This post has a few separate parts, so I appologize for the length. Recently, I've been trying to learn country bass and have been to some local shows and jam sessions and the bass players get up and hear that a song is in a certain chord and they're able to hit the root-fifth or walk all over the place. To try and be more comfortable with that, I got some chord sheets to practice with which brings me to a question:
I'm looking at the song "If You Don't Like Hank Williams" which is by Hank Jr and follows the following progression for the verse:
I I I V
V V V I
I I I IV
IV I V I
Now I also have the Hal Leonard Country bass book and it describes the "Nashville Chart" as:
I I I I
IV IV I I
V IV I I
Might be a stupid question, but how would I know what songs follow what progressions. Also, the "Nashville Chart" shows a chorus as:
4/5 1 4/5 1
4/5 1/6- 2- 5
If I'm playing root-fifth on the 1 and 3 beat, how would I do a split bar and why do the minor 6 and minor 2 chords come in?
AND
The book explains that a sample line can be made up of a 1-4-5 progression (makes sense) and that a walking bass line can consist of a sixth chord arpeggio (1-3-5-6)..again, makes sense. Then it says the following in regards to a country shuffle walking bass line:
"When there are only two beats per chord, you can use the root and the third. Since the 2 chord (A) is typically minor, you can play A and C (the minor third). The C sets up the root of the 5 chord (D). The 5 chord is dominant (1-3-5-b7), so you can play D and F#. The F# sets up the return to the 1 chord (G). If there is a 2 chord for four beats, you can play the minor 2 chord arpeggio (1-b3-5-b7). If there is a 5 chord for four betas, you can play the 5 chord arpeggio (1-3-5-b7). Two beats on the 4 chord can take the root and major third of C (C-E)"
I honestly don't understand any of that. If we're using a I-IV-V progression, how do the ii and vi come into play? Also, how would someone know what progression to play just by sitting in. I guess if I knew a song in G and knew it followed a certain progression I could transpose to C, for example, but how else would you know what to play?
I'm looking at the song "If You Don't Like Hank Williams" which is by Hank Jr and follows the following progression for the verse:
I I I V
V V V I
I I I IV
IV I V I
Now I also have the Hal Leonard Country bass book and it describes the "Nashville Chart" as:
I I I I
IV IV I I
V IV I I
Might be a stupid question, but how would I know what songs follow what progressions. Also, the "Nashville Chart" shows a chorus as:
4/5 1 4/5 1
4/5 1/6- 2- 5
If I'm playing root-fifth on the 1 and 3 beat, how would I do a split bar and why do the minor 6 and minor 2 chords come in?
AND
The book explains that a sample line can be made up of a 1-4-5 progression (makes sense) and that a walking bass line can consist of a sixth chord arpeggio (1-3-5-6)..again, makes sense. Then it says the following in regards to a country shuffle walking bass line:
"When there are only two beats per chord, you can use the root and the third. Since the 2 chord (A) is typically minor, you can play A and C (the minor third). The C sets up the root of the 5 chord (D). The 5 chord is dominant (1-3-5-b7), so you can play D and F#. The F# sets up the return to the 1 chord (G). If there is a 2 chord for four beats, you can play the minor 2 chord arpeggio (1-b3-5-b7). If there is a 5 chord for four betas, you can play the 5 chord arpeggio (1-3-5-b7). Two beats on the 4 chord can take the root and major third of C (C-E)"
I honestly don't understand any of that. If we're using a I-IV-V progression, how do the ii and vi come into play? Also, how would someone know what progression to play just by sitting in. I guess if I knew a song in G and knew it followed a certain progression I could transpose to C, for example, but how else would you know what to play?
