but they can be useful!
answered yesterday
topo morto
22.5k23795
when I'm picking a "bass" can I choose any instrument..?
Yes, you can. However, you might find that not all instruments work well to your ears as 'bass' instruments.
When you see 'bass' in a synth patch name, it usually doesn't only refer to the instrument being low - because, as you say, you can usually play low notes with any sound in a synth. Instruments designated 'bass' often have certain characteristics that make them subjectively suitable for playing in a 'bass' role - such as:
- a strong fundamental when playing low frequency notes, giving a 'solid', bassy sound (in contrast to, say, the piano - whose low notes have weak fundamentals)
- a harmonic structure that makes the pitch of the notes easy to identify
- a harmonic structure that doesn't fill up the whole frequency range and leave no 'space' for other instruments
- a reasonably fast attack, suitable for the 'bass lines' found in many genres of music
Of course not all 'bass' instruments necessarily exhibit all these characteristics, but you would expect instruments labelled 'bass' to exhibit most of them. The labels we give to sounds aren't there to restrict you, but they can be useful!
answered yesterday
topo morto
22.5k23795
edited yesterday
answered yesterday
topo morto
22.5k23795
answered yesterday
topo morto
22.5k23795
answered yesterday
topo morto
22.5k23795
22.5k23795
1
Adding to the harmonic structure point, the instrument also needs to survive being played on some loudspeaker. This is a problem when loudspeakers can't reproduce those bass fundamentals. Higher harmonics let your brain reconstitute the fundamental, even if it isn't actually there.
– Graham
8 hours ago
add a comment |
1
Adding to the harmonic structure point, the instrument also needs to survive being played on some loudspeaker. This is a problem when loudspeakers can't reproduce those bass fundamentals. Higher harmonics let your brain reconstitute the fundamental, even if it isn't actually there.
– Graham
8 hours ago
1
1
Adding to the harmonic structure point, the instrument also needs to survive being played on some loudspeaker. This is a problem when loudspeakers can't reproduce those bass fundamentals. Higher harmonics let your brain reconstitute the fundamental, even if it isn't actually there.
– Graham
8 hours ago
Adding to the harmonic structure point, the instrument also needs to survive being played on some loudspeaker. This is a problem when loudspeakers can't reproduce those bass fundamentals. Higher harmonics let your brain reconstitute the fundamental, even if it isn't actually there.
– Graham
8 hours ago
add a comment |
Simple as that. Bass refers to the range of the instrument, so electronically, turn a piccolo into a bass if you want. It's much harder with fish, though. Turning a salmon into a bass doesn't seem to work as well...
answered yesterday
Tim
95.7k1098241
but I saw the bass is used in the instrument word such as "Double bass". I guess the word 'bass' just refers to the instrument being low then. so I could make a 'piccolo bass' then by just lowering the frequency.
– foreyez
yesterday
It's all about the bass.
– Robert Columbia
23 hours ago
@RobertColumbia ... no bubbles...
– Graham
14 hours ago
add a comment |
Simple as that. Bass refers to the range of the instrument, so electronically, turn a piccolo into a bass if you want. It's much harder with fish, though. Turning a salmon into a bass doesn't seem to work as well...
answered yesterday
Tim
95.7k1098241
but I saw the bass is used in the instrument word such as "Double bass". I guess the word 'bass' just refers to the instrument being low then. so I could make a 'piccolo bass' then by just lowering the frequency.
– foreyez
yesterday
It's all about the bass.
– Robert Columbia
23 hours ago
@RobertColumbia ... no bubbles...
– Graham
14 hours ago
add a comment |
Simple as that. Bass refers to the range of the instrument, so electronically, turn a piccolo into a bass if you want. It's much harder with fish, though. Turning a salmon into a bass doesn't seem to work as well...
answered yesterday
Tim
95.7k1098241
Simple as that. Bass refers to the range of the instrument, so electronically, turn a piccolo into a bass if you want. It's much harder with fish, though. Turning a salmon into a bass doesn't seem to work as well...
answered yesterday
Tim
95.7k1098241
answered yesterday
Tim
95.7k1098241
answered yesterday
Tim
95.7k1098241
answered yesterday
Tim
95.7k1098241
95.7k1098241
but I saw the bass is used in the instrument word such as "Double bass". I guess the word 'bass' just refers to the instrument being low then. so I could make a 'piccolo bass' then by just lowering the frequency.
– foreyez
yesterday
It's all about the bass.
– Robert Columbia
23 hours ago
@RobertColumbia ... no bubbles...
– Graham
14 hours ago
add a comment |
but I saw the bass is used in the instrument word such as "Double bass". I guess the word 'bass' just refers to the instrument being low then. so I could make a 'piccolo bass' then by just lowering the frequency.
– foreyez
yesterday
It's all about the bass.
– Robert Columbia
23 hours ago
@RobertColumbia ... no bubbles...
– Graham
14 hours ago
but I saw the bass is used in the instrument word such as "Double bass". I guess the word 'bass' just refers to the instrument being low then. so I could make a 'piccolo bass' then by just lowering the frequency.
– foreyez
yesterday
but I saw the bass is used in the instrument word such as "Double bass". I guess the word 'bass' just refers to the instrument being low then. so I could make a 'piccolo bass' then by just lowering the frequency.
– foreyez
yesterday
It's all about the bass.
– Robert Columbia
23 hours ago
It's all about the bass.
– Robert Columbia
23 hours ago
@RobertColumbia ... no bubbles...
– Graham
14 hours ago
@RobertColumbia ... no bubbles...
– Graham
14 hours ago
add a comment |
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It’s important to clarify that “bass” is the lowest voice of any given texture. Even if all of the sounds are relatively high.
– jjmusicnotes
yesterday