Bass notes other than the root

[donn]

I'm not sure this is a very good example. For an introduction to potential bass choices besides just primary root notes, it would be easier to follow if we use a tune where everyone can easily agree how it goes.

I couldn't really follow the first one, and couldn't make the second work, so looked for a reference. Naturally there are a variety of interpretations. A common chord sequence that makes sense to me and doesn't have any #11 etc.:
C / Bmin7b5 E7 F / G7 G#dim7 Amin7 / D7 / Dmin7 G7 C /
(That's two chords per bar, / means same as previous.) That's the 2nd repeat of first repeated section. For me it's in 2, by the way - some charts have it in 4, but that kills the swing. I don't play accordion in this style much so don't have a strong sense of how to make it work rhythmically - bass/chords etc.

So what about bass notes? Well ... I'm not one to go all out on fancy chords, being somewhat at the intro level myself in this respect.

I'd have missed the B-7b5 in the second bar and gone straight to E7; I think I like the B in the bass line, but I wouldn't play it as E7-altB, which would be Bdim on mine setup. If I start the bar on E7, then the B alternate bass works, but it isn't so much an enhancement the bass line.
The G7 -> G#dim7 -> Amin7 sequence is obviously happening with the roots in the bass voice. I mean, diminished, whatever, it's all about the bass line pulling up by half steps from G to A. G# is counter bass for E, and I suppose I'd go there and stay on the G7 chord, which on my French stradella setup would work for G#dim7. Folks with Italian stradella I suppose would go somewhere on the dim row.
In the first bar, I'd put a G alternate bass at the end of the bar, not in the middle - in the middle, it makes that bar too static or autonomous or something, like here we are, hanging out on Cmaj for a bit. After the F in the 3rd bar I tend to go to the counter bass, but either would work. For the Amin7 and D7 bars I'd stay on the root.

 

[BobM]

I'm happy to use the chord chart that I posted, it's very close to the one's used most commonly with the bands that I play with, and very likely will be used tonight. The small changes that I might go for on this would be to add a semitone run down on bar 5 to 6, i.e. A down to the F sharp. On the second half bar 2 of the mid 8 I'd add a raised 5th on the RH and maybe a few other small RH details along the way.
On the A section for the very last time I'd play a scale down from C down to the E7 which sounds nice against the the rising melody. Generally I'd leave the chords alone, and certainly not darken them, as it's an optimistic song after all.

 

[losthobos]

Thanks Bob, exactly the type of tricks/motions that are pleasing to my ear...especially the contrary motion..sounds great.
My arrangement hasn't changed any of the chords either , just used alternate bass notes that give the song a little more motion and less predictabilty (risk of sounding om pah) which i think was the initial reason for this topic. Ie Bass notes other than the root.