For ascending lines im using the scale degrees 1 2 3 5. Recently i put together a howto guide to building walking basslines on jazz guitar. Looking forward to hearing your walking bass lines over autumn leaves. Ive got a great lesson for you on walking bass with chords for jazz guitar. In general, it is a good strategy to play the root of the chord on the downbeat of the measure.
The function of the bass is to provide the foundation for the. Our basic method for bass line construction is pretty straightforward. A walking bass line walks through the chord progression, one note per beat. 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. I have searched for an understanding of how to create walking bass lines online for a long time. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz. Learn fingerstyle guitar with martin taylor online at artistworks.
Exercise 1 demonstrates this with several examples. 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. From the aretha franklin album young, gifted and black break it to me gently. An example of four common chord progressions found in jazz, including a blues, minor blues, modal song form and rhythm changes. Basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass bass tabs bass.
Mar 25, 2019 welcome to part 1 of the walking bass series. This will give you the effect of an improvised walking bass line. In this lesson, you will learn how to write and play a walking bass line over a 12bar blues in f. The first level will be to develop bass lines using triad chord tones only and resolve to the next chord root in the most economical way i. In this lesson i share some essential walking bass patterns. Easy walking bass lines pdf constructing walking jazz. If you are wishing to order the pdfmp3 files please go to the correct page as this product is for the pdf file only. A guitar in standard tuning will never reach the lower bass notes of a real bass, but between the sixth and fifth strings on the guitar you can create the illusion of a bass player being present.
Walking bass and walking chords guitar styles ted greene. Every chord change in the blues should be viewed as an opportunity to create harmonic movement and interest for the listener. You can do this same exercise with any of the patterns. Lessons scales walking blues 12 bar blues scale bass. Theoretically and as a good starting point for us, a bass line can be comprised of just chord tones. A jazz blues progression written in all twelve keys. Dont forget you can repeat cells multiple times and itll work. The video is based on a recording i made and transcribed. The book will show the musician how to connect familiar chord shapes with the appropriate bass notes. On the fourth beat of the measure, hit the a chord on a downstroke, pull off your fingers, hammer the index finger on the second fret of the a string to get the b note in the bass and play a short. Walking bass for jazz guitar teaches you martin taylors own secret method for building a rock solid walking bassline on any jazz standard, and shows you a fool proof way of playing chords, all at the same time. Martin taylor walking bass for jazz guitar fundamental. There are 24 modules and each lesson, a cd and notationtab of the module material, comes in the mail every 2 weeks.
Walking bass lines for jazz guitar pdf file adg productions. The first jazz walking bass line etude we are going to learn is over the first eight bars of giant steps. How to play a walking bass line with chords guitar. In this module we are going to look at using scalewise motion in our lines.
Feb 14, 2018 download pdf alright, this is just a warmup, good to stretch your fingers out with, its simple, and works quite well as an improv. Bass lessons basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass bass tab. Walking bass on guitar is usually played fingerstyle. All of our bass tab pdf is printable and downloadable so you can enjoy it for years to come. The fundamental concepts of building walking basslines from scratch. Free bass tabs printable, downloadable pdf bass tabs.
Walking bass guitar is an important comping style for any jazz guitarist to study when learning how to play jazz guitar chords if you are new to playing walking bass guitar lines and want to learn an easy method for learning them, i highly recommend checking out this guide that i published before working through the material in this lesson this article is aimed at the guitarist who already. How to play walking bass exactly like a bass player. Learn to play the bass line and the thirds and sevenths all at one time. Find out how to get the full series of these lessons on walking bass by clicking here. So grab your guitar, pick out some chords and have some fun walking that bass. If you are wishing to order the pdf mp3 files please go to the correct page as this product is for the pdf file only. Walking bass lines always sound cool in any style of music, but are essential to jazz blues and great american songbook jazz standards. To demonstrate this we are going to use one of the most important chord sequences youll find in jazz music the iivi or 251. Here is an example of walking a line by switching between 1231 and 53. A bassline also known as a bass line or bass part is the term used in many styles of music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic, traditional music, or classical music for the lowpitched instrumental part or line played in jazz and some forms of popular music by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, cello, tuba or keyboard piano, hammond organ. One of the most effective ways of comping is using walking bass lines. Use the same method that is illustrated with the ii v is.
This just so happens to be done in the key of a but you can play this in any. In this bass guitar lesson, im going to take you through the 3 core concepts you can use to create walking bass lines. Module 2 scales passing tones walking bass lessons. Sep 24, 2019 every chord change in the blues should be viewed as an opportunity to create harmonic movement and interest for the listener. This is very useful in weaving a walking bass line through a chord progression while holding one position. Jazz walking bass line etudes for guitar jamie holroyd guitar. In this lesson i am going to go over a walking bass. These riffs work over almost any chord which then moves up by an interval of a 4th to the next chord. Chords and walking bass part 1 in this lesson ill demonstrate how i approach playing walking bass lines and chords at the same time. 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. Are you trying to find a way in to playing jazz bass. For this walking bass line im going to use only two scale patterns as the foundation for the whole thing.
Walking bass lines youtube jazz guitar with martin taylor. By employing them, our walking line takes on a very smooth, flowing motion. The simplest walking bass line formula exactly where to. This is the first step in developing walking bass lines. A walking bass line generally consists of notes of equal duration and intensity typically 14 notes that create a feeling of forward motion. Walking bass for jazz guitar three easy steps fret dojo. What we need to bear in mind is to apply the right scale to the chord being. Walking bass and chords bb blues jazz guitar lesson.
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. Looking for a structured way to increase your current skill level. If youre ready to step up your bluegrass guitar playing, be sure to check out bryan suttons free sample lessons. Walking bass line theory basicspart 1by chris fitzgerald. Jan 05, 2014 the pdf is now available for download right on my site and the donation is honor system thank you for your support. Learn the 5 walking bass lines or cells one by one and loop them until you are comfortable and locked in with the backing track. 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. It is full of ideas, examples, chord voicings and substitutions, as well as short chord progressions for you to try your new learned skills. A big part of being a jazz guitarist is accompanying other musicians.
It is absolutely crucial for the student to learn the material in the correct order and not to go ahead of oneself. Use your thumb for the bass notes and your other fingers to comp the chords. From the steely dan album aja border song holy moses. Walking bass lines with chords jazz guitar lesson ever wanted to play chords and walking. Easy walking bass lines pdf, constructing walking jazz bass lines. Apr 26, 2017 our basic method for bass line construction is pretty straightforward. The conference brought middle and high school teachers from all over idaho to the college of southern idaho for three days of seminars and workshops. The possible noterange of a walking bass can reach from subcontra a to middle c. Bass lessons beginners guide to walking bass lines bass tab standard string tuning g,d,a,e recommended 1.
If youre amazingly extra awesome, youll be able to sing the melody and make a bass line at the same time. Until i happened upon your youtube videos i found nothing of any value on the subject. Youll receive a pdf of all the lines played in the lesson, an arpeggio reference sheet and the backing tracks in c major and f major. Once youve done that, combining it with chords on the guitar is just a matter of slipping in simple versions of chords here and there. Scale degrees between two chord tones are called passing tones. Half steps create feeling of tension and release and this is what makes a walking bass line sound jazzy. In essence, were using the b note in our walking bass line, plus the guitars standard tuning to create a very cool sounding chord change.
Essential walking bass line patterns discover double bass. This tutorial takes a look at five different approaches to playing walking basslines in a 12bar blues progression. Jul 21, 2016 walking bass line jazz standards swing tune misc unsigned bands. Playing a walking jazz guitar bass line is a captivating method of comping for other musicians, and yourself. Here is the bass lines for autumn leaves that everyone contributed to last week. The course covers standard head arrangements, walking lines and solos for bass. There is a big tendency for players to seek for advanced and complicated topics while they still did not master the basics. It is possible to add rhythmic variations, but in general, a walking bassline drives the song forward step by step. Learn how to build and play walking bass lines on guitar and combine these with chords video, guitar tabs, and backing track. The first lesson will be building walking bass lines in the 44 meter swing style. Lessons in this segment focus on the fundamentals of bass playing. It is common for the harmonic rhythm to vary within most chord progressions. Walking bass and chords on a bb blues jazz guitar lesson.
Learning how to construct walking bass lines is the easiest and fastest way to start really learning your fingerboard. How to assemble single line basslines on guitar in 3 easy steps. Pay close attention to the quality of the chords dominant seven or minor. There are a couple of exceptions as youll see but for the most part were looking at one line for ascending and one line for descending. A twobeat and walking bass line on the changes of the tune beautiful love 2. To illustrate that, in our first two patterns, play the root of the chord for first three beats and then, on beat four half step one fret above or below the root of the next chord. Walking bass lines for jazz guitar by stephan badreau is a step by step guide to harmonizing bass lines on the guitar. In this weeks lesson were looking at a very simple walking bass line through the chord changes of the jazz. Creating a walking bass line is one of the more elusive art forms in the bass world, but if you understand how to put it together. The description below is for the pdf and audio files. Five steps to walking basslines on guitar guitar world. 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. Playing jazz guitar bass lines and chords terence wright.
When the harmonic rhythm of a progression of a song is two chords per bar, the bass player will often play a target note on beats 1 and 3, and an approach note on beats 2 and 4. Learn how to improvise walking bass lines in less than 5. To demonstrate this we are going to use one of the most important chord sequences youll find in jazz music. Walking bass line jazz standards swing tune bass by misc. While walking bass in a band is generally played by the bass guitar or double bass player, being able to play walking bass lines is an essential skill for.
The walking bass line itself fills a lot of space since it is continuously moving around. As a special bonus, 2 specially commissioned online videos are included, with martin taylor illustrating the secrets of walking basslines on jazz guitar. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of. This exercise is nothing more than a i vim iim v bass line playing two quarter. Its function is to outline the chords of the progression and provide a smooth transition from one chord to another.
How to write a walking bass line learn jazz standards. It is used in country, bluegrass and jazz very often, but you can use it in other genres as well. While giant steps can be daunting to improvise over, you can create a walking bass line with only a few notes. The function of the bass is to provide the foundation for the harmony of the given tune. As always you can download the examples as a pdf here.
The function of a bass player in the jazz combo is to work with the piano player and drummer to provide both a harmonic and rhythmic stability for the tune. It is found most commonly in blues and jazz, but as you learn bass guitar, you will hear its influence in almost any style of music. Youll become a oneinstrument rhythm section and be perfectly placed to accompany singers and soloists in a duo setting. Once comfortable, simply randomize the cell in any order. The tough part is developing the ability to play the walking bass line. Once again thank you for your clear, easy to understand lessons. Beginners guide to walking bass lines bass tabs bass. The difficulty in walking bass on the guitar lies in the combination of playing chords and bass at the same time.
A jazz bassist must learn how to walk a line based on the chords of a tune. Our collection of tabs, guitar chords, and video lessons is constantly growing, so check back often to find your favorite songs. Getting started with walking bass lines on bass guitar. This article teaches you 3 jazz walking bass line etudes arranged for guitar. Simple walking bass line for jazz beginners talkingbass. The walking bass line was developed by upright bassists like ray brown, milt hinton, paul chambers, and ron carter, but now its also commonly played on the bass guitar. In essence, were using the b note in our walking bass line, plus the guitar s standard tuning to create a very cool sounding chord change. A walking bass line simply walks through the appropriate scale of each chord, one note per beat, hitting every beat of each measure.
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