Grade 8 walking bass line

[dlloyd]

Bbm7, Db7, Eb7, Db7, Eb7, Db7, Eb7, Db7, Eb7, Db7, Bb7, Eb, Bbm7, Db5, Bb5

Those are the chords written in the book sir.

I take it that represents one chord per bar?

The easiest way to do it would be to play the root on the first beat of the bar, play chord tones for the next two notes of the bar (it is in 4/4, isn't it?), then target the next chord's root on the fourth note.

You've got some choices in the target note.

One approach is to use a scalar target note, say, using the Eb itself to target the Db.

Another would be to use a chromatic target note, using either a C or D to target the Db.

Another would be to use a dominant target note, using the fifth of the next chord to target the root... so if you were coming up to the Db, you'd use the Ab (below or above the next Db, it doesn't matter)

That should be enough for you to construct a fairly convincing line that'll get you through the exam. Make sure you vary the line and don't trip up through thinking about it too much.

There's a lot more to walking bass than that, and you'd do well to pick up one of the books that are available on the subject. I quite like Ed Friedland's book, but there are other good ones like Ed Fuqua's (he's a TB contributor).

As an aside, the clip of So What is a great example of how walking is done on static chords, and won't really help you out on this one (other than in demonstrating the feel you should be going for).

 

[Jools4001]

no offense, but i would think if someone shows a "good level of expertise on bass," that they would be able to walk over some dominant 7th chords

Let me try and explain. In the UK (and other places for all I know) there are grading exams that are overseen by the Associated Boards of the Royal School of Music or by Trinity College London.

The grading system has separate 'practical musicianship' and 'theory' exams and it is quite possible to take one stream without taking the other. Most musical education in the UK is done through the school system with peripatetic teachers giving kids a weekly lesson on their chosen instrument. These lessons, given the limited time available for each lesson, concentrate on teaching people to play the instrument rather than theory.

So, by the time people reach Grade 8 in 'practical musicianship' they have learned the techniques required to play their instrument to quite a high standard, they can sight read, they can play scales and arpeggios and they are usually good enough to play in youth orchestras or string quartets and make a respectable sound.

Both of my children have Grade 8 violin and when they lived at home it was quite common to hear respectable renditions of Vivaldi, Bach duets, Beethoven, Massenet etc floating through the house

Some musical theory drip feeds in of course, but usually the musical theory stream is secondary to the performance (with only one hour a week at most for lessons it's understandable). That means that it's quite possible to be a reasonably accomplished musician with theoretical knowledge that lags behind. You can argue about the rights and wrongs of this system, but that's the way it is.

In my view it would be better to combine both, but if one has to give, then I guess it comes down to whether people prefer to play and listen to music or discuss theory.

There are limitations of course, in a celtic band I played in for a while, we had a fantastically accomplished violin player who could sight read anything put in front of her, but ask her to improvise a solo with a blusey feel over a simple twelve bar progression and she was completely lost. In another band that my drummer played in they had a flute player who had done two gigs a week with their band for 10 years and simply could not play without the dots in front of them. Literally forgot their music at one gig and had to sit out because they hadn't memorised a single tune in 10 years of gigging

In those instances they become inferior musicians to those self taught musicians with no reading or theory whatsoever but who can jam for days in any style you throw at them.

In an ideal world a rounded musical education would teach the theory, the practical musicianship, the ability to improvise and at the same time would nuture the passion for music and encourage individuality. Nice trick if you could do it.

The grade syllabuses are here
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[16notes]

Cinimod,

Hope the tidbit helped...

Ignore the critics here. Grade 8 or 81 who cares. It's all music and
you are showing the kind of work ethic and quest for knowledge that
it takes to be a solid player. Stay positive and keep it up!

Music is all about learning, growing and stretching. Keep the faith
and best of luck... I trust you'll be walking in no time.

Kind regards,

Donn

 

[JimmyM]

I take it that represents one chord per bar?

The easiest way to do it would be to play the root on the first beat of the bar, play chord tones for the next two notes of the bar (it is in 4/4, isn't it?), then target the next chord's root on the fourth note.

That would work, but it would also be a little boring. I liked your idea of the tangent notes, but I find that as long as you hit a chord tone on the 1, you could play pretty much any note after that as long as what you play suggests the chord you're on and leads into the next chord in a musical way. It's a little hard to describe what I'm talking about in a paragraph, but the idea is to make it sound like music and not an academic exercise, even though it basically is. Like maybe he could do your idea for a couple bars, then throw in a bar where you might hit the 3rd on the one and work from there, maybe throw in an occasional chromatic run, etc. And don't just play quarter notes, either. Throw in occasional 8th notes, or even triplet 8th notes to make it swing and show some movement.

Just experiment around and try different things, Cinimod, but always keep the musicality of what you're doing the important thing. Whatever you do, don't make it sound like an exercise. Anyone can hit the right notes by following formulas, but have fun and mix it up a little and take some occasional calculated risks and I guarantee the teacher will be more impressed by that than just playing quarter note chord tones.

 

[b sharp]

Hi, im currently practicing for my grade 8 on bass. There is a section on one song where you have to improvise a walking bass line over a Eb7 and a Db7. Im at a loose end as to what notes to use for a walking bass line over these chords. Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thank you!

Try mode interval (different flavors to the bassline)

So for Eb7
Chord tones are Eb(1)-G(3)-Bb(5)-Db(b7)

3-5-7-1, 5-7-1-3 and so on.

Scale tones are Eb-F-G-Ab-Bb-C-Db-Eb

Hope this will help.
B sharp

 

[Cinimod]

Hey hey! Thanks very much for your help! Im gonna put this helpful info into practice later on today. That walking bass line bit is in 4/4 the rest of the song is in varying time sigs of 15/8, 7/4 and 6/4.
Thanks again!

 

[velvetphil]

As an aside, the clip of So What is a great example of how walking is done on static chords, and won't really help you out on this one (other than in demonstrating the feel you should be going for).

Mah bad - didn't read the thread after I posted; thought he was just interested in walking between the two chords. Swingin clip though, I thought!

 

[Rob Mac]

My 12-year old daughter has just started on the Rock School Grade 1 syllabus, and is really enjoying playing along with the excellent CDs they provide.

I would use the Eb mixolydian mode over the Eb7, and the Db Lydian Dominant over the Db7:

Eb mixolydian: Eb F G Ab Bb C Db
Db lydian dominant: Db Eb F G (natural) Ab Bb Cb (= B natural)

Why? I am viewing the Eb7 as a Dominant 7 chord - the mixolydian mode is the first choice for Dom 7th chords. And I view the Db7 as a non-functional dominant 7th, in which case a lydian dominant is often a better choice.

Let us know how you get on, and good luck.
Rob