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Help! Need to learn Walking Bass in 2 weeks !!
- Thread starter BaldingEagle
- Start date
- Keep it simple
- No, even more simple
- in most cases you'll have two or four beats to outline the chords and lead to the next chord, so don't worry about extensions or getting fancy
- don't be afraid to play two notes in a row (e.g., root-root, fifth-fifth)
- in general keep your notes long (as opposed to choppy/staccato) and let each note lead directly into the next
- pay special attention to diminished and half-diminished chords, as well as to chords with a raised fifth. These are the chords that are most likely to catch you off guard if you're a beginning jazz player.
- play with a solid time feel and any bum notes will be a lot easier to forgive.
- No, even more simple
- in most cases you'll have two or four beats to outline the chords and lead to the next chord, so don't worry about extensions or getting fancy
- don't be afraid to play two notes in a row (e.g., root-root, fifth-fifth)
- in general keep your notes long (as opposed to choppy/staccato) and let each note lead directly into the next
- pay special attention to diminished and half-diminished chords, as well as to chords with a raised fifth. These are the chords that are most likely to catch you off guard if you're a beginning jazz player.
- play with a solid time feel and any bum notes will be a lot easier to forgive.
Based on my own experience and observation of students, learning to walk at a basic level takes a semester and playing Real Book another one to two semesters. Then you are ready to play Real Book jobs in coffee houses for free. Developing show-up and play Real book job skills - know the tunes and the standard bass lines, takes several more years to develop. Did I mention Bass soloing.
I think some folks are confusing country walking bass lines with Jazz.
This right here. There are many ways to walk, and experienced jazzers will appreciate hearing more sophisticated changes, but for a beginner's jam you're going to be fine just doing some standard patterns.
That's a good place to start but if you want to progress eventually you need to move beyond that. I would not expect people in a beginner's jam to notice if you're just playing standard arpeggios, though.
Hit a chord tone at some point. One the one is a good idea. Do it on the three as well if it works with what you’re doing.
Other than that, focus on playing four to the bar. Except when you don’t. But really make it sound like four to the bar even when you throw in some grace notes.
If you get all in your head about arpeggios, and approaching tones, you’re going to either freeze or sound incredibly stodgy and “look at me, I’m playing jazz ”
Other than that, focus on playing four to the bar. Except when you don’t. But really make it sound like four to the bar even when you throw in some grace notes.
If you get all in your head about arpeggios, and approaching tones, you’re going to either freeze or sound incredibly stodgy and “look at me, I’m playing jazz ”
To begin with, you must know your chords and scales, and chord theory. Second, you gotta know how to swing, and DO NOT play ahead of the beat. In fact, play a little behind. I strongly suggest finding some Count Basie blues recordings and listen to how the bass player handles his part and how the rhythm section feels that groove. Even a BB king blues shuffle. In jazz, a bass player that pushes the beat is a no no. You are the heart beat of the song and groove is just as important as the notes. . Then you need a good tone. Once you have that going, then study the songs and look for chord patterns like ii / V7 / I. This pattern can be walked through by simply playing a scale. For example, say this is in the key of Bb --- C- / F7 / Bb. So start on the 2nd note of a Bb scale (C) and walk through it to C. A tune like Autumn Leaves starts on a ii, then V7, then I, the to the IV chord, then a ii(diminished) to V7 to a Minor I chord. It's a good tune to learn to walk on because it covers a lot of ii /V7/ I ground. Good Luck - walking is fun, and it's never boring.
Jazz music would not "swing" if everybody played mechanically on the beat like a metronome. To play authentic old-school jazz, you have to learn how to push the beat a little to make the music "swing." Ray Brown was a master at this!
Watch the video.
The "lesson" starts about 5 minutes into it. You can disagree afterward.
- May 30, 2000
- 4,707
- 257
- Disclosures
- Creator of: iGigBook Sheet Music Manager
I work as a bassist, playing walking lines for $ among other things...I don't need to watch a video.
Play roots fifths and thirds and listen to the drummer more than yourself, pretty much the same for all bass playing!
If you've got a Real Book and you're already workshopping arpeggios try adding the following:
(example notes going from F7 to Bb7)
- Connect the chords with chord tones only (F - A - C - Eb | Bb)
- Connect the chords with scale tones only (F - G - A - C | Bb) <--- don't want to "arrive early" so go past to C before landing on Bb
- Connect the chords with chromatic tones only (F - G - Ab - A | Bb) <--- chromatics should step towards your landing place rather than away from your starting place, if that makes sense
Take these three concepts and play through some changes using only one concept at a time. Get used to how they sound and feel. Get used to planning ahead so you don't "arrive early" and so your chromatics land correctly. Do them ascending and descending. Then take two of the three and combine them a little. Then the other two, until you've gone through each pairing. Then combine all three. Do this with a metronome set for 2 and 4 and make sure your notes are big and full and the whole world knows where the 1 is.
If you do this, you'll be up and running in a week instead of two. You will definitely be able to "hang," as they say. Sometimes you'll hit changes that trip you up. It's ok to just make a plan and pre-write the notes for those changes.
(example notes going from F7 to Bb7)
- Connect the chords with chord tones only (F - A - C - Eb | Bb)
- Connect the chords with scale tones only (F - G - A - C | Bb) <--- don't want to "arrive early" so go past to C before landing on Bb
- Connect the chords with chromatic tones only (F - G - Ab - A | Bb) <--- chromatics should step towards your landing place rather than away from your starting place, if that makes sense
Take these three concepts and play through some changes using only one concept at a time. Get used to how they sound and feel. Get used to planning ahead so you don't "arrive early" and so your chromatics land correctly. Do them ascending and descending. Then take two of the three and combine them a little. Then the other two, until you've gone through each pairing. Then combine all three. Do this with a metronome set for 2 and 4 and make sure your notes are big and full and the whole world knows where the 1 is.
If you do this, you'll be up and running in a week instead of two. You will definitely be able to "hang," as they say. Sometimes you'll hit changes that trip you up. It's ok to just make a plan and pre-write the notes for those changes.
Absolutely most basic aproach that worked for me:
Root -
third -
fifth -
semitone above or below next root
It sounds merely OK and is good starting point.
Try Mark from talking bass:
Root -
third -
fifth -
semitone above or below next root
It sounds merely OK and is good starting point.
Try Mark from talking bass:
At a jazz jam, the "Blues" will likely have a 2 5 1 turnaround instead of a 5 4 1. If its a minor blues, thats a II m7-5/ Vb9/m7
Quick and dirty.
Practice your scales...Drill them... major (ionian, lydian[easy ionian with sharp 4th], mixolydian) and minor (Dorian, Aeolian, Harmonic Minor).
Know where the root is.
Write down major key changes.
Position your scale for the change.
If they are playing an A major... noodle around in an A Major scale. Skip notes, back track, jump octave.
You don't need to play the root on a quick transition.
Expert tip: A passage may include all changes within one key.
Find that key and you can walk through all the roots and swap your scales intermittently for tension.
Finally... remember what sounds good and do it again!
Practice your scales...Drill them... major (ionian, lydian[easy ionian with sharp 4th], mixolydian) and minor (Dorian, Aeolian, Harmonic Minor).
Know where the root is.
Write down major key changes.
Position your scale for the change.
If they are playing an A major... noodle around in an A Major scale. Skip notes, back track, jump octave.
You don't need to play the root on a quick transition.
Expert tip: A passage may include all changes within one key.
Find that key and you can walk through all the roots and swap your scales intermittently for tension.
Finally... remember what sounds good and do it again!
Then don't watch the video.
The suggestion was actually to BaldingEagle, to help him prepare for his jazz jam in 2 weeks.
