Follow these steps to write a bass line for a melody

1. Start and end with the tonic note. 

2. Avoid similar motion and use contrary motion to melody and it makes the music sound interesting. 

3. Avoid leaps and use auxiliary notes when there are long notes in melody 

4. A strong cadence is always a success. So make sure to use notes of dominant chord in the penultimate bar. 

5. Call your bass guitarist! 

Every student of music should read this!

A STORY ...

The curtain parts. We see a musician seated solemnly with a beautiful instrument. *silence spreads through the halls*. Then suddenly, she plays a powerful piece of music flawlessly and effortlessly. The music fills the air for a good while... and fades away *Silence takes its place*. The hall reverberates with loud applause… *The musician bows & walks away*. Curtain closes.

Everyone moves closer to the exit… Though there is one… He is stuck to his seat. Still reliving the music he experienced. He is finally nudged to walk away. He thinks… I could take her place someday. I want to play like her… I want to feel awed and applauded. I think it’s time. I will join a school…

Everyone goes through a version of this story at some point in time. We artists call this as inspiration.

What we experienced was professional in delivering music with excellent command and control. The mistake we do is underestimating this feat.

THE THREE ELEMENTS

So…

How DID she get so good?

Must she have learnt from someone and started playing after a few months right? NO…

A student of music becomes a seasoned musician after going through a series of cyclic intervals.

1. Excitement

2. Frustration

3. Enlightenment.

All three elements of this cycle are equally necessary to see progress.

What varies is the scale of proficiency and the knowledge of what it takes to make it.

THE TEN QUALITIES

So what does it take?

1. Listening endlessly

2. Finding a reliable mentor & finding direction

3. Learning from multiple well-directed sources

4. Practice - progress and pitfalls

5. Jamming with fellow students

6. Constant self-reflection - Keeping your ego in check

7. External examinations

8. Identifying constructive criticism and handling destructive.

9. Sharing with the world - Performances & Releases

10. Going back to learning after milestones

A student of music is pursuing the right direction when he or she starts exercising “The Ten Qualities”. During this process, he or she experiences the onset of “The Three Elements” within these qualities. The tenure of musicianship and a variety of music depends on these and only these factors. The moment a student translates these practices into a routine, he or she starts to strive for progress rather than results.

And that’s what we call as COMMITMENT!

Music and films are integral part of our lives. Many of us are passionate about the art. But very few understand the career aspect and what the industry is all about. Some of us are eager to learn the science and technology and are confused regarding choosing the learning path and the future prospects of this ever expanding field. 

However, I will share some insights into this. Before you jump into the world of sound and music or films you must know that there are tremendous prospects in this field, some known and others unknown. The audio and film industry both requires some technical knowledge and a good taste in sound and film. One must learn to read film or learn how to appreciate listening to music as a professional. There are no Golden ears, just educated ears. All this requires acquiring an education, body of framework that provides reference for one to develop a skill. The technical and the aesthetics of the art. We must learn the rules or guidelines in order to bend or break them.

With immense patience and time and lots of work you will be able to close the gap between being an amateur and a professional.

Before you embark on preparing for this career, you should know what typical job duties you can expect to have. Here those we found when we looked at online ads for audio engineer and related positions listed on some websites:

i. "Minimize unwanted sounds on set."

ii. "Regulate volume levels and sound quality during recording sessions, using various types of professional field mixers."

iii. "Set up ambient sound microphones for crowd and cage."

iv. "Collaborate with producers, performers, and others to determine and achieve the desired sound for a production."

v. "Provide audio systems oversight of the show during production."

vi. "Set up and operate playback and reinforcement for theatre, opera, meetings, choral concerts, dance, symphony, jazz,country, pop, variety shows, and city events."

vii. "Play music and mix front of house audio for exciting live events."

viii. "Process audio to meet company’s quality standards."

ix. "Maintain and repair, and administer the repair of the equipment that you operate."

How to Become an Audio Engineer?

If you want to become an audio engineer you can attend a postsecondary vocational program for up to a year. There you will learn how to operate specialized equipment such as audio mixing consoles, equalizers, and microphones. After completing a program, you will receive a non-degree award or certificate. Some employers do not require you to attend school and will instead provide on-the-job training.

What Soft Skills Do You Need?

The set of hard skills audio engineers use on their jobs usually comes from a combination of formal or on-the-job training and experience. They also need certain soft skills, or personal qualities, to succeed in this occupation. They are:

a. Problem Solving:

When equipment malfunctions, the audio engineer must be able to identify the problem first. Then he or she must make the repairs and adjustments needed to make it work again.

b. Critical Thinking:

To fix problems, they must come up with alternative solutions and then figure out which will have the best results.

c. Manual Dexterity:

Setting up equipment, connecting wires, and using knobs and buttons to make adjustments requires excellent manual dexterity.

d. Monitoring:

Audio engineers must continuously monitor volume levels and sound quality.

e. Communication Skills: You need excellent listening and speaking skills to collaborate on projects with others.

What Will Employers Expect From You?

To learn about employers' required qualifications, we again turned to Indeed.com to examine job announcements for audio engineers:

i. "Ability to demonstrate planning, organizing and implementing skills which allow the successful completion of a project by a specific due date."

ii. "Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously."

iii. "Strong ability to learn new technologies."

iv. "Ability to constructively collaborate in a results oriented team."

v. "Demonstrated success in the creation of superb content under pressure."

Raag is the backbone of Indian Classical Music. The word raag comes from Sanskrit word "Ranj" which means to delight, to make happy and to satisfy. Here it's necessary to clarify that not all raags project a happy mood. The raag can produce various moods such as Shant (serenity), Shrungaar (erotic), Bhakti (devotion to God), Veer (gallantry, bravery, aggressive).

Raag is neither a scale, nor a mode. It is, however, a scientific, precise, subtle, and aesthetic melodic form with its own peculiar ascending and descending movement which consists of either a full octave, or a series of five or six notes.

An omission of a jarring or dissonant note, or an emphasis on a particular note, or the transition from one note to another, and the use of microtones along with other subtleties, distinguish one raag from the other.

There are 3 Raag bhed (Types of Raag)

1. Shuddha Raag: The raag in which even if any notes that are not present in it are used, it's nature and form does not change
2. Chhayalag Raag: The raag in which if any notes that are not present in it are used, it's nature and
   form changes.
3. Sankeerna Raag: The raag in which there is a combination of two or more raags.