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Contents 1 Singer-Songwriter Groove Ideas for Bass 1.1 Basic Singer-Songwriter Groove 1.2 Open an Extra Pocket for the Snare 1.3 Ballad Variation 1.4 Other Variations for Singer-Songwriters 1.5 Spice It Up

Singer-Songwriter Groove Ideas for Bass

The common denominator of a singer-songwriter song is a groove based on a dotted quarter/eight-note pattern; it usually pervades intro, verse, chorus, bridge and tag. The rhythm section can easily lapse into boredom and ennui playing these sets due to the simplicity and repetitive nature of a singer-songwriter groove. A bass player with creativity and imagination, however, can bring dramatic change to the mood and feel of a boring singer-songwriter song by applying subtle variations to the standard groove.

Basic Singer-Songwriter Groove

Here is the basic singer-songwriter groove for bass that would be played against drums with a quarter-note hi-hat feel. The first note of each measure is an accented dotted quarter-note (in this case, an A). The dotted portion is held through the first hit of the snare drum. The bass takes a quarter-note rest for the last beat of each measure, which creates a pocket for the second snare hit. Tempo is a relaxed 85 bpm appropriate for guitar strumming. (Music for the sound demos was produced with a Fender Aerodyne Jazz Bass and a Boss DR-770 Dr. Rhythm drum machine set to rhythm #95; the samba demo used rhythm #319.)

Sound Demo – Basic Singer-Songwriter Groove. Musician: DaveB.

Open an Extra Pocket for the Snare

By muting the dotted portion of the first note, the bassist can open another pocket that lets the first snare hit pop out. It’s a subtle variation, but definitely changes the groove.

Sound Demo – Extra Pocket Singer-Songwriter Groove. Musician: DaveB.

Ballad Variation

Ballads call for a different feel. They are slow, so let the bass notes ring to fill in all the space. This gives the song a dreamy, lugubrious feel.

Sound Demo – Ballad Singer-Songwriter Groove. Musician: DaveB.

Other Variations for Singer-Songwriters

The examples show how a slight variation in extending or truncating bass tone can change the feel of a singer-songwriter song. Here are some other variations.

Variation D Sound Demo – Singer-Songwriter Groove Variation D. Musician: DaveB.

Variation E Sound Demo – Singer-Songwriter Groove Variation E. Musician: DaveB.


Variation F Sound Demo – Singer-Songwriter Groove Variation F. Musician: DaveB.


Variation G Sound Demo – Singer-Songwriter Groove Variation G. Musician: DaveB.


Variation H Sound Demo – Singer-Songwriter Groove Variation H. Musician: DaveB.


Variation I Sound Demo – Singer-Songwriter Groove Variation I. Musician: DaveB.


Variation J Sound Demo – Singer-Songwriter Groove Variation J. Musician: DaveB.


Variation K Sound Demo – Singer-Songwriter Groove Variation K. Musician: DaveB.

Spice It Up

Experiment with grooves from world music genres to spice up an ordinary singer-songwriter composition. For example, you could overlay a Brazilian bassline on a singer-songwriter groove. By playing the bass line slightly in front of the beat but not in an overbearing way, you create a wavy feeling to the groove.

Sound Demo – Singer-Songwriter Groove Brazilian Variation. Musician: DaveB.

The same pattern works equally well with a Samba: Sound Demo – Singer-Songwriter Samba Groove. Musician: DaveB.


Basic rhythm variations can make a huge and beneficial difference to the same old singer-songwriter song. All it may need to really sing is the right touch of rhythm and low.
Contributors to this page DaveB