Chords & Chord Progressions: Fixed Harmony, Descending Bass

Lesson Goal: To internalize the fixed harmony, descending bass pattern in all major and minor keys… by ear, intellect, eye, and muscle…

Prerequisites

Basic music reading skills… the LOVE of music… and the discipline to study and practice.

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Fixed Harmony, Descending Bass in a Major Key

The idea is simple: Play a Major Triad in your right hand while playing a bass line that walks down the top four notes of the corresponding Major Scale in your left…

Fixed Harmony, Descending Bass, C Major

Here are three musical ways to play this pattern in C Major (using different articulations and rhythms)…

First, flowing bass line with straight 1/8th notes in the right hand…

fixed harmony descending bass in c major

Second, straight 1/8th notes, staccato in both hands…

Third, flowing bass line with swing 1/8th notes in the right hand…

Study, Practice, & Performance Tips

Ear Training isn’t just about hearing pitches. It’s also about rhythm, articulation, and phrasing. So, sing, hum, of scat out loud and play it like you’re singing it.
The rests are notes, too. Make sure to give them their full value.
If you’re struggling to coordinate both hands, counting the meter out loud (1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & etc) with a metronome wonders. Notice that all the bass notes fall on the numbers and all the right hand chords fall on the “&s”.
Play each bass note and release each chord at the exact same time with the exact same mental and physical impulse.

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Fixed Harmony, Descending Bass, Major, All Keys

Arranged chromatically ascending in all major keys…

Frank will be happy to produce downloadable MP3 practice tracks for the above if there’s interest.

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Fixed Harmony, Descending Bass in a Minor Key

The idea is simple: Play a Minor Triad in your right hand while playing a bass line that walks down the top four notes of the corresponding Descending Minor Scale in your left.