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Walking Bass and Blues Scale

#21
Matthew_84 said:
Sorry Cloverfield, which corresponding scale do you mean? Do you mean changing the dominant 7th chords into the chords that they would be if you were playing that key diatonically? Or do you mean adding mixolydian scale degrees, other than the chord tones, to your notes available to play while your playing in a dominant 7th chord? Or do you mean something completed different?

Sorry Cloverfield, I know it may be a long post. I've just been studying modes and their corresponding chords for the last year or so, and this idea of moving dominant 7th chords kind of throws me off.
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Nothing to be sorry about. Let me try and be clearer about that last statement of mine:

In a standard 12 Bar Blues situation, let's say in C, over the C7 chord you could think C Mixolydian scale as far as note choice to improvise from. Then when this particular blues switches to the IV chord, or the F7, you would switch your note selection mindset to that of notes coming from the F Mixolydian scale. Does that make sense?
 
#23
Cloverfield said:
Nothing to be sorry about. Let me try and be clearer about that last statement of mine:

In a standard 12 Bar Blues situation, let's say in C, over the C7 chord you could think C Mixolydian scale as far as note choice to improvise from. Then when this particular blues switches to the IV chord, or the F7, you would switch your note selection mindset to that of notes coming from the F Mixolydian scale. Does that make sense?
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Yup, perfectly.

I don't know if you guys have heard of the book "Jump 'n' Blues Bass" By Keith Rosier, but it is one awesome book. I just started looking into it today, and the first real exercise was a 48 bar blues bassline in the style of Larry Taylor. Very cool, had the "II-V" figure, a "quick IV" and a whole bunch of notes that weren't dominant 7 chord tones but rather notes commonly found in the mixolydian mode. I'm really going to have a lot of fun working through this one.

Thanks Cloverfield, John, and everyone else,

Matt
 
#24
Matthew_84 said:
Hey prd004. That is beautiful! Some great playing, a great song, and a great sounding bass. I've been interested in getting something like that for a while... I think you just brought the GAS back!

Thanks for posting that, it certainly opened my eyes up to some more possibilities.
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You're very welcome and I appreciate the compliments very much!
The bass is my Carvin AC40. Every time I record with it I am amazed the tone, and at how well it sits in the mix. I love it.
 
#25
Yeah, it looked like a Carvin AC40. I was on their website about a month ago looking at it, then I watched a youtube clip or two of people playing them and I've wanted one ever since. You're video really did not help my GAS, LOL. I'm 90% sure that will be my next bass. Have a good one prd

Edit to add: Prd, does the AC40 have a truss rod adjustment nut on it? I read a post and someone said that he didn't think that it had one, but in your video it looks like there's a cover for one on the headstock.
 
#26
Matthew_84 said:
?... That confused me... I thought a Blues scale only consisted of six notes, so a C Blues scale would be:

C - Eb - F - F#/Gb - G - A

So then I read this: Blues scale - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia...

Now I'm really confused...

:help:

...Maybe I should refrain from writing big complicated posts about theory, when clearly I need some work myself.
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Apologies if I added to the confusion. The Blues Scale is indeed a minor pentatonic with b5 added to make a 6 note scale.

I occasionally put my keyboard in gear before my brain is engaged. I've deleted the post, though it will live on here in your reply.
 
#29
"Actually, most blues walking lines are based on the MAJOR pentatonic scale, rather than the MINOR pentatonic/blues scale you asked about. "


I can only reiterate that.

The lead guitar player may rely on the blues scale for his solos but you should stick with the above advice.
 
#30
bassandbeyond said:
It sounds like you haven't had much music theory yet, in which case walking bass lines over jazz chord progressions is probably going to be difficult for you.

You might be ready for walking over simple blues progressions, however. Actually, most blues walking lines are based on the MAJOR pentatonic scale, rather than the MINOR pentatonic/blues scale you asked about. Major Pentatonic starting on root C would be played as follows:

C D E G A C

I recently did a short instructional video for LA Music Academy demonstrating one possible twelve bar walking blues line. Maybe you'll find it helpful. Good luck!
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Right on bass & beyond!
 
#32
bassandbeyond said:
It sounds like you haven't had much music theory yet, in which case walking bass lines over jazz chord progressions is probably going to be difficult for you.

You might be ready for walking over simple blues progressions, however. Actually, most blues walking lines are based on the MAJOR pentatonic scale, rather than the MINOR pentatonic/blues scale you asked about. Major Pentatonic starting on root C would be played as follows:

C D E G A C

I recently did a short instructional video for LA Music Academy demonstrating one possible twelve bar walking blues line. Maybe you'll find it helpful. Good luck!
Click to expand...

Nice video and great blend of the chromatic idea with the pentatonic in just enough to inspire rather than confuse a player new to the idea of walking bass.
 
#36
It's awesome that you're tackling the theory on this stuff, and you should definitely keep it up! But eventually you'll need to forget that and play intuitively. A good way to do that is listen to good stuff and learn it, and then break down why it works with all the other tungsten going on in the song. That is, take apart why it works with the drums and the melody. Eventually you won't have time to think in scales--you have to hear what's happening and interact. It can be good to think of groups of notes producing certain colors, with places on the fretboard giving you shapes and depth. Then you're painting.

Final note: Walk anywhere you want, but don't step on the melody! The most common time it happens is with the upper chord extensions (7, 9, 11, 13). The bass has little business above the 7th!
 

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