Need Help With Walking and Blues

[bjron]

hey im 15 and from australia and i have been playing for about a year

and i need help with walking bass lines and playing the blues and jazz

does anyone have any sheet music or know of any sites that could help me

of even some advice would be nice

[rossM]

The best place to start with good walking lines is the chord tones - you can make a solid line with these alone - then I suggest adding chromatics - you progress to scales attached to each chord skips & dead notes for colour and rhythmic punctuation - I suggest you get Rufus Reid's book - the evolving bassist - its all in there

[tzadik]

Welcome to the world of walking.

There are two things that will help greatly:

1. Get recordings of great jazz music, crank up the bass so you can hear what's going on, and try to play along if possible. Listen, listen, listen and play, play, play.

2. Master your arpeggios. 1-3-5-7. Know each one cold and be able to go from one the the next, like you mean it. This will help with #1.

Rufus Reid's book and DVD are cool, and I agree you may find them helpful.

[TJC]

Some good stuff here:

Theory Forum FAQ and Links

The article titled 'Basic Bass Line Construction' (or something like that) by TalkBass's own Chris Fitzgerald should help get you started. Enjoy!

[Kurisu]

This is happening over at the Music Theory section, have a looksy.

And now for the question we've all been waiting for... Do you have a teacher?

[contraman]

Originally Posted by bjron

hey im 15 and from australia and i have been playing for about a year

and i need help with walking bass lines and playing the blues and jazz

does anyone have any sheet music or know of any sites that could help me

of even some advice would be nice

I have a suggestion. Purchase Ray Browns bass method. It gives you a bunch of highly construtive exercises especially with 10ths(3rds extended above the tonic. Practice these they will open up loads of possibilties. A store that sells it in sydney is the bass shop. they also sell the evolving bassist. I have that also .It has a different approach. Both of these books are great.

[anonymous0726]

Wow! 6 posts and no one has asked the TBDB mantra: "Do you have a teacher?"

[contraman]

Originally Posted by Ray Parker

Wow! 6 posts and no one has asked the TBDB mantra: "Do you have a teacher?"

Teacher!

Teacher Smeacher LOL(In a forced phony laugh)

[Cairobill]

"The Art of Walking Bass" by Bob Magnusson

Explains the fundamentals behind walking bass in the clearest fashion...

Did the trick for me - comes with a CD as well

C

[ctcruiser]

Originally Posted by Cairobill

"The Art of Walking Bass" by Bob Magnusson

Explains the fundamentals behind walking bass in the clearest fashion...

Did the trick for me - comes with a CD as well

C

I agree, the Magnusson book is very good.