Another structure I find very interesting and useful on the bass is using the idea of addition and subtraction. This idea comes from the composer Philip Glass and more precisely his work “Two Pages”. The piece is one line of music that is taking new shape as notes are added and removed. Here you can see what the first part of ”Two Pages”:
I find it to be a great way to play grooves but by adding and removing notes over time you are constantly changing so it won’t become dull playing just the same thing over and over. By keeping a steady 1-2-3-4 time with the foot you also get interesting changes in the rhythmic feel when the melodic pattern changes from even (2,4,6,8) to odd (3,5,7,9,) .