Free Worship Bass Instrumental

By Bass Levite

Sometimes during worship, the atmosphere might build up and the badn can start doing "free worship". This is basically where the band plays a series of chords over and over again in an instrumental session, and the people worship "freely". Hillsong does this a lot.

The following is based on the common chord progression G - D - Em - C.
[Kenny: it sounds quite abit like Let Us Adore, you might want to practice this lesson with the song.]



[Kenny: I didn't put a title and ending picture to the video as somehow windows movie maker distorts the sound for Bass Levite's videos]

I was just improvising some stuff, and came up with this. The timing is off at a few places, but I hope you get the picture. To be able to do these, you need to know the fretboard very well; scales and arpeggios. The key bit is that after "running around the fretboard" between chords, you must hit the next chord in time and it will sound okay. The (*) bits indicate where I have occasionally deviated away from this rule intentionally to funk it up.


First round, just G - D - Em - C, then as it builds up...
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----------------------------12-12-12-12-12-12-
-10-10-10-10-10-10-10s12h14-------------------
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-12----12h14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-
----12----------------------------
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12-10-10-10-12-10----10-12----
------------------12-------12-
------------------------------

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----------------------------12-12-12-12-12-12-
-10-10-10-10-10-10-10s12h14-------------------
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----------------------------12h14-12----------
-12----12h14-14-14-14-14-14----------14-12s10-
----12----------------------------------------
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-------------9-9-12-12-------
-10-10-10-10-----------12-12-
-----------------------------
-----------------------------

-----------------------------
----------9----9h10s12-12-12-
-10-10-10---10---------------
-----------------------------

-11----11-12-14-12-11----
----12----------------14-
-------------------------
-------------------------

----------12h14-12----------------9-9---------
-14-14-14----------14-12-10-10-10-----10-10-9-
----------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------------

--------------------------------------------------
--------------------------------12-12-12-12-12-12-
-10-10-10-10-10-9h10-9h10-12-14-------------------
--------------------------------------------------

------------------------------
-12----12h14-14-14-14-14-14-14
----12------------------------
------------------------------

----------------------------
----12-14-12-10-10-10-10-10-
-12-------------------------
----------------------------

----------------------------
-12-12-12-14-12-14-12------- *
----------------------14s10-
----------------------------

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--------------------------------12-12-12-12-12-12-
-10-10-10-10-10-9h10-9h10-12-14-------------------
--------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------
-12----12h14-14-14-14-14-14-14-14-12-
----12-------------------------------
-------------------------------------

------------12-12h14-12----------
10s12-12h14-------------14-12---- *
------------------------------12-
---------------------------------

---------------------------------
----------------9----9----9s12-12
-10-10-10-10-10---10---10--------
---------------------------------

-11----11-12-14-12-11----------
----12----------------14-12----
----------------------------12-
-------------------------------

----------------14-14h16-16-14-
-14-14-14-14-14----------------
-------------------------------
-------------------------------

------------------------12-------
16-14s10-10-10-12-12h14----12----
------------------------------10-
---------------------------------

Every bassist have their own "style". I do a lot of hammer-ons and slides-ins. Develop your own "groove" and style instead of just copying other musicians. Have fun free worshipping!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

That is Awsome!!! This is really help ful since in my church that happens like every other song. And its like holy spirit gives you awsome basslines during that time!!!

Anonymous said...

Yeap... that's why it wasn't very smooth when I attempt to record these basslines, because these are meant to be in a worshipful environment. During actual time on stage, I move accordingly with HS and it's just amazing (not just me, other musicians too).

D said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
D said...

Thanks!!! I changed the style a LITTLE. It sounds great with my version while a use a delay effect off my multi-effects pedal.