Or even sax solos, it's all relevant
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Intermediate - advanced walking tutorials
- Thread starter LBS-bass
- Start date
I found that transcribing Paul Chambers has opened up my jazz walking. I don't know if it would translate well to blues. Not saying it wouldn't, I just don't know.
This is a good one. Walking starts at 1:00.
This is a good one. Walking starts at 1:00.
This is exactly what I was going to recommend and what my teacher had me do. Get some Paul Chambers and transcribe it. Learn the chords and the head too, so you can see the context he was working in.
The other thing is to practice all your scales and arps in TWO octaves up and down the neck, all keys. Familiarity with going up and down the neck is critical to being able to execute a good, melodic walking line.
When I lived in Boston I studied with Bruce Gertz. He really help me get my walking together.
Unfortunately, I can't point to an easy video source for him. You will have to dig a bit. He has written a great book on the subject called "Walkin'", which might still be available. If it is possible to get a lesson with him, I would highly recommend it.
Also, + 1 to studying the walking lines of Paul Chambers. I did that as well around the same time I studied with Bruce. Transcribing Paul's lines really helped my ear and gave me some great ideas to work with. It is also where I realized that great players typically reuse and develop ideas. It was interesting to see how and where Paul would deploy his various licks. Jim Stinnett's book on PC Is another highly valuable resource.
Unfortunately, I can't point to an easy video source for him. You will have to dig a bit. He has written a great book on the subject called "Walkin'", which might still be available. If it is possible to get a lesson with him, I would highly recommend it.
Also, + 1 to studying the walking lines of Paul Chambers. I did that as well around the same time I studied with Bruce. Transcribing Paul's lines really helped my ear and gave me some great ideas to work with. It is also where I realized that great players typically reuse and develop ideas. It was interesting to see how and where Paul would deploy his various licks. Jim Stinnett's book on PC Is another highly valuable resource.
Truth. It seems like every line and run is an absolute perfect fit under all that guitar!
I'd suggest Andrew Fords Essentials Walking Bass Lines, it's on/from Truefire.com, there's a lot of good stuff on YouTube, but the only way to see whats good for you, is to view them all, which takes a huge amount of time, a good thing to remember is when walking a bass, your really outlining the chord structure, as you go through the chords of a song, just practice that and get good a ascending AND descending as you play, knowing the neck is a good thing to help you play ... just my opinion
Another recommendation for transcription. Ray Brown and Paul Chambers are always at the top of my list. The things they did in jazz are very portable into the blues world.
Basically, find anyone that played with Oscar Peterson and transcribe their stuff. It's like studying the chess games of old Russian Grand Masters... but infinitely more useful.
Basically, find anyone that played with Oscar Peterson and transcribe their stuff. It's like studying the chess games of old Russian Grand Masters... but infinitely more useful.
WBL Course – Walking Bass Lessons
This is a complete course [free]. So, at your level of playing, a lot of the information presented early in the course will primarily be review material. Several jazz standards (Autumn Leaves & Satin Doll are the two that immediately come to mind) are used in the video lessons, however there are supplementary lessons (work through on your own using the information you learn from the video lessons) for things like Jazz Blues. It is a very comprehensive course well worth the investment of time. Hope his can be of some help for you.
Best of luck . . .
* Edited to include that the course is free
This is a complete course [free]. So, at your level of playing, a lot of the information presented early in the course will primarily be review material. Several jazz standards (Autumn Leaves & Satin Doll are the two that immediately come to mind) are used in the video lessons, however there are supplementary lessons (work through on your own using the information you learn from the video lessons) for things like Jazz Blues. It is a very comprehensive course well worth the investment of time. Hope his can be of some help for you.
Best of luck . . .
* Edited to include that the course is free
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You guys are awesome. Thanks much for all of this.
I have a bunch of shows coming up and limited time for study because I have some complicated material to rehearse, so getting some concise recommendations is really helpful right now. My next blues show will be October 22 and that should give me enough time to slip in a little study on this and add a few new tricks to the basket that I can try.
For the blues shows, I feel like that's more important than going over the actual material since so much of it follows standard progressions and the interest is really added through instrumental nuance and dynamics. Unfortunately, the person who said it sounds like my stuff is feeling stale and I'm not feeling creative is right. I'm playing with a group of well-seasoned players who are quite excellent at what they do, and while they all like working with me, I feel like what I bring falls short, even if it's well-received. So it's really helping me to realize I need to step up and add new vocabulary here. All of these suggestions are helpful!
I have a bunch of shows coming up and limited time for study because I have some complicated material to rehearse, so getting some concise recommendations is really helpful right now. My next blues show will be October 22 and that should give me enough time to slip in a little study on this and add a few new tricks to the basket that I can try.
For the blues shows, I feel like that's more important than going over the actual material since so much of it follows standard progressions and the interest is really added through instrumental nuance and dynamics. Unfortunately, the person who said it sounds like my stuff is feeling stale and I'm not feeling creative is right. I'm playing with a group of well-seasoned players who are quite excellent at what they do, and while they all like working with me, I feel like what I bring falls short, even if it's well-received. So it's really helping me to realize I need to step up and add new vocabulary here. All of these suggestions are helpful!
This is my problem, too. A full course of study would be the ideal solution but it's not always practical when I'm preparing for several upcoming shows, all with different repertoires in different genres. Unfortunately the non-blues shows take the bulk of my practice time because the arrangements can be complicated and I need to know them well since I am farsighted and on a mic most of the time so notes are not easy to see for me.
That doesn't mean I can't commit to a course of study; it's just not going to happen quickly. I'm in a sightreading book right now to improve my skills there, and though my current skills are adequate to read most of what you put in front of me as long as it's not expected to be at speed and on sight, I'd like to finish that book before I move on. Finishing that book will make whatever I do next easier, I suspect. But I'm a good ear player and learning licks is something I do well, so there are tools I can acquire without a lot of study, and that's what I'm after at the moment.
I generally do not have problems in this area
When I have to make chord charts for the band, and my mentor (read: bass teacher from 1983!) is playing guitar, I have to make two charts, and label one "VLC" in the file name, with the font size in the 30s or 40s. Any guesses as to what VLC stands for?
Hi LBS
I can't remember if it was Miles Davis or John Coltrane who said
"You can't study the blues, just steal what you hear!"
The Friedland will get you (I used Carol Kaye's book) wherever you want
and help you not to stumble over diminished scales, but it's a long termproject.
Stealing lines is far more effective! (for blues)
Folks have already mentioned Paul Chambers (my biggest inspiration for walking lines)
and here is a boring one
have fun
Wise
I can't remember if it was Miles Davis or John Coltrane who said
"You can't study the blues, just steal what you hear!"
The Friedland will get you (I used Carol Kaye's book) wherever you want
and help you not to stumble over diminished scales, but it's a long termproject.
Stealing lines is far more effective! (for blues)
Folks have already mentioned Paul Chambers (my biggest inspiration for walking lines)
and here is a boring one
have fun
Wise
I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess VL stands for Very Large?When I have to make chord charts for the band, and my mentor (read: bass teacher from 1983!) is playing guitar, I have to make two charts, and label one "VLC" in the file name, with the font size in the 30s or 40s. Any guesses as to what VLC stands for?
For me, anything close to me is an indecipherable blur. I'm good if I can step back from the stand enough to read it but if I'm also singing I have to commit it all to memory. Too much going on at once at that point to be trying to read and keep close to the mic, too.
I met Tommy Shannon very briefly many years ago. I shook his hand and told him that I'd stolen a bunch of licks from him, he replied "That's OK ; I stole them from somebody else."
Dave won't use a stand, and prefers to lay his chord charts on the stage floor. He's an interesting sort, but a brilliant musician and an incredibly nice guy. So, big letters far away is what he wants, and that's what he gets. Very Large Chords.
I am with Dave on that, when I have the room in front of me to do it. Usually I don't, since stage space is limited and my mic is usually in the front.
If I have to use a stand I will try to get it out in front of me far enough that I can see it, but I don't really like the look of a stand on stage in front of a singer, or anyone who's role is central to the performance, really. And I often play a front-- or sidekick to the front-- role. I've tried an iPad, but the mic stand attachments don't put them far enough away from me to be useful.
Jazz shows, I know, are different from most of the shows I do in this regard, since most people are playing from charts. Our keyboard player has charts but it's not as obvious there
There's really not a good solution for farsighted people is there? Dave buys reading glasses by the 3-pack from the drug store, and keeps one or two in every room; he both hates and needs them. Won't wear them on stage, so I do what I can.
