102 !!Chapter 6
Example 6-3 Guitar range: staff indicates where the parts are written.World Music cultures have stringed instruments. The sounds of the vari-
ous guitar-like instruments can be a welcome addition to an arrangement
when played in conjunction with a traditional guitar part.
Basses
The bass (a.k.a. contrabass or double bass) is a unique instrument in popu-
lar music because it is used in two completely different settings: 1) as a
part of the rhythm section and 2) as the low end of a string section. Some
orchestral arrangements contain two distinct parts: an electric or acoustic
bass playing with the rhythm section and the double basses playing with
the string section.
Since the bass is a significant part of an arrangement, address the
intrinsic role it plays not only in sonority but also in creating rhythm. In
commercial music, the bassist and the drummer perform as a unit. If there
is a lack of synergy, there will be no rhythmic groove. When bass and
drums are programmed (synthesized), the bass drum (a.k.a. kick drum)
and the bass often play the same rhythm patterns. This creates a deep,
rhythmic ‘‘bottom end’’ to the track.
In most traditional symphonic orchestrations, the double basses read
the same notes as the celli but sound one octave lower. This combination
creates a deep, resonant sound. In commercial music, the bass helps to cre-
ate a foundation for the rhythm section by playing rhythmic patterns that
usually form an inseparable combination with the drums.
In all forms of popular music, the use of the bass continues to evolve.
(Synthesizers and samplers contain myriad unique bass sounds that can
be edited.) Arrangers have to be concerned that the low frequencies of the
bass and drums do not sound muddy. It could be a problem if the notes
for the electric rhythm bass are written in the same range as the double
basses, which are the lowest member of the string section.
Contrabass
A contrabass, also called a double bass or bass, is pitched an octave below
the basses (celli are technically considered the basses) and is the instru-
ment most commonly used in a symphony orchestra.