swing

[marine18]

what is a good way to practice swing/jazz style music and walking basslines

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by marine18

what is a good way to practice swing/jazz style music and walking basslines

As no one has jumped on this --- Thank goodness the Internet is now full of backing tracks and play-a-longs. Good luck on swing, I've never been able to get the swing feeling going. http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...ad.php?t=24772

Jazz can start here. http://ralphpatt.com/Song.html Notice the backing tracks - upper tool bar.

Then go to www.jazzbooks.com and look for jazz play-a-longs.

A Google on walking base lines should pull up something. Still working on this, it does not come naturally for me and I have other priorities right now.

[dave64o]

If you want to work on walking bass lines then Ed Friedland's "Building Walking Bass Lines" is all you need. It also comes with a CD of many of the songs/exercises so you can play along.

[bassandbeyond]

If constructing walking lines is difficult for you, you might want to start out by writing out lines to play before trying to improvise them.

Important also to add that swing is all about feel, and therefore it's critically important to spend a lot of time listening to recordings of the great jazz bassists: Ray Brown, NHOP, Paul Chambers, Oscar Pettiford, etc.

[So Low Bass]

Stan Kenton's bass player in 1971 told me to:

1. Use a metronome. Don't "line up" with the downbeat. Line up so the tick is on 2 and 4.
The backbeat is everything.
2. Swing is 90% triplets feel. That doesn't mean play running triplets. Add ornaments to
your quarternotes.

[Kevin.Kevin]

Put the mteronome on 2 and 4 as mentioned at a decent tempo. Then practice running some scales to it.

Alot of books will tell you to Play the root of the chord on the downbeat, followed by a passing note, then another chord tone (usually the 3rd or 7th) on the 3, then a passing tone into the next chord on the 4th beat. That's fine for beginning. Mike downes has an excellent book on the matter. I believe its called jazz bass lines.

Also put your metronome on slowly and practice hitting on the beat, but saying the triplets out loud. As you speed up you will notice jazz becomes less triplety more straight, so be mindful of that. Swing isn't a locked down concept, tonnes of people have tonnes of different opinions about it. Just be strong and confident and flexible.

[Chris K]

2 and 4, absolutely. Blues stuff to start with, because it is easier to practice walking bass over simple chords, to get a good swing feeling. After that, step up with extended blues patterns, the 50's progression, the circle of 4ths etc. etc. These are important standard patterns. Most elaborated chord progressions are combinations of standard patterns. For some theory: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chord_progression

[PJSShearer]

If you want to work on your swing feel then you need to listen to as much swing music as you can, there's plenty to be found on you tube, good examples are anything by the Count Basie Orchestra:

April in Paris:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buPYdXcfwJc

One O'clock jump:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQi4j...eature=related

Of course, the "King of swing" Benny Goodman and "Sing, Sing, Sing"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwDN9...eature=related

As stated above, swing "feel" is essentially a triplet, or 12/8 feel, with the 4 beats split into 3 eighth notes with the first two tied together - try singing "Dooba, Dooba, Dooba, Dooba" in your head over a four beat bar to One O'clock Jump and you should get an idea as to how it works.

I came to swing from a classical, then rock background, it took me a while to "get it", but it came in the end and it will for you too.

[Asher S]

RE: Swing

• Listen to a lot of great recordings, eg anything with Ray Brown specifically, but also Ron Carter, Paul Chambers etc etc.
• Play along with the recordings
• Transcribe all or parts of the bass lines that catch your interest.

RE: Walking bass lines- covered many times before on TB.
Use any one of these books (and a good teacher also if possible). I have all 3 books. Any one is all you need:

• Walking Bassics (Ed Fuqua)
• Building Walking Basslines (Ed Friedland)
• Walkin' (Bruce Gertz)

[pbass888]

ed friedland -- basslines and transcribe lines on various bass jazz brown carter etc

[Kimpini]

+1 to above posts

To get started on walking basslines...
http://www.shermusic.com/new/1883217504.shtml

This book is by a member of the forum and is and excellent buy.