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¿Walking Bass lines?
- Thread starter SMaubass
- Start date
Grab some country swing albums, like Asleep at the Wheel, lots of good examples of walking bass lines. (Oops, I mean CDs)
Walking bass line = movement.
Now movement to the next chord is what people are talking about when they say walking bass line, i.e. you walk (move) to the next chord.
Yes Country does this all the time. In C with a C, F, G7 chord progression. You are playing under the C chord and want to get to the F chord. Target the F note then miss it by three frets. Then walk to the F one fret at a time. How about C#, D on the 4th string, jump to the 3rd strng for the E and land on F for the chord change. OK you have finished with the F chord and need to get to the G chord. Back up one fret - E, F, F# and land on the G. Time to move to the C chord. Target it - miss it by 3 frets - which ones would you use? That D# looks like a straight shot to the C. But, that is not your only choice. Which would you use? How about the A on the 4th string?
Recaping: Target the next root, miss it by 3 frets, then walk to it and be on it for the chord change. Piece of cake once you get comfortable with leaving early and nailing the next root in time for the chord change.
OK that's one way. Here is another. Use secondary dominants. You are playing the Cmaj7 chord bass line R-3-5-7 and it's time to move to the F chord. What is the dominant note in the F chord? It a C note. Change your last bass line from R-3-5-7 to R-3-5-8 then start with your bass line for the F chord. Why 8? In the above case 8 is another C one octave higher and dominants like to move to their tonic in this case the F. So the 8 pulls you into the F chord.
All kinds of other things that can be done. Ed' book Building Walking Bass Lines is a good place to start.
Have fun.
Now movement to the next chord is what people are talking about when they say walking bass line, i.e. you walk (move) to the next chord.
Yes Country does this all the time. In C with a C, F, G7 chord progression. You are playing under the C chord and want to get to the F chord. Target the F note then miss it by three frets. Then walk to the F one fret at a time. How about C#, D on the 4th string, jump to the 3rd strng for the E and land on F for the chord change. OK you have finished with the F chord and need to get to the G chord. Back up one fret - E, F, F# and land on the G. Time to move to the C chord. Target it - miss it by 3 frets - which ones would you use? That D# looks like a straight shot to the C. But, that is not your only choice. Which would you use? How about the A on the 4th string?
Recaping: Target the next root, miss it by 3 frets, then walk to it and be on it for the chord change. Piece of cake once you get comfortable with leaving early and nailing the next root in time for the chord change.
OK that's one way. Here is another. Use secondary dominants. You are playing the Cmaj7 chord bass line R-3-5-7 and it's time to move to the F chord. What is the dominant note in the F chord? It a C note. Change your last bass line from R-3-5-7 to R-3-5-8 then start with your bass line for the F chord. Why 8? In the above case 8 is another C one octave higher and dominants like to move to their tonic in this case the F. So the 8 pulls you into the F chord.
All kinds of other things that can be done. Ed' book Building Walking Bass Lines is a good place to start.
Have fun.
- Dec 13, 1999
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- Disclosures
- Chuck Sher publishes my book, WALKING BASSICS:The Fundamentals of Jazz Bass Playing.
Kind of NO. When someone says "walking bass" they are primarily referring to the bassist playing 4 quarter notes to the bar (in a bar of 4/4). This was to differentiate the change in feel from two beat or half note feel.
There are a variety of ways to approach note choice. But the whole idea is to keep the chord progression moving forward, the "walking" is the rhythmic element.
There are a variety of ways to approach note choice. But the whole idea is to keep the chord progression moving forward, the "walking" is the rhythmic element.
It's still an album.
ALBUM: A collection of songs or works
CD: a format in which the album is distributed.
