Original practice exercise by Basnote
Reggae One-Drop Bass Line
An original 74 BPM bass exercise in A minor: read the TAB, check the chords bar by bar, and download it as MIDI.
- Key
- A minor
- Tempo
- 74 BPM
- Feel
- Laid-back
- Style
- Reggae
- 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 leaving space. At 74 BPM in A minor, the bass never plays on beat one. It enters on the “and” of one, and the drums answer by putting kick and snare together on beat three.
How to practise it. Count “one-and-two-and” out loud, loop the first bar only, and let each note ring for its full written length. Add the fifth, the octave and the slide into the next bar once the long roots feel relaxed.
A common mistake. Filling beat one out of habit, or rushing the entrance. The relaxed, slightly late placement is the point of the style.
Bass TAB (standard 4-string, E A D G)
One-drop reggae · As written
Key A · 74 BPM · Tuning EADG
h hammer-on · / slide · > accent · (x) ghost note
Am
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
G |------------------------------------------------14--------------|
D |------------------------14--------------------------------------|
A |-------->12--------------------->12---------------------/11-----|
E |----------------------------------------------------------------|
Am
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
G |----------------------------------------------------------------|
D |--------------------------------14------------------------------|
A |-------->12-------------h15-----------------(12)>12-------------|
E |----------------------------------------------------------------|
Dm
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
G |----------------------------------------------------------------|
D |------------------------------------------------12--------------|
A |------------------------12------------------------------/9------|
E |-------->10--------------------->10-----------------------------|
G
1 e & a 2 e & a 3 e & a 4 e & a
G |----------------------------------------------------------------|
D |--------------------------------12------------------------------|
A |-------->10-------------h14-----------------(10)>10-------------|
E |----------------------------------------------------------------|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 | Am | i |
|
| 2 | Am | i |
|
| 3 | Dm | iv |
|
| 4 | G | ♭VII |
|
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 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-reggae-one-drop-as-written-a-74bpm.mid
The reference riff exactly as designed for the style.
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FoundationDownload basnote-reggae-one-drop-foundation-a-74bpm.mid
Off-beats removed and roots on the strong beats: the learnable skeleton.
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PocketDownload basnote-reggae-one-drop-pocket-a-74bpm.mid
Ghost notes and a pickup into every chord change, aiming at the groove sweet spot.
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DrivenDownload basnote-reggae-one-drop-driven-a-74bpm.mid
Doubled subdivision for a busier, past-the-peak version to practise against.
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Half-timeDownload basnote-reggae-one-drop-half-time-a-74bpm.mid
Stretched to a half-time feel with long low notes holding the pulse.
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Octave liftDownload basnote-reggae-one-drop-octave-lift-a-74bpm.mid
The back half jumps an octave, turning the riff into a melodic line.