So I know absolutely know nothing about jazz. can someone please educate me and tell me where to get started 
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Jazz standards for bass
- Thread starter chunami
- Start date
This free course would be a good starting point . . .
Walking Bass Lines Course – Walking Bass Lessons
Walking Bass Lines Course – Walking Bass Lessons
As a beginner to jazz:
Play notes of the chord, i.e. R-3-5-b7 one note at a time.
Get as many chord tones into your bass line as your skill level will allow.
The beat is swung from 1 and 3 to 2 and 4.
Get a real book, follow the chords and good luck.
Autium Leaves is not that hard, however, will take you years to get right. The guys will list their favorite selections.
Open your Real Book and Find the chords for the song you want to play. Right at first rely upon some lead sheets or fake chord sheet music. No point trying to do this by ear. Remember it's swung to 2 and 4.
Listen to a lot of jazz. Call up Bill Evans on piano - see/hear what he is doing.
Good luck.
Play notes of the chord, i.e. R-3-5-b7 one note at a time.
Get as many chord tones into your bass line as your skill level will allow.
The beat is swung from 1 and 3 to 2 and 4.
Get a real book, follow the chords and good luck.
Autium Leaves is not that hard, however, will take you years to get right. The guys will list their favorite selections.
Open your Real Book and Find the chords for the song you want to play. Right at first rely upon some lead sheets or fake chord sheet music. No point trying to do this by ear. Remember it's swung to 2 and 4.
Listen to a lot of jazz. Call up Bill Evans on piano - see/hear what he is doing.
Good luck.
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Listen first.
Look up some charts for standards. Play whole notes with roots. Then half notes with root and fifth.
Study harmony (don't have to go crazy).
Know your chord tones and where they are. Work on simple quarter note walking.
At this point, if you are serious about learning the style, transcribing bass lines is important.
Look up some charts for standards. Play whole notes with roots. Then half notes with root and fifth.
Study harmony (don't have to go crazy).
Know your chord tones and where they are. Work on simple quarter note walking.
At this point, if you are serious about learning the style, transcribing bass lines is important.
50 Jazz Standards You Need To Know - Learn Jazz Standards
I recently got iReal Pro to start learning stuff too... At the moment I am in listening mode and playing around with Autumn Leaves...
I recently got iReal Pro to start learning stuff too... At the moment I am in listening mode and playing around with Autumn Leaves...
Find a song you like. I started with The Chicken, So What, songs quite hard but I liked them a lot. Then, try to find a way to play it. If you're lost, ask.
So I know absolutely know nothing about jazz. can someone please educate me and tell me where to get started
I suggest learning your major and minor keys. Learn to play the major scales and three minor forms (natural minor, harmonic minor, jazz melodic minor). You may also consider exploring modes associated with all of the forms but modes that go with harmonic minor and jazz melodic minor get pretty complicated.
Learn to how to harmonize the major and three minor scales using 7th chords. This will create a range of chord shapes that you should learn to lay in root position, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd inversion.
Add Maj 6 shape and Min 6 shape. The Maj 6 chord is a major triad with a Major 6th. The Min 6 chord is a major 6th. Learn the inversions of these chord and which 7th chords they relate to...each is an inversion of a 7th chord. I mention these specifically because they are common in jazz.
Once you get your major and minor keys, scales, and chords down you have pretty much all of the building blocks necessary to play a walking bass line.
A final piece of the puzzle will be learning to interpret the various chord symbols that represent various chord shapes. For example Gmin7 is the same as G-7.
When you look at a piece of music you will eventually consider both the chords and the written melody, so it will be helpful if you can read both bass and treble clef. Both the chords and melody will given you hints to help you analyze the harmonic structure and key center. Jazz is often intentionally vague, ambiguous, or misleading, so it's a bit like solving a puzzle. A chord that functions normally within a key center is called functional. Jazz often contains chords that are non-functional. This just means they do not comply with the rules of classical harmony, the chords still sound really nice so the terminology is a bit misleading.
Luckily when you first start you don't have to dig this deep, just look at the chords and play chord tones. You can start off by playing roots and fifths. In swing beats 1 and 3 are considered harmonic stresses, so you want to play nice consonant sounds on these beats. Beats 2 and 4 are considered rhythmic stresses, and you later when you get more advanced you can play non-chord tones on these beats. Until you get more advanced you usually want to place the root on beat 1.
As you get more comfortable you can try working in the third and seventh. Try to mix up the order so you don't always play 1,3,5,7. This makes the line more interesting. Also you don't have to play every chord tone in every measure. It's perfectly fine to play 1,1,3,1 for now.
Later, you will want to start playing what I call linear lines. Linear lines are like playing a scale because the notes move step wise instead of in thirds. This means you will be playing some chord tones and also some non-chord tones. In order to figure out the correct non-chord tone to play you need to know what key center you are in. This is where it starts getting back more to solving a puzzle because jazz tend to change key centers frequently. Remember to look at both the chords and the melody for hints.
Let's say you have a ii V and melody line that implies the key center is F Maj. The chords will be | Gmin7 | C7 | So if you wanted to play a linear walking line, you might play something like |G, G, A, Bb|C, D, E, C| Notice all of these notes are diatonic to F Major because F Major has one accidental (Bb). You would probably think of the A in the first bar and D in the second bar as non-chord tones. However if you wanted to think of them as extensions you would call them 9ths.
Explanation: After you go up to the 7th you keep going around to 9th, 11th, and 13th for the chord extensions. The 9th is the some note as the 2nd, the 11th is the same note as the 4th, and the 13th is the same note as the 6th. These intervals are used frequently with more advanced jazz chord, and the extensions are often altered for more color.
You will also want to know 10th = 3rd, 12 = 5th, but AFAIK these are not use to build chords, they are just big intervals you might use; especially playing 10ths can be common with bass IMHO.
I learned to walk before I learned much about music theory. I actually played in a university big band by listening to recordings and copying the parts note for note. I could read sheet music at this time and follow the chord sheets, but I had no idea how to interpret the chord symbols.
Later as I was taking classical theory, I bought the Real Book and started learning to build my own walking bass lines as I have described above. Go as slow as you need to go to think about what you are doing. No need to play through an entire song at first. Figure out one bar, then two. Loop those two bars until you can make sense of them and the move forward one bar and start over. Eventually you will have figured out 8 or maybe 16 bars that you can play in a loop.
Don't allow yourself to get frustrated. There are lot's of moving pieces that you have to learn and then figure out how to put them together. It's super hard at first, but later it becomes almost automatic and you can play charts you know well without hardly even thinking.
My standard advice (pun intended)
Theory
Jazz is all about navigating the chord changes. You should understand the "roman numeral" chord language (ii V I, I IV V etc . ) You need sufficient theory to know the chord tones communicated in chord symbols
Repertoire
It always surprises me when people go straight to suggesting Jaco or So What.
Important and famous to Jazz, yes, but not as practically useful as:
Learn 12 bar blues and its Variations
Learn the Rhyhtm Changes
Those to two contain 85% of the harmonic DNA of jazz
After that Autumn Leaves or All The Things You Are are good starter standards, as they contain most of the common chord progressions of Jazz
Rick Beato is a deeply knowledgeable source:
14 chords to know to play any jazz tune is a good 2 minute info dump
The elements of Jazz explained
as is AdamNeely
How To Walk A Jazz Bass Line squishes the Berkley Jazz Bass Corse into a minute
ps : learn the melodies
pps: avoid "play mode X over chord Y" thinking
Theory
Jazz is all about navigating the chord changes. You should understand the "roman numeral" chord language (ii V I, I IV V etc . ) You need sufficient theory to know the chord tones communicated in chord symbols
Repertoire
It always surprises me when people go straight to suggesting Jaco or So What.
Important and famous to Jazz, yes, but not as practically useful as:
Learn 12 bar blues and its Variations
Learn the Rhyhtm Changes
Those to two contain 85% of the harmonic DNA of jazz
After that Autumn Leaves or All The Things You Are are good starter standards, as they contain most of the common chord progressions of Jazz
Rick Beato is a deeply knowledgeable source:
14 chords to know to play any jazz tune is a good 2 minute info dump
The elements of Jazz explained
as is AdamNeely
How To Walk A Jazz Bass Line squishes the Berkley Jazz Bass Corse into a minute
ps : learn the melodies
pps: avoid "play mode X over chord Y" thinking
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@Wasnex said a lot to get you started. I would add getting the backing tracks or I real pro for the Real book. This will allow you to play along with the tunes and apply what you have learned in real time.
Irealbook is a great app since it has the play along feature that allows you to adjust key and tempo.
I had to crash course jazz standards for some wedding gigs, and, while I am definitely not highly proficient, I was able to pick up enough to make it sound ok for cocktail hours when clients mostly want a vibe and atmosphere as opposed to an intellectual musical event.
It seems a lot of it is learning how to get from one chord to another using the right notes. After a little practice and familiarity, you will see how many standards use very similar if not the same chord progressions, and you can learn some stock licks or walks to keep in your back pocket.
I had to crash course jazz standards for some wedding gigs, and, while I am definitely not highly proficient, I was able to pick up enough to make it sound ok for cocktail hours when clients mostly want a vibe and atmosphere as opposed to an intellectual musical event.
It seems a lot of it is learning how to get from one chord to another using the right notes. After a little practice and familiarity, you will see how many standards use very similar if not the same chord progressions, and you can learn some stock licks or walks to keep in your back pocket.
+1 for WalkingBassLessons.com
Tomasz is an excellent instructor. He explains things very well, and has a well organized system, which is not overwhelming (nice bite-sized chunks of instruction). Also he does one-on-one Skype lessons, which are very reasonably priced and can serve as a helpful supplement to the free video lessons.
Tomasz is an excellent instructor. He explains things very well, and has a well organized system, which is not overwhelming (nice bite-sized chunks of instruction). Also he does one-on-one Skype lessons, which are very reasonably priced and can serve as a helpful supplement to the free video lessons.
Listen to Ray Brown, Ron Carter and some of the other pioneers. Then transcribe their lines. Then study and practice those lines for a couple of years.
There is no “instant jazz” method. No tricks, secrets, or short cuts; just hard work.
There is no “instant jazz” method. No tricks, secrets, or short cuts; just hard work.
Every note of a key/scale can have a chord built on it , using that note as a root
So the Key of C implies chords for C D E F G A B
But what quality? is that B a major or minor chord?
What about an added 7th: is that a flat seven or a major seven?
The solution is to only use the notes of the key to fill out the chords
This is "harmonizing the scale"
you can do this by 'stacking thirds" with a list of the available notes
start with the roots:
- C D E F G A B
- E F G A B C D
- C D E F G A B
- G A B C D E F
- E F G A B C D
- C D E F G A B
- B C D E F G A
- G A B C D E F
- E F G A B C D
- C D E F G A B
C major 7
D minor 7
E minor7
F major 7
G 7
A minor 7
B minor7 (flat 5)
D minor 7
E minor7
F major 7
G 7
A minor 7
B minor7 (flat 5)
those are the chords of the key C major.
if you notate it on the staff it becomes elegantly clear
the PDF link in my signature it explains this
This is how we can look at a chord progression like Cmaj7 Amin7 Dmin7 G7 and know it is in the key of C
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Along with other tools mentioned, have a look at this:
iReal Pro
I find it extremely valuable as a practice tool to refine my walking skills, and it contains a ton of standards that you can play along with. The sound quality isn't the best but for practice purposes that's not a huge deal. It is possible to export the midi and play that back through a midi capable DAW, but that makes it more complicated.
iReal Pro
I find it extremely valuable as a practice tool to refine my walking skills, and it contains a ton of standards that you can play along with. The sound quality isn't the best but for practice purposes that's not a huge deal. It is possible to export the midi and play that back through a midi capable DAW, but that makes it more complicated.
+1 on this. Once you learn a few standards you will start to recognize patterns in how the chords fit together, and that will help you a lot.
Ah OK, I was aware of that concept, but didn't realise it was called harmonizing a scale...
So in major we use the M,m,m,M,M,m,Dim, and in minor we use m,Dim,M,m,m,M,M right?
Just do chromatic lines quarter notes like a scalded ape and let the piano player imply the chordal movement. As long as your strings do not sustain too long. It's up for the drummer to swing. Then just tell everybody you are playing hard bop. 
^Sarcasm alert^
I think it all begins in listening to jazz first and absorbing that idiom and culture. There are so many styles and some modal forms do not require you to walk. Who knows, you may like smooth jazz or fusion or jazz jam out like Mile's Davis electric period. Or you may decide to just be a virtuoso soloist like Eddie Gomes, Scott La Faro or Miroslav Vitous and live in the thumb/12 + fret position all day.
Learn jazz blues form (which is more than 3 chords ) and Rhythm Changes and variations of the modal minor form based on So What and Mr. PC -
Unless you are playing with people, it will probably be a while. Books, youtube, even teachers can help some but to me jazz education was really about collaboration and in the moment creation. Playing with old farts some Ellington will teach you more than a whiz person over Zoom. In short attend a jazz jam. It will be intimidating and as a bass player they will look for you to keep time that is why my first comment on just pounding swinging quarter notes is not exactly sarcastic or cynical.
^Sarcasm alert^
I think it all begins in listening to jazz first and absorbing that idiom and culture. There are so many styles and some modal forms do not require you to walk. Who knows, you may like smooth jazz or fusion or jazz jam out like Mile's Davis electric period. Or you may decide to just be a virtuoso soloist like Eddie Gomes, Scott La Faro or Miroslav Vitous and live in the thumb/12 + fret position all day.
Learn jazz blues form (which is more than 3 chords ) and Rhythm Changes and variations of the modal minor form based on So What and Mr. PC -
Unless you are playing with people, it will probably be a while. Books, youtube, even teachers can help some but to me jazz education was really about collaboration and in the moment creation. Playing with old farts some Ellington will teach you more than a whiz person over Zoom. In short attend a jazz jam. It will be intimidating and as a bass player they will look for you to keep time that is why my first comment on just pounding swinging quarter notes is not exactly sarcastic or cynical.
correct for the natural minor.
But jazz typically uses the harmonic minor or the melodic minor, which is a little different.
The "problem" with the natural minor is that the v-i cadence is considered weak
So they tweak the scale, raising the 7th tone of the scale, to produce a stronger V7-i cadence
A natural minor A B C D E F G
A Harmonic Minor A B C D E F G#
This gives us slightly different chords than a natural minor, these are usually the minor chords used in jazz for a given key center.
- i (min Maj7)
- ii (min7b5)
- III (maj7#5)
- iv(min7)
- V7 VI(maj7)
- VI(maj7)
- vii(dim 7)
Melodic minor has the raised 6th as well
A Harmonic Minor A B C D E F# G#
And yields even weirder chords, fun to explore once you understand the harmonic minor
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If possible, find an instructor who is well versed in jazz. Yes, there are some good tutorials on YouTube but nothing beats a one on one with an instructor. Some standards that everyone is familiar with at a jam are as follows:
Autumn Leaves
Harbor Lights
Fly Me To the Moon
Spanish Eyes
I Left My Heart In SanFrancisco
Smooth Operator
Linus And Lucy
Fever
Girl From Ipanema in F
So Nice Summer Samba
The In Crowd
Hit The Road Jack
This should keep you busy for a while. Also, find a local Jazz radio station and listen to it. Get a feel for The different tempos and how the bass is played. Good luck.
Autumn Leaves
Harbor Lights
Fly Me To the Moon
Spanish Eyes
I Left My Heart In SanFrancisco
Smooth Operator
Linus And Lucy
Fever
Girl From Ipanema in F
So Nice Summer Samba
The In Crowd
Hit The Road Jack
This should keep you busy for a while. Also, find a local Jazz radio station and listen to it. Get a feel for The different tempos and how the bass is played. Good luck.
