The Groovie Ghoulies were an American pop punk band from Sacramento, California , United States, whose music took inspiration from horror movies. They released numerous albums, EPs , and singles, and toured internationally. The band's name was taken from the 1970s animated television series Groovie Goolies , a spinoff of Sabrina, the Teenage Witch .
44-419: Though the group's lineup fluctuated significantly throughout their career, bassist / vocalist Jeff Alexander better known under the punk name Kepi Ghoulie remained a constant fixture. Guitarist Rochelle "Roach" Sparman was also a longtime member. Alexander and Sparman were married but eventually divorced, which lead to difficulties in keeping the band together and its eventual breakup. The Groovie Ghoulies' music
88-503: A bass line or bass part ) is the term used in many styles of music , such as blues , jazz , funk , dub and electronic , traditional , and classical music , for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played (in jazz and some forms of popular music) by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass , double bass , cello , tuba or keyboard ( piano , Hammond organ , electric organ, or synthesizer ). In unaccompanied solo performance, basslines may simply be played in
132-415: A bluegrass tune in which the bassline consists of low-pitched quarter notes played on the double bass on the root and fifth of each chord on beats one and three (of a 4/4 tune), a bass run may consist of a walking bass line played for several bars. In a psychobilly band, a bass solo will often consist of a virtuosic display of triple and quadruple slaps, creating a percussive, drum solo-like sound. In
176-404: A double bass player. The bassline uses low notes that provide a rhythm while simultaneously setting out the foundation of the chord progression . The bassline bridges the gap between the rhythmic part played by the drummer and the melodic lines played by the lead guitarist and the chordal parts played by the rhythm guitarist and/or keyboard player. In most traditional and popular music styles,
220-437: A double bass ) or instruments (in the case of a marching band) and the bassline are given the forefront. The bass part for a bass run often differs from the usual bass accompaniment style, in terms of the register, timbre , or melodic style that is used, or the number of notes per beat which are played. A bass run may be composed by the performer or by an arranger prior to a performance, or it may be improvised onstage by
264-408: A heavy metal song where the bassist was ordinarily playing low notes without overdrive to accompany, for a solo, they may turn on a fuzz bass pedal and use a wah pedal to create a more pronounced tone (an approach used by Cliff Burton ), and then play an upper register riff or scale run. Some shred guitar -style bassists may do two-handed tapping during a bass solo (e.g., Billy Sheehan ). In
308-417: A pop song in which the bassline consists of notes plucked on the electric bass, a bass run may consist of several bars of percussive slapping and popping . Bass solos and guitar solos are rare in pop. In the rare cases that instrumental solos occur in pop, they are often played by synthesizer or, in some bands, by saxophone . In a EDM , house , dubstep , grime , and related genres , synthesiser bass
352-412: A rock song in which the bassline consists of low-pitched quarter notes played on the electric bass, a bass run may consist of a rapid sequence of sixteenth notes in a higher register, or of a melodic riff played in a higher register. In some cases, the bassist will select a "brighter"-sounding pickup or increase the treble response of the instrument for a bass run, so that it will be easier to hear. In
396-458: A " walking bass line". In Latin , salsa music , jazz fusion , reggae , electronica , and some types of rock and metal , basslines may be very rhythmically complex and syncopated . In bluegrass and traditional country music, basslines often emphasize the root and fifth of each chord. Though basslines may be played by many different types of instruments and in a broad musical range , they are generally played on bass instruments and in
440-475: A "four feel"). Walking basslines use a mixture of scale tones, arpeggios , chromatic runs, and passing tones to outline the chord progression of a song or tune, often with a melodic shape that alternately rises and falls in pitch over several bars. To add variety to a walking bassline, bassists periodically interpolate various fills, such as playing scale or arpeggio fragments in swung eighth notes, plucking muted percussive grace notes (either one grace note or
484-407: A "raked" sequence of two or three grace notes), or holding notes for two, three, or four beats. Some songs lend themselves to another type of variation: the pedal point , in which the bassist holds or repeats a single note (often the tonic or the dominant) under the chord changes. Walking basslines are usually performed on the double bass or the electric bass , but they can also be performed using
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#1732884568566528-422: A cello and a double bass are used to play the bassline. In a Baroque era ( c. 1600 –1750) piece accompanied by basso continuo , the accompanying musicians would include a chordal instrument (e.g., harpsichord , pipe organ or lute ) and a number of bass instruments might perform the same bassline, such as the cello, viol , double bass, theorbo , serpent (an early wind instrument), and, if an organist
572-439: A common problem with the amplified double bass. By the 1970s and 1980s, the electric bass was used in most rock bands and jazz fusion groups. The double bass was still used in some types of popular music that recreated styles from the 1940s and 1950s such as jazz (especially swing and bebop ), traditional 1950s blues , jump blues , country , and rockabilly . In some popular music bands, keyboard instruments are used to play
616-471: A low brass instrument such as a tuba or trombone . Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments. Since the 1960s, the electric bass has been the standard bass instrument for funk , R&B , soul , rock , reggae , jazz fusion , heavy metal , country and pop . The double bass is the standard bass instrument for classical music , bluegrass , rockabilly , and most genres of jazz . Low brass instruments such as
660-421: A scalar walking bass style, a bass run may consist of a bar of swung eighth notes played using a percussive slap bass style, in which the right hand strikes the strings against the fingerboard. In a swing tune in which the bassline consists of low-pitched quarter notes played on the double bass in a scalar walking bass style, a bass run may consist of a descending chromatic scale played in a higher register. In
704-438: A simpler bassline. The timpani (or kettledrums) also play a role in orchestral basslines, albeit confined in 17th and early 18th century works to a few notes, often the tonic and the dominant below it. In a small number of symphonies, the pipe organ is used to play basslines. In chamber music , the bassline is played by the cello in string quartets and the bassoon in wind chamber music. In some larger chamber music works, both
748-452: A tuba. In some jazz groups and jam bands , the basslines are played by a Hammond organ player, who uses the bass pedal keyboard or the lower manual for the low notes. Keyboard driven bass also occurs occasionally in rock bands, such as the Doors and Atomic Rooster . Electric bassists play the bass guitar. In most rock, pop, metal and country genres, the bass line outlines the harmony of
792-727: Is best classified as pop-punk and is heavily influenced by early punk groups such as the Ramones , the Misfits , and The Dickies , 1960s garage rock and bubblegum artists such as The Troggs and The Monkees , and 1950s rock and roll artists such as Chuck Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis . Throughout their career the Groovie Ghoulies recorded cover versions of songs by several of these artists as well as other influences including KISS , Daniel Johnston and Neil Diamond . The Groovie Ghoulies announced their breakup on May 9, 2007, just days prior to
836-453: Is notated an octave higher than it sounds, when cellos and basses play the same bassline, the line is performed in octaves, with the basses an octave below the cellos. By the end of the Classical period, with Beethoven's symphonies, cellos and double basses were often given separate parts. In general, the more complex passages and rapid note sequences are given to the cellos, while the basses play
880-401: Is used (along with kickdrums ). In a funk song in which the bassline already consists of percussive slapping and popping, a bass run may consist of a virtuosic display of rapid slapping and popping techniques combined with techniques such as glissando, note-bending, and harmonics. In a jump blues tune in which the bassline consists of low-pitched quarter notes played on the double bass in
924-646: The Great Eighteen Chorale Preludes ): [REDACTED] Other walking bass lines can be heard in the opening movements of Joseph Haydn 's Symphony No. 22 (nicknamed "The Philosopher"), Anton Bruckner 's Symphony No. 5 and Edward Elgar 's Symphony No. 1 . Walking bass often alternates quarter notes: giving rise to the term. Many boogie-woogie basslines are walking bass lines: [REDACTED] Walking bass often moves in stepwise (scalar) motion to successive chord roots , such as often in country music : [REDACTED] In this example,
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#1732884568566968-555: The Minimoog and the Roland TB-303 , or virtual , such as Sytrus and ZynAddSubFX . In hip-hop , producer Rick Rubin popularized the technique of creating basslines by lengthening the bass drum decay of the TR-808 drum machine and tuning it to different pitches. Chinese orchestras use the zhōng ruǎn (中阮) and dà ruǎn (大阮) for creating basslines. Other, less common bass instruments are
1012-577: The bass line. In organ trios , for example, a Hammond organ player performs the basslines using the organ's pedal keyboard . In some types of popular music, such as hip-hop or house music , the bass lines are played using bass synthesizers , sequencers, or electro-acoustically modeled samples of basslines. Basslines are important in many forms of dance and electronic music , such as electro , drum and bass , dubstep , and most forms of house and trance . In these genres, basslines are almost always performed on synthesizers , either physical, such as
1056-409: The bass player is expected to be able to improvise a bassline which they base in the chord progression of a song. When a bassist is playing a cover song , they may play the bassline that was originally used on the recording. A session bassist playing in a music studio is expected to be able to read a bassline written in musical notation . Bass players also perform fills in between the phrases of
1100-401: The basslines are played by the double basses and cellos in the string section , by bassoons , contrabassoons , and bass clarinets in the woodwinds and by bass trombones , tubas and a variety of other low brass instruments. In symphonies from the Classical period, a single bassline was often written for the cellos and basses; however, since the bass is a transposing instrument , and it
1144-488: The examples above, from C to F and back in the second, and from root to seventh and back in the first. In bebop jazz, the walking bass has a stabilising effect, offsetting and providing a foil to the complexity of the improvised melodic lines, for example in Sonny Rollins ’ “Blue Seven” . A bass run (or "bass break") is a short instrumental break or fill in which the bass instrument (such as an electric bass or
1188-435: The fifth note), which helps to define a song's key. Basslines align or syncopate with the drums. Other rhythm instruments join in to create a more interesting rhythmic variations. The type of rhythmic pulse used in basslines varies widely in different types of music. In swing jazz and jump blues , basslines are often created from a continuous sequence of quarter notes in a mostly scalar, stepwise or arpeggio-based part called
1232-416: The last two quarter notes of the second measure, D and E, "walk" up from the first quarter note in that measure, C, to the first note of the third measure, F (C and F are the roots of the chords in the first through second and third through fourth measures, respectively). In both cases, "walking" refers both to the steady duple rhythm (one step after the other) and to the strong directional motion created; in
1276-461: The low register of a piano , Hammond organ , tuba or other instruments. They can also be sung, as is done by some a capella vocal groups. While walking bass lines are most commonly associated with jazz and blues, they are also used in rock , rockabilly , ska , R&B , gospel , Latin , country , and many other genres. Walking bass in the pedal keyboard part of Baroque organ music (J.S. Bach's Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland , BWV 659, from
1320-545: The lower register of any instrument while melody and/or further accompaniment is provided in the middle or upper register. In solo music for piano and pipe organ, these instruments have an excellent lower register that can be used to play a deep bassline. On organs, the bass line is typically played using the pedal keyboard and massive 16' and 32' bass pipes. Basslines in popular music often use "riffs" or " grooves ", which are usually simple, appealing musical motifs or phrases that are repeated, with variation, throughout
1364-418: The lā ruǎn (拉阮), dī yīn gé hú (低音革胡), and da dī hú (大低胡) developed during the 1930s. Russian balalaika orchestra use bass balalaika and contrabass balalaika. Australia's indigenous music and some World music that is influenced by Australian music uses didjeridus for basslines. In classical music , the bassline is always written out for the performers in musical notation . In orchestral repertoire,
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1408-566: The music being performed, while simultaneously indicating the rhythmic pulse. In addition, there are many different standard bass line types for different genres and types of song (e.g. blues ballad, fast swing, etc.). Bass lines often emphasize the root note, with a secondary role for the third, and fifth of each chord being used in a given song. In addition, pedal tones (repeated or sustained single notes), ostinatos , and bass riffs are also used as bass lines. While most electric bass players rarely play chords (three or more notes all sounded at
1452-503: The other parts in their original essence. Thomas Campion 1967:327 A walking bass is a style of bass accompaniment or line, common in Baroque music (1600–1750) and 20th century jazz , blues and rockabilly , which creates a feeling of regular quarter note movement, akin to the regular alternation of feet while walking . Walking basslines generally consist of unsyncopated notes of equal value, usually quarter notes (known in jazz as
1496-403: The other parts, since one builds them upon it. [The bass part is] the foundation of harmony. In many genres of modern traditional music (ranging from folk rock to blues) and popular music (ranging from rock and pop to reggae to funk), the bassline is generally played by an electric bass player. In rockabilly , psychobilly , traditional blues and bluegrass music , the bassline is played by
1540-516: The performer using scales, arpeggios, and standard licks and riffs . In some cases, a bass run may incorporate a display of virtuoso techniques such as rapid passages or high notes. During a bass run, the main vocal or melody line usually stops, and in some cases, the percussion or drums may also stop. The technique originated in the marches of the " Sousa school", though its resemblance to call and response techniques familiar to African American musicians indicates an earlier origin. In
1584-405: The range roughly at least an octave and a half below middle C (roughly the range of the bass clef ). In classical music such as string quartets and symphonies, basslines play the same harmonic and rhythmic role; however, they are usually referred to as the "bass voice" or the "bass part". Most popular musical ensembles include an instrument capable of playing bass notes. In the 1890s, a tuba
1628-426: The release of their ninth studio album 99 Lives . In 2008, two tribute albums were released. Let's Go Ghoulie from US-based Knowhere Records and When The Kids Go Go Go Crazy on German label Kamikaze Records each featured artists from Europe and North America. Lead singer Kepi has recorded cover versions of Groovie Ghoulies songs on various releases since the band's breakup. Fun In The Dark with The Accelerators
1672-477: The same time), chords are used in some styles, especially funk , R&B , soul music, jazz , Latin and heavy metal music . See the List of contemporary classical double bass players . See the List of jazz bassists , which includes both double bass and electric bass players. See the List of double bassists in popular music , which includes blues, folk, country, etc. Bass line Bassline (also known as
1716-400: The song. "The bass differs from other voices because of the particular role it plays in supporting and defining harmonic motion. It does so at levels ranging from immediate, chord-by-chord events to the larger harmonic organization of a [ sic ] entire work." Bassline riffs usually (but not always) emphasize the chord tones of each chord (usually the root note, the third note, or
1760-796: The tuba or sousaphone are the standard bass instrument in Dixieland and New Orleans-style jazz bands. Despite the associations of different bass instruments with certain genres, there are exceptions. Some new rock bands and bassist used a double bass, such as Lee Rocker of Stray Cats , Barenaked Ladies and Tiger Army . Larry Graham , Bernard Edwards, Mick Hogan, Andy Fraser, and Mel Schacher used an electric bass guitar. Some funk, R&B and jazz, fusion groups use synth bass or keyboard bass rather than electric bass. Bootsy Collins, Stevie Wonder, Kashif and Kevin McCord(One Way) used synth bass. Some Dixieland bands use double bass or electric bass instead of
1804-475: The vocal melody, and they may also perform bass runs or bass breaks, which are short solo sections. Rhythmic variations by the bass, such as the introduction of a syncopated figure can dramatically change the feel of a song, even for a simple groove. "In any style, the bass's role in the groove is the same: to keep time and to outline the tonality. When developing bass lines, these two things should always be your goal" [One] may view in it [(the bass part)] all
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1848-424: Was often used. From the 1920s to the 1940s, most popular music groups used the double bass as the bass instrument. Starting in the 1950s, the bass guitar began to replace the double bass in most types of popular music, such as rock and roll, blues, and folk. The bass guitar was easier to transport and, given that it uses magnetic pickups, easier to amplify to loud stage volumes without the risk of audio feedback ,
1892-417: Was present, the lower manual of the organ and the low-pitched pedal keyboard . In 2000s-era performances of Baroque music, the basso continuo is typically performed by just two instruments: a chordal instrument and one bass instrument (often harpsichord and cello). [The bass part is] the groundwork or foundation upon which all musical composition is to be erected. [The bass part is] the base and foundation of
1936-489: Was released in 2015; Re-Animation Festival , with The Copyrights, was released in 2019. In September of 2022, Kepi announced that the entire Groovie Ghoulies back catalogue would be released via Pirates Press. Bassist A bassist (also known as a bass player or bass guitarist ) is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass (upright bass, contrabass, wood bass), bass guitar (electric bass, acoustic bass), synthbass, keyboard bass or
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