The possible noterange of a walking bass can reach from subcontra. Beginners guide to walking bass lines bass tabs bass. Walkin the blues by steven mooney walkin the blues walking bass line transcription includes bass tab. When creating walking bass lines, its important to outline the root and 5th of the chord. Use these lines to get you going the right direction when you start playing a blues. The symbol of the bass clef is derived from the old german way of writing f. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading walking bass for jazz and blues. Learn to play common jazz chords, progressions and lines with your guitar these effective educational books for beginner and advanced players. Chord tones root, 3rd, 5th, 7th are the most powerful choice you can make when creating your walking lines. A walking bass line is a more creative form of bass playing than the other swing styles because you choose new notes each time you play the same song.
Nothing too difficult, just make sure you are stamping your foot two times per second and that you are counting from 1 to 4 in time with your foot beat. The majority of the presentation will focus on walking bass lines in a 44 meter. Play through the progression using only root notes if it is new to you. Your job is to mix up the root patterns over the blues.
It is the most extended scale in poprockjazz because of its versatility, because it always sounds good, always sounds like blues. I am looking to compile a list of blues songs with great walking bass lines particularly in the jump blues style. Apr 23, 2020 in this jazz guitar lesson, youll learn how to play a jazz blues in bb walking bass on guitar. Walking bass licks some help for those new to walking. Then open the pdf for this lesson, and look at all that information. Milt hinton vibraphone blues theres a reason hes gotten at least 9 honorary doctorates. This is the most common 12bar blues form aka iivv progression. Walking basslines the goal of a walking bassline is to outline the chord progression but with an interesting melodic line that provides a countermelody as above. How to create a walking bass line if you know how to create a walking bass line, you can be more creative in your jazz playing. In this weeks lesson were looking at a very simple walking bass line through the chord. Walking bass line theory basics pdf file chris fitzgerald. Just like a saxophonist might use the charlie parker omnibook so as to have some soloing licks at the ready, bassists can also use walking bass licks or. The two dots on the right of the bass clef symbol surround the line on which f pitch is written. As im sure you have heard before, practice makes perfect.
In this lesson, you will learn how to write and play a walking bass line over a 12bar blues in f. Practicing in all keys is going to consolidate your knowledge of the patterns as well as help you. The difficulty in walking bass on the guitar lies in the combination of playing chords and bass at the same time. Bb jazz blues guitar walking bass blues guitar, jazz. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz. How to write a walking bass line learn jazz standards. The notes above are all natural however any of this notes can be raised or lowered a half. Walking bass noterange usually the bass lies in the lower sound range of the music.
First of all, if you are new to walking bass, look at my previous lesson. Apr 26, 2017 wallace stelzer is a professional jazz bass player and content creator from houston, texas. Chords and walking bass part 1 in this lesson ill demonstrate how i approach playing walking bass lines and chords at the same time. Walking bass line theory basicspart 1by chris fitzgerald. In this lesson im providing you with a simple walking bass line through a 12 bar blues progression in a jazz blues style. Well also throw in chords in between the bass line. This helps define the harmony and is one of the keys to developing walking bass as an improvised skill. The possible noterange of a walking bass can reach from subcontra a to middle c. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of. Walking bass lesson 3 jazz blues fundamental changes. R 3 5 6 7 walking bass line theory basics chris fitzgerald. Therefore, the bass is played by the left hand on the lower part of the keyboard of the piano. Its made up of the root, 3rd, 5th and 6th degrees of an e major scale for all of you music theory buffs out there. Alright, this is just a warmup, good to stretch your fingers out with.
Incorporating the 3rd of the chord will also give your bass line a stronger harmonic foundation. Walking bass on guitar is usually played fingerstyle. In lesson 2, we continued to build patterns for the common chord progressions we see in blues. Just like walking with your feet, tyjwalking bass line is one step after the other that takes you somewhere. Instead of having a few different things to try in this lesson, we are going to learn a written. Instead of having a few different things to try in this. Walking bass for jazz and blues fundamental changes music. The blues scale, perhaps the most used in modern music to play lines, whether melodies or riffs, allows us to approach the blues sound without having to play within a blues structure. Easy walking bass lines pdf constructing walking jazz bass lines. Walking bass lines always sound cool in any style of music, but are essential to jazz blues and great american songbook jazz standards.
Nov 21, 2016 walking bass for jazz and blues is a complete method to help beginners master each element of blues and jazz walking bass. While some knowledge of music theory is necessary, excellent bass lines can be. Here is the bass lines for autumn leaves that everyone contributed to last week. Below is the bass tablature for the basic blues in e bass line. This set of playalongs and chord charts is a great addition to the walking bass lines course. The rhythm is basic, using quarter notes and the tones of a major scale. I am introducing to you a complete course on how to create walking bass lines from scratch.
The complete walking bass method kindle edition by clark, nick, alexander, joseph. Lessons scales walking blues 12 bar blues scale bass. Ill teach you the concepts and theory behind jazz guitar walking bass lines and show you how to apply it to a blues in bb. Walking bass lines always sound cool in any style of music, but are essential to jazz blues and. In this lesson i am going to go over a walking bass comp on a 12 bar bb jazz blues and how you play it on guitar. This is an important concept to remember, the walking bass line is movement. Feb 14, 2018 walking blues 12 bar blues scale bass tab by lessons scales. These blues bass lines are like having a one chorus lick that you can rely on to always sound good when you play it. If you know how to create a walking bass line, you can be more creative in your jazz playing. When starting out with walking bass lines, i would recommend that you always target the root when changing chords.
This lesson for electric bass covers an easy walking style blues bass line in the key of e. Its a system that takes weeks or even months to learn the basics, while guitar tab can be learned in a matter. Walking bass for jazz and blues is a complete method to help beginners master each element of blues and jazz walking bass. This is a a way of playing that i use really a lot in situations where theres no bass player, so mostly duo settings with a. Use your thumb for the bass notes and your other fingers to comp the chords. Its a jazz staple, youve got to be able to walk a line on the blues if you want to play jazz bass. After browsing our selection of free bass tab pdf, view our video lessons to help you get started learning your favorite songs from start to finish. Alright, this is just a warmup, good to stretch your fingers out with, its simple, and works quite well as an improv. Basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass bass tabs.
Playing a walking jazz guitar bass line is a captivating method of comping for other musicians, and yourself. Bass lessons beginners guide to walking bass lines bass tab standard string tuning g,d,a,e recommended 1. Our collection of tabs, guitar chords, and video lessons is constantly growing, so check back often to find your favorite songs. Practicing in all keys is going to consolidate your knowledge of the patterns as well as help you to freely move around the entire fret board. Simple walking bass line for jazz beginners talkingbass. And walking basslines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time walking basslines. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. When i was in college and dinosaurs roamed the earth, my teacher suggested keeping a library of walking bass licks in order to keep my walking lines interesting and not as repetitive. Here is the basic bass pattern you will play over the e7 chord. The bass lines are good and one simple addition to know is that just about any chord walking bass line, you can always use a leading tone that is, 12 step below to whatever is the next chord. For people interested in learning how to play walking bass lines, its hard to find something no. The majority of the presentation will focus on walking bass lines in a 44. Bassists can learn to read music notation, chord lyrics charts, or bass tablature. Walking bass and chords is one of the greatest ways to comp if you are the only one playing behind a soloist like a horn or a singer.
Jazz guitar lessons with tabs, analysis and audio files available for download. The bass lines are good and one simple addition to know is that just about any chordwalking bass line, you can always use a leading tone that is, 12 step below to whatever is the next chord. The goal of a walking bassline is to outline the chord progression but with an. Walking bass line piano tutorial walking bass jazz piano. As an active member of the new york city jazz scene, wallace has participated in jazz festivals, spoken and performed live on radio, and played at many prestigious jazz clubs and concert halls around the country. Heres what you get a complete guide to walking bass lines so you learn how to play on the most common chord changes in blues and. Walking bass for jazz and blues fundamental changes. Sidesliding or side stepping the root note is nearly always approached from either a semitone above or a semitone below the root note though sometimes from a note that is in the arpeggio of the preceding chord. You can start by switching off every measure between root patterns. Free bass tabs printable, downloadable pdf bass tabs.
A slightly embellished version of this kind of line would also be typical of a basic boogie woogie type bass line, as in the following example. Very easy to learn and play for the beginning bass player. If youre amazingly extra awesome, youll be able to sing the melody and make a bass line at the same time. A walking bass line is simply a melodic bass line found mainly in jazz and blues styles in which you walk around in quarter notes connecting the chords. All of our bass tab pdf is printable and downloadable so you can enjoy it for years to come. The video is based on a recording i made and transcribed. In jazz, basslines should generally not be too repetitive unless youre intentionally playing a vamp like in blues or boogiewoogie. At the top of the page, you can see 3 chord diagrams these are the chords which constitute the song. In part three of our walking bass series, we are looking at the final changes for the 12 bar blues. Walking bass and chords on a bb blues jazz guitar lesson. Basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass bass tabs bass. Therefore being in control of them and becoming fluent is crucial.
Music notation is a great system, but it isnt the most modern, or best system for learn modern bass guitar songs. This is a a way of playing that i use really a lot in situations where theres no bass player, so mostly duo settings with a guitar player, singer or horn player. Walking a blues now its time to put our root patterns to use. In this 5 minute masterclass, were going create a bass line over a blues in f. The challenge is that these recordings were mostly in the 1940s and early 50s. Wallace stelzer is a professional jazz bass player and content creator from houston, texas.
To support practising of this material i created pdf files containing tab and notation to illustrate. Bundle of 48 backing tracks and 12 pdf files with chord changes. Looking forward to hearing your walking bass lines over autumn leaves. In this example, the bass line consists of simple arpeggiations of each chord, giving the overall effect of a simple blues bass line. Walking blues 12 bar blues scale bass tab by lessons scales. Adhere to this basic rule and you can even tackle the approach notes in a similar fashion, creating the effect of walking to the new chord in onefret steps. The function of the bass is to provide the foundation.
Walking bass lines are a fascinating part of jazz, as they support and mark the harmony underneath the chords and melody. Bass lessons basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass bass tab. So far we have patterns for each chord change in the 12bar blues except for one, moving from v to iv i. Youll notice that the blues below only has three different chords. My favorite artists are louis jordan, wynonie harris, louis prima, and cab calloway. The bass lines in the section are for you to learn, memorize, and play in a real live playing situation. This just so happens to be done in the key of a but you can play this in any. Here we have a walking bass line on the blues in f. Dedicate at least 3060 minutes each day to playing the bass. It is designed to develop strong harmonic skills, rhythm, phrasing and note choice. Here are some tips to aid you in mastering these bass blues licks. Sep 24, 2019 adhere to this basic rule and you can even tackle the approach notes in a similar fashion, creating the effect of walking to the new chord in onefret steps. Dec 16, 2015 i am introducing to you a complete course on how to create walking bass lines from scratch.
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