Root-note eighths
Root-note eighths is a bassline that plays the root of each chord on every eighth note, eight even notes per bar on steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15. It is the driving bass of rock, pop punk and synthwave.
Also called eighth-note bass, driving bass, pedal eighths.
Play it
- Bar 1Am
- Bar 2F
- Bar 3C
- Bar 4G
Faded lanes are a guide: they are there so the pattern has something to sit against. The loop runs over four chords, Am, F, C, G, one bar each. Tap any box to change it.
Try this
Try this · change one box
Add a note on step 16. It pushes into the next chord a sixteenth early.
Hear it without the grid
A short recording of the loop above at 120 BPM, made with Swung’s own sounds.
How it works
The root is the note a chord is named after. Playing only roots means the bass can never clash with the chords, and playing them in steady eighths gives the song a motor.
The energy comes from the even pulse, so the drums can stay simple: a backbeat is enough.
The pattern in words
- Bass: steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 of 16.
| Part | Steps, 1 to 16 | Plays on |
|---|---|---|
| Bass | x·x·x·x·x·x·x·x· | steps 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 15 of 16 |
x a hit, o a quiet hit, 2 or 3 a quick roll inside one step, – a note held on, · nothing.
Variations
Quarter notes
One root per beat: half the drive.
Sixteenths
Twice as many notes, every second one quiet.
Octave on the off-beats
Root on the beat, octave between.
Where it’s used
Common in Rock, Pop punk, Synthwave and New wave.
Learn this pattern step by step
The course builds up to it from Unit 1, which is free. Sign up with Google and start with the first lesson; it plays in your browser, like this page.
Pick up where you left off
Carry on with Unit 1, then Root-note eighths comes in Unit 3: Low end.