Jazz walking bass lines pdf

A bass line is a melody line played in the bass by a lowpitched instrument such as the piano, double bass, electric bass, tuba, etc. Beginners guide to walking bass lines bass tabs bass. Therefore being in control of them and becoming fluent is crucial. A compendium of techniques for great jazz bass lines. This paper describes a contourbased algorithm for the realtime automatic generation of jazz walking bass lines, following a given harmonic progression. Looking for a structured way to increase your current skill level.

Jazz walking bass line etudes for guitar jamie holroyd. By working with the three etudes in this article you will learn how to. In this lesson we will be creating a simple walking bass line over a basic jazz blues progression. 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. Just like walking with your feet, tyjwalking bass line is one step after the other that takes you somewhere. Well there is a huge number of jazz albums with great walking basslines probably my favourite for walking lines is paul chambers and of course if there is one album that everybody has or likes even if they arent a jazz fan is miles davis kind of blue. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of. Chord tones root, 3rd, 5th, 7th are the most powerful choice you can make when creating your walking lines. Many times inexperienced players will use a lot of triplets, broken walking lines, and rhythmic drops as a way to mask poor note choice in their bass lines. A great place to start when building walking bass lines is by outlining the arpeggios of each chord in the progression. If you know how to create a walking bass line, you can be more creative in your jazz playing. Well play through it so you can get it under your fingers and then well have a look at what is going on in there so you can integrate parts of it into your own vocabulary and develop your own walking style. The bass lines in the section are for you to learn, memorize, and play in a real live playing situation. While often associated with jazz, walking bass can be found in any genre.

Here is the bass lines for autumn leaves that everyone contributed to last week. 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. Apr 26, 2017 in my previous post, how to keep your bass lines interesting, we defined what a bass line is and what its functions are, and looked at a few ways in which we can creatively negotiate chord changes. Use these lines to get you going the right direction when you start playing a blues. Simple walking bass line for jazz beginners talkingbass. When starting out with walking bass lines, i would recommend that you always target the root when changing chords. Easy walking bass lines pdf constructing walking jazz bass. Learning how to construct walking bass lines is the easiest and fastest way to start really learning your fingerboard. In this example, the bass line consists of simple arpeggiations of each chord, giving the overall effect of a simple blues bass line. Bass lessons beginners guide to walking bass lines bass tab standard string tuning g,d,a,e recommended 1. A leading tone is a note that makes the link between the previous bass line and the next chord. This article teaches you 3 jazz walking bass line etudes arranged for guitar.

Walking bass lines are a fascinating part of jazz, as they support and mark the harmony underneath the chords and. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz online jazz handbook welcome to the bass chapter of the thelonious monk institute of jazz s online jazz handbook. And walking bass lines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time. 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 jazz guitarists when playing without a bass player.

The fundamentals of music are pitch and rhythm which are placed in a grid of five lines and four spaces called staff. Building walking bass lines pdf free download epdf. Chords, soloing, theory, vocabulary, and more in each book. Incorporating the 3rd of the chord will also give your bass line a stronger harmonic foundation. For a complete guide to walking bass lines be sure to check out the full course here. Click here to download the free 3 scale concepts that create killer walking bass lines pdf. The main point to consider when constructing walking bass lines is how to create a smooth transition between the last note of the current chord, and the first. This is the most common 12bar blues form aka iivv progression. Bb jazzblues walking bass line for guitar 1d47djy1gj42.

A walking bass line is the most common approach to jazz bass playing. The symbol of the bass clef is derived from the old german way of writing f. Mike downes the jazz bass lines book chord music melody. In this weeks lesson were looking at a very simple walking bass line through the chord. In this 5 minute masterclass, were going create a bass line over a blues in f.

With these jazz standard study guides you learn how to master your favorite jazz tunes on guitar. The simplest walking bass line formula exactly where to. Walking bass is a form of bass line, or a musical line that usually provides the lowest voice of the musical texture. Easy walking bass lines pdf constructing walking jazz. R 3 5 6 7 walking bass line theory basics chris fitzgerald. Were going to use basic chord tones and repetitive lines that will act as a springboard in developing your own lines. Feb 16, 2015 a great place to start when building walking bass lines is by outlining the arpeggios of each chord in the progression. 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. The purpose of a good walking bassline or any bassline for that matter is twofold. To walk bass lines on the ii v i, all we have to do is learn three different walking patterns. It is common practice by jazz bassists to simplify a walking bass line by playing only on beats one and three, usually during the beginning of.

The jazz bass lines book free ebook download as pdf file. If we analyse the walking bass lines from a good bassist in a band, we quickly come to realise that there are bass lines that appear over and over, because they sound so good and have proved themselves successful. The difficulty in walking bass on the guitar lies in the combination of playing chords and bass at the same time. In this lesson ill demonstrate how i approach playing walking bass lines and chords at the same time. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz. Walking bass lines for guitar jazz guitar workshop series. Are you trying to find a way in to playing jazz bass. How to create bass lines 6 often youll use an ostinato for the head when the whole group plays the melody at the beginning and the end and use a walking bass for the changes when people take turns improvising over the chord progression of the song. This not only creates a poor walking line, but it also detracts from the entire band, and the whole musical experience.

Walking bass, improvisation, jazz harmony theory, technique. While some knowledge of music theory is necessary, excellent bass lines can be. Nov 28, 2018 walking bass lines are not just for jazz players. Back to walking bass if you are looking to learn walking bass from day one you are in the right place. Play through the progression using only root notes if it is new to you. Pdf this paper describes a contourbased algorithm for the realtime automatic generation of jazz walking bass lines, following a given harmonic. Walking bass line theory basicspart 1by chris fitzgerald. First, to outline the chord you are playing over, and second, to smoothly approach the next chord. The function of the bass is to provide the foundation. 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. A walking bass line is the most common approach to jazz.

Walking bass line theory basics pdf file chris fitzgerald. 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. For beginning bass lines, the root of the chord is the most common target note to play because it is the fundamental note of the chord. Walking bass line piano tutorial walking bass jazz piano. The two dots on the right of the bass clef symbol surround the line on which f pitch is written. Chords and walking bass part 1 in this lesson ill demonstrate how i approach playing walking bass lines and chords at the same time. How to write a walking bass line learn jazz standards. These blues bass lines are like having a one chorus lick that you can rely on to always sound good when you play it. Now its time to learn how to create a complete bass line from scratch. Walking bass lines piano tutorial 5 minute masterclass. One of the most effective ways of comping is using walking bass lines.

Also, dont forget to write out your lines at first and really practice these. By the end of the book youll have all the skills in place to create walking bass lines over the most common jazz structures and chord sequences. In jazz, bass lines should generally not be too repetitive unless youre intentionally playing a vamp like in blues or boogiewoogie. The goal of a walking bass line is to outline the chord progression but with an interesting melodic line that provides a countermelody as above. Were leaving nothing to chance and starting right from the beginning. Easy walking bass lines pdf constructing walking jazz bass lines. In this weeks lesson were looking at a very simple walking bass line through the chord changes of the jazz standard autumn leaves. Playing jazz guitar bass lines and chords terence wright. The majority of the presentation will focus on walking bass lines in a 44 meter. If you like these ideas and want more information, my books walking bass lines for jazz guitar and walking bass lines for bass guitar are available at. If you are wishing to order the pdfmp3 files please go to the correct page as this product is for the pdf file only. 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. Walking the ii v i in combo, youll learn that the ii v i is one of the most important chord progressions in jazz. The bassline construction method explored here uses chord tones, approach notes and basic reharmonization.