How to walking bass properly (not the beginner formula)

[DaveYoe]

So I didn't play much of walking bass but sometimes I do need it for like rock&roll and jazz or blues songs at church, Im always fine with the simplest formula or arpeggios.

But now that im getting better as a player i want to learn about how to actually build a real walking bass (not that of 5mintues instant walking bass, or easiest way to, or beginner friendly type of walking)

But i cannot seems to find anyone actually teaching how to do it in youtube (I know paid lessons will have it tho but yknow)

So can someone please help me to understand how to actually build a proper walking bass

 

[Bassist4Eris]

Get the book "Building Walking Bass Lines" by Ed Friedland. It's in standard notation, but it's all quarter notes, so it's beginner friendly. Taught me to walk and read all at once.

 

[JRA]

 

[Groove Doctor]

Pick one bassist you admire and learn a bunch of the songs they played on.

You can’t go wrong with Duck Dunn on the Blues Brother soundtrack for soul/blues.

The double bassist Ray Brown is very beginner friendly for transcribing Jazz walking bass lines.

Paul McCartney
- early in The Beatles era (All My Lovin, Lady Madonna, Something) and
- with Wings (All The Best - a best of album) has a great variety of bass lines.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

Here ya go.
This is a walking bass tutorial written by TB member Chris Fitzgerald, who's over on the DB side.

 

[Nashrakh]

In my very humble opinion, the Youtube vids you mention will most likely get you 90% of the way there. I certainly have played a number of realbook gigs just walking triads and cliche voice leading.

I think the difficulty of walking bass lies in its fluent execution, and not its theoretical underpinnings of how to get from one chord to the next. So "just do it." Which, I know, is not the kind of answer you're looking for.

 

[Papageno]

For an in-depth introduction to walking bass, I recommend:
1. the YouTube tutorials of Chris Fitzgerald
2. Mike Downes's [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]: "The jazz bass line book"

There are of course plenty of other excellent resources, like those mentioned above in this thread.

 

[mike buzzetti]

play modes , mess around ! dont listen to me but do !

 

[AGCurry]

I learned how to walk the bass without instruction. It began when I first heard Big Joe Turner's album The Boss of the Blues, recorded in the early 1950s with members of Count Basie's orchestra. Most of it is swinging blues (no shuffles!), and the blues structures provide a familiar field to begin walking. The idea is to connect the next chord with the current chord in a scalar fashion, rather than simply go from one arpeggio to the next. Good walking involves being able to find a good penultimate note, the note that leads to the chord change.

There are no short cuts, though. It requires immersion.

 

[Papageno]

Good walking involves being able to find a good penultimate note, the note that leads to the chord change.

Exactly: good walking walking bass should not only tell the listener where you are in the harmony, but also and most importantly, where you are going to.

 

[Ed Fuqua]

play modes , mess around ! dont listen to me but do !

No.

At the risk of shameless self-promotion, many folks have found this useful.

 

[Lo-E]

No.

At the risk of shameless self-promotion, many folks have found this useful.

Shameless….

…but I do, in fact, find it useful.

 

[pbass2]

Exactly: good walking walking bass should not only tell the listener where you are in the harmony, but also and most importantly, where you are going to.

And you will be indispensable to the band once you can pull that off consistently!

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Jeff Berlin: A sort of universal walking bass line.

 

[Stewie]

Study anything by Larry Taylor of Canned Heat. He was the best at it of anyone I’ve heard

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

No.

At the risk of shameless self-promotion, many folks have found this useful.

I finally took the plunge and ordered this book.
I figure since I've been using your "how to really learn a tune" post and learning a ton from many of your other comments here, I might as well pay you something for all that knowledge.
Thanks Ed.

 

[Danny O Danny]

Tomasz at Walking Bass Lessons is an excellent instructor. He has prerecorded videos and he also does live one-on-one Skype lessons (for a very reasonable price).
Walking Bass Lessons – More Than Jazz Lessons
https://www.youtube.com/user/walkingbasslessonsYT

 

[ole Jason]

your "how to really learn a tune" post

You mind linking me to that one? Thanks!

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

You mind linking me to that one? Thanks!

I got the title wrong, but here it is:

REALLY Learning a tune

This approach totally works.
Follow the directions and don't take any shortcuts. He also has another one about singing chord inversions, I believe from the same teacher. I'll look for it if you're interested.

 

[KenD]

I learned how to walk the bass without instruction. It began when I first heard Big Joe Turner's album The Boss of the Blues, recorded in the early 1950s with members of Count Basie's orchestra. Most of it is swinging blues (no shuffles!), and the blues structures provide a familiar field to begin walking. The idea is to connect the next chord with the current chord in a scalar fashion, rather than simply go from one arpeggio to the next. Good walking involves being able to find a good penultimate note, the note that leads to the chord change.

There are no short cuts, though. It requires immersion.

I think this is sometimes referred to as "approach notes" or voice leading.