Walking Help- Autumn Leaves

thatotherguy · #1 02-04-2010, 03:03 PM

I'm just starting out with this whole walking bass and my teacher is getting me to write out my own lines. We've started by him asking me to write out a few lines for Autumn Leaves. On the most part i think i'm fine for the moment, but i'm a bit stumped bar 27 it goes from a Gm7 to a Gb7 how should i approach walking over this?

Toronto Bassist · #2 02-04-2010, 03:21 PM

You could just double the notes...you could also go G-D-Db-Gb. You could also use octaves.

MalcolmAmos · #3 02-04-2010, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thatotherguy

I'm just starting out with this whole walking bass and my teacher is getting me to write out my own lines. We've started by him asking me to write out a few lines for Autumn Leaves. On the most part i think i'm fine for the moment, but i'm a bit stumped bar 27 it goes from a Gm7 to a Gb7 how should i approach walking over this?

Are both chords in the same measure? I assume it's with 4/4 time If so you only have room for 2 notes per chord. I think I'd go R-b3 for the Gm7 and then R-5 for the Gb7. Only reason I did not go R-5 on both is the Gm7 being minor.

I'm a newbie on Walking bass lines also, so take this with a grain of salt. But logic tells me this may be correct.

**JHorstmann** · #4 02-04-2010, 03:27 PM

Just take advantage of what the chord tells you. 1 M3 5 b7 8 and 1 m3 5 b7 8. Use any combination of those 2 to go from 1 to the other and it should sound lovely.

**251** · #5 02-04-2010, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thatotherguy

I'm just starting out with this whole walking bass and my teacher is getting me to write out my own lines. We've started by him asking me to write out a few lines for Autumn Leaves. On the most part i think i'm fine for the moment, but i'm a bit stumped bar 27 it goes from a Gm7 to a Gb7 how should i approach walking over this?

Look at the chord that comes after the Gb7. Play a Gb7 arpeggio, triad or just 1 5 8 5, 1 1 5 5, 1 1 1 1 (pedal)... You want to end the Gb bar a half or a whole note from the root of that next chord so you can play its root on the downbeat of the bar. The valuable concept here is; "When in doubt Simplify" The trick is to recognize your doubt. 8-)

There is more to know there but, right now, for you, understanding will be the booby prize. It will distract you from the task at hand which is, learning to trust your ears & fingers to be able to play tempo solid, simple lines so you don't have to think while you play.

Hang in & follow your teacher's instructions. It takes a while, there are always challenges, it is really fun with a full ensemble of players. 8-)

onlyclave · #6 02-04-2010, 04:53 PM

Are the changes there Gm7 Gb7 F7 E7? How about root root root root root root root root? G G Gb Gb F F E E which then goes to Eb 6/9 | D7b9 | Gm? That chromatic line has a direction and a destination that gets broken up and confused with 3rds and 5ths.

funkifiedsoul · #7 02-04-2010, 05:29 PM

not sure where you're getting this stuff from, but it's not Autumn Leaves, which is in the key of G (Em). It's all diatonic. (which is why it's good to use in teaching beginners walking.) Gb7 appears nowhere.
Edit: guess I misspoke. I've never seen it written in that key.

**JHorstmann** · #8 02-04-2010, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkifiedsoul

not sure where you're getting this stuff from, but it's not Autumn Leaves, which is in the key of G. It's all diatonic. (which is why it's good to use in teaching beginners walking.) Gb7 appears nowhere. At first glance I thought maybe you were learning it in a different key for some reason, or writing a turnaround but it still makes no "Autumn Leaves" sense.
The first bar is Am7 and the last bar (27) is Em7.

Well... He could still be doing it just in a different key? I've seen it in 2 different keys. At the end some versions instead of doing the normal 2-5-1 progression they do a tritone substitution. For example... my version goes Em7-Eb7-Dm7-D7 (other extensions...) But i believe the original version went Em7-Am7-Dm7-G7 ?

John Wentzien · #9 02-04-2010, 05:46 PM

Check this out..(last video example)
Might help..http://www.bass-musician-magazine.co...e-id=702818829

onlyclave · #10 02-04-2010, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by funkifiedsoul

not sure where you're getting this stuff from, but it's not Autumn Leaves, which is in the key of G. It's all diatonic. (which is why it's good to use in teaching beginners walking.) Gb7 appears nowhere. At first glance I thought maybe you were learning it in a different key for some reason, or writing a turnaround but it still makes no "Autumn Leaves" sense.
The first bar is Am7 and the last bar (27) is Em7.

Chromatic root movement through a bunch of II-V changes indicates tritone substitution.

Toronto Bassist · #11 02-04-2010, 07:38 PM

Looking now at a lead sheet for Autumn Leaves, it looks like I've been throwing in tritone substitutes just out of habit:

Already In Use · #12 02-04-2010, 08:09 PM

Heres a link from Edens site that has play alongs for that song. You can monkey with it all ya like. Left side scroll down a bit...

http://www.eden-electronics.com/info.../roy/index.asp

togglehead · #13 02-04-2010, 09:28 PM

And hey, in jazz there are no wrong notes as long as you resolve them right.

Bassist4Life · #14 02-04-2010, 09:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by togglehead

And hey, in jazz there are no wrong notes as long as you resolve them right.

right on!

the most interesting stuff comes from tension and resolution. play and have fun with it.

i find that i come up with my best ideas when i can loop 2 or 4 measures of a tune and play around with ideas.

don't feel like you have to follow the "rules". play what you hear.

thatotherguy · #15 02-04-2010, 10:11 PM

Wow, Thanks for all the info.

I have been approaching it in a root to fifth or third type way. I guess i'll spend alot of time with the looping function on BIAB to see what i like of those ii-V's

BananaKing · #16 02-04-2010, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toronto Bassist

Wow.... that lead sheet is way too over the top with hard to read symbols.

I've always found Maj7#11 easier to read than Maj7+4.

Same thing with Min7b5 (although I know that Half-dim depends on the circumstances and relation to the other chords).

That sheet also looks like it has 5/6 too many chords.

I prefer the real book version; More enjoyable to play.

However, everything people have told you about walking is correct. Remember to try to land on the root by the first or second beat, however. If you "Float" out for too long, too often, the sense of Harmonic rhythm and tension can get "muddy".

basseux · #17 02-05-2010, 02:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Toronto Bassist

Looking now at a lead sheet for Autumn Leaves, it looks like I've been throwing in tritone substitutes just out of habit:

hi, from wich book this sheet comes from ?

Toronto Bassist · #18 02-05-2010, 06:54 AM

It's an Aebersold sheet. I agree that the chord symbols are nutty, but I'm pretty sure that it doesn't have "5/6 too many chords".

dalkowski · #19 02-05-2010, 07:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BananaKing

However, everything people have told you about walking is correct. Remember to try to land on the root by the first or second beat, however. If you "Float" out for too long, too often, the sense of Harmonic rhythm and tension can get "muddy".

+1, but wouldn't it be wiser for a new member of the Walker Brigade to strive to hit the root on the 1-beat?

Just sayin'.

basseux · #20 02-05-2010, 07:07 AM

do you ask yourself such questions when you just sing a walking bass ?