Original practice exercise by Basnote
Indie Eighth-Note Bass Line
An original 128 BPM bass exercise in E minor: read the TAB, check the chords bar by bar, and download it as MIDI.
- Key
- E minor
- Tempo
- 128 BPM
- Feel
- Pushed
- Style
- Rock
- Length
- 4 bars, 4/4
An original exercise written for Basnote’s Riff Lab: a stylised practice pattern in the spirit of the genre, not a transcription of any recording.
About this bass line
What it trains. This line trains an even eighth-note drive at 128 BPM in E minor over Em – D – C – G: six straight eighths on the root, an octave on beat four, and a slide into the next chord.
How to practise it. Play every eighth with the same attack, accent beats one and three, and loop a single bar before connecting all four. The MIDI file places the bass a touch ahead of the drums; get that push from your timing, not from speeding up.
A common mistake. Speeding up during the repeated notes. Check the tempo against a click after every loop.
Bass TAB (standard 4-string, E A D G)
Indie eighth drive · As written
Key E · 128 BPM · Tuning EADG
h hammer-on · / slide · > accent · (x) ghost note
Em
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
G |------------------------------------------------9---------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |>12-----12------12------12------>12-----12--------------/9------|
D
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
G |------------------------------------------------7---------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |----------------------------------------------------------------|
E |>10-----10------10------10------>10-----10--------------/7------|
C
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
G |----------------------------------------------------------------|
D |------------------------------------------------10--------------|
A |--------------------------------------------------------/9------|
E |>8------8-------8-------8------->8------8-----------------------|
G
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
G |------------------------------------------------12--------------|
D |----------------------------------------------------------------|
A |>10-----10------10------10------>10-----10----------------------|
E |--------------------------------------------------------/11-----|One bar per block, one column per sixteenth note, counted 1 e & a. Frets show one playable fingering that Basnote picks for a compact hand position; the same pitches can be played elsewhere on the neck. The line sits in Riff Lab’s register, which for some keys is an octave higher than a bassist would usually play it; drop it an octave if it feels high. On a narrow screen the TAB scrolls sideways.
Chords and bass notes, bar by bar
| Bar | Chord | Numeral | Bass notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Em | i |
|
| 2 | D | ♭VII |
|
| 3 | C | ♭VI |
|
| 4 | G | ♭III |
|
Each note shows its name, where it falls in the bar (1 e & a counting) and its role in the chord.
Download the MIDI
Each file is a Standard MIDI file (format 1) with these tracks: bass, guitar riff, guitar comping, piano and drums. The six variations rework the bass line and its backing; key and tempo stay the same.
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As writtenDownload basnote-indie-eighth-drive-as-written-e-128bpm.mid
The reference riff exactly as designed for the style.
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FoundationDownload basnote-indie-eighth-drive-foundation-e-128bpm.mid
Off-beats removed and roots on the strong beats: the learnable skeleton.
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PocketDownload basnote-indie-eighth-drive-pocket-e-128bpm.mid
Ghost notes and a pickup into every chord change, aiming at the groove sweet spot.
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DrivenDownload basnote-indie-eighth-drive-driven-e-128bpm.mid
Doubled subdivision for a busier, past-the-peak version to practise against.
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Half-timeDownload basnote-indie-eighth-drive-half-time-e-128bpm.mid
Stretched to a half-time feel with long low notes holding the pulse.
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Octave liftDownload basnote-indie-eighth-drive-octave-lift-e-128bpm.mid
The back half jumps an octave, turning the riff into a melodic line.