Is walking bass the cat's pajamas for practically every style?

[cantstoplt021]

I would like to work on my walking bass as I'm not good at playing improvising basslines to songs. I'm primarily a guitarist, but I would love to be able to improvise basslines over chord progressions when I do play bass. Are the skills and concepts used in walking bass (specifically jazz or blues) applicable to any style of music?

Just curious

 

[Funkmabassup]

There is definitly alot of music were walkingbass doesnt belong, but still alot of music were it can be applied. I mean try play walking bass in a prog-metal band

 

[cantstoplt021]

Well I know you'd have to change the rhythm up and you wouldn't quarter note walk over a funk or rock song, but are the concepts that you learn from walking (basically navigating through chords) applicable to most other styles is more my question

 

[Mushroo]

Semantics, but "navigating through chords" isn't a "concept you learn from walking" but rather a "concept you must learn to compose good music in any style and on any instrument (including walking bass)." You might find that concepts you already know from guitar (like good voice leading for example) are completely transferable/applicable to bass.

 

[INTP]

The concepts you learn from walking do apply to other styles.

 

[ZenG]

True that......but I wouldn't say it's "the cat's pyjamas" for practically every style....

 

[squidtastic]

Since the skills and concepts required for formulating jazz/blues lines are basically having an understanding of chord and scale tones, you certainly can (and should) apply those concepts to other styles.

 

[AndrewFord]

I also believe that the skills you develop to execute strong walking bass lines can help you in almost any style, using triads, chords, scales and chromatic notes to connect chords and support the band. Walking bass is used in a bunch of different styles, but not every song in that style

 

[elgecko]

Knowing what notes work and how good they work for a given chord is important in any style of music so yeah, the knowledge you gain from walking bass is applicable to any style.

 

[ZenG]

It's a good skill....but if you start listing here the number of songs that don't use a walking bass line...you will run out of posting space.

 

[OOD]

The concepts you learn from walking do apply to other styles.

INTP Is right. Not ever style of music has a walking bass line, but the concept could be applied to most songs. And if they can't be applied, sometimes it's easier to understand why some bass lines don't work on a song after you learn how to use it in other songs.

 

[Need Gigs]

There is definitly alot of music were walkingbass doesnt belong, but still alot of music were it can be applied. I mean try play walking bass in a prog-metal band

Two words: Dan Briggs

 

[ZenG]

Adding a couple of notes on a 'turn-around' or chord change or putting in a few notes on ascending or descending bass line intros or out-tros isn't really 'walking bass'.

A good walking bass player can start in any key and walk over the ENTIRE neck using chords structure,inversions, octave changes, scale-walks, and do it using a variety of modes. (And still end up back where he started if need be).

A good skill to acquire........but you'll definitely need your ducks in a row.

Blues is a good place to start.

Jazz walking bass can be a lot more complicated.

 

[OOD]

Adding a couple of notes on a 'turn-around' or chord change or putting in a few notes on ascending or descending bass line intros or out-tros isn't really 'walking bass'.

A good walking bass player can start in any key and walk over the ENTIRE neck using chords structure,inversions, octave changes, scale-walks, and do it using a variety of modes. (And still end up back where he started if need be).

A good skill to acquire........but you'll definitely need your ducks in a row.

Blues is a good place to start.

Jazz walking bass can be a lot more complicated.

I agree, but if you ask ten average bass players what walking bass is you will get ten different answers. Just a theory.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Is it used in every song ever? Not even close.

Is it something every player would benefit from learning? Your damn right.

 

[static0verdrive]

It might not be a walking line in the classic jazz sense, but have you heard the theme song for the US-version of the TV show Shameless? I think that's a great way to "walk" a bassline in a rockin' song... so I'd say the concepts work if you make 'em work. It's just about recognizing when it should be a jazzy walking line or something more fitting, but either way I think it would be the same theory behind the scenes.

 

[rtav]

Walking bass lines for everything?

Nope. I RARELY play them (I think there are three places in our entire repertoire where I do any sort of walking line, and it's for maybe 8 measures each time). But then we play prog and prog metal, so...

 

[Feral Feline]

Walking bass is so yesterdaze. Nowadaisy everyone is jogging basslines, sometimes even running basslines.

I can barely crawl a bassline...

 

[JES]

There is definitly alot of music were walkingbass doesnt belong, but still alot of music were it can be applied. I mean try play walking bass in a prog-metal band

For the record, I've seen walking basslines at prog metal shows. Between the Buried and Me also had a polka breakdown at one point. Anything is possible.

 

[quickfix]

There are genres where I use it a lot. Western swing, jazz, blues, country, bluegrass, older pop tunes (The Seekers), old time gospel, and old time fiddle. But even then, there's also a time and a place. I'd walk during a hymn in the sanctuary, but not if it was at a sombre occasion. Know what I mean? Not to be used when folks are crying at the side of a casket.
I'd probably walk during a hands in the air woopedeedoo. Crowd dependant.