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Who here can play a walking bass line?!

Bassius

By Bassius
in Bass Guitar

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wades_keys Newbie

wades_keys

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The last 3rd, the sequence at the end (Bb, G, C, F) is a 'ancient' progression, sometimes called a 'turnaround' (or a 'circle of 4ths' for the more technically inclined).

 

That's a 1, 6, 2, 5, right?

 

Yeah it's funny how the jazz "sound" can throw my ear off.

 

I practiced humming just a whole note roots in my head and it made a lot more sense.

 

I've got it charted as a:

I, IV, I, I

IV, IV, I, I

II, V, I, VI, II, V

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ec437 Newbie

ec437

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Brief explanation: Two things are going on here, a) chord progression and b) bass movement to make that progression more
interesting
.


As to chord progression, there are all kinds of resources on the Web for basic theory. (It would help if you had familiarity with the major scale.) Likewise, the Web is full of resources on building walking bass lines... we cannot force-feed this stuff to you. If the concept intrigues you, google the phrases "beginning music theory" and then, a month after beginning real study of that, google "walking bass".

 

See, your first problem is that you're assuming I don't know anything about music theory. I know how chords work (duh). I am familiar with the major scale all the modes (once again, duh), along with many other things such as a classic twelve bar blues progression, 8 bar blues progression, reading music, etc. I'm not completely incompetent, but thanks for thinking that anyways.

 

 

What I didn't understand was Bassius' very succinct explanation of what the chord progression was and when the chords changed. So if someone could explain that to me, that would be great. Feel free to use big words too, because I will be able to keep up.:rolleyes:

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Westsailor Newbie

Westsailor

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I didn't mean to say that the progression itself is so different. I suppose I just meant that there are certain harmonic and chordal differences that would lend any one person to approaching it more in a Jazz manner... and less of a Blues (or Rock) manner.

 

You definitely have a point there... Although I was not so much influenced by any 'harmonic/chordal differences'. Rather, the overall presentation/mood/etc. of the clip absolutely defined the groove I gave it :cool:

 

(waiter... another martini for me and the lady here...)

 

Otherwise, my example(s) were about as basic a 'tied to the root' walk as you could get.

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PaulyWally Newbie

PaulyWally

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See, your first problem is that you're assuming I don't know anything about music theory. I know how chords work (duh). I am familiar with the major scale all the modes (once again, duh), along with many other things such as a classic twelve bar blues progression, 8 bar blues progression, reading music, etc. I'm not completely incompetent, but thanks for thinking that anyways.



What I didn't understand was Bassius' very succinct explanation of what the chord progression was and when the chords changed. So if someone could explain that to me, that would be great. Feel free to use big words too, because I will be able to keep up.
:rolleyes:

 

What are you talking about... and why are you getting an attitude?

 

If you have a question, just ask. We'll be happy to answer it without trying to treat you like an idiot.

 

No, we don't know your level of knowledge. However, for someone that can allegedly read music and knows music theory... I have a hard time understanding how you could not follow Bassius' chord chart. And that's probably where the confusion came into play.

 

I'll be the first one to appologize if you felt mistreated. It was not my intention. But you don't need to get an attitude... especially considering you were the only one having an issue reading the chart. Naturally, it was going to be assumed that you could not read chord symbols.

 

It's unfortunate that's what happened... but that's just the way it goes sometimes. Don't take it personally.

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Westsailor Newbie

Westsailor

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What I didn't understand was Bassius' very succinct explanation of what the chord progression was and when the chords changed. So if someone could explain that to me, that would be great. Feel free to use big words too, because I will be able to keep up.
:rolleyes:

 

Well, see.. I've already been caught with my pants down 'assuming' people knew more than they apparently/say they do. And then that it's in a '12 bar blues' format got us off on another tangent. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

 

Anyway (and I promise I'm not talking down to anyone... just wanting to explain it as basically as I can so everyone gets it) :

 

The overall chord 'sequence' is (which is repeated ad nauseum, till everyone gets tired, runs outta ideas):

 

Bb7 Eb7 Bb7 Bb7 Eb7 Eb7 Bb7 Bb7 Cm7 F7 Bb7 G7 Cm7 F7

 

It's 12 measures (bars) long, 4 beats to a measure/bar. 48 total beats.

 

Each one of Bassius's | | would be a 4 beat measure.

 

e.g. |Bb7| means to walk in the scale of Bb7 for 4 beats. (say, Bb, D, Ab F)

 

(For the sake of simplicity, let's just forget the minors & 7th's.)

 

followed by 4 beats in Eb (say, Eb, G, Ab, Bb)

 

Back to Bb (twice) for 8 beats. tip: since you're 'repeating' yourself, maybe start the second walk on the octave above/below, whatever blows yer skirt up.

 

Then Eb 'twice' (8 beats)

 

then Bb 'twice' (again, 8 beats)

 

The last two measures :

 

|Bb G|C F|

 

means you play in Bb for 2 beats, G7 for 2 beats, Cm7 for 2 beats and F7 for 2 beats. To hear it, try just playing the 'root' notes to start, i.e.

 

Bb Bb G G C C F F

 

Once you get the feel, play with octaves here (e.g. Bb, Bb one octave up, G one octave up, the G one octave below, whatever.).

 

Bottom line, you change chords (say from Bb to Eb) on the 1st beat of the measure. Whatever you do for the next 3 (to 7) beats is what makes you cool :)

 

Once you finish those 48 beats, just start over from the top (which is what makes 12 bar anything eventually boring for me).

 

That help? I hope that's right... it's much easier done than said :)

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ec437 Newbie

ec437

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The overall chord 'sequence' is (which is repeated ad nauseum, till everyone gets tired, runs outta ideas):


Bb7 Eb7 Bb7 Bb7 Eb7 Eb7 Bb7 Bb7 Cm7 F7 Bb7 G7 Cm7 F7


It's 12 measures (bars) long, 4 beats to a measure/bar. 48 total beats.

 

 

 

OK thank you. That is what I was trying to figure out.

 

Sorry if I had an attitude. I've been under a lot of stress lately and it manifests in unexpected ways.

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ryanizzle Newbie

ryanizzle

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Walking bass is more effective when your line is based off of the chords instead of scales. Four notes for each change may seem limiting, but you can do sooo much when you think in different inversions and substitutions. A few of the lines posted are very chromatic, and while the line may flow better, it doesn't back up the chords/soloist quite as well as a solid chordal walking line would.

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coyote-1 Newbie

coyote-1

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You say you can read music, yet you didn't grasp the elementary chord chart bassius laid out?? To me that chart is self-explanatory - guess that's why I thought you meant something different

What I didn't understand was Bassius' very succinct explanation of what the chord progression was and when the chords changed. So if someone could explain that to me, that would be great. Feel free to use big words too, because I will be able to keep up.
:rolleyes:

wades_keys - the bass motion of the last two bars is essentially similar to the I vi ii V7 you reference, but your passing tone choices will naturally be different as the six chord in this case is dominant rather than minor; unless you make sure to use the third (B natural) in your line the chord might be assumed to be vi instead of VI. It (the G7) is really functioning outside the key as a V7 to the ii chord, and it gives the soloist wide latitude.

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82Daion Newbie

82Daion

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Wow, 82 you can really play. I liked the first part much better, but I think towards the end you were just trying some different things. Overall...It rocked, thanks for adding.

 

Thanks! :)

 

Yeah, I got a little more experimental in the second half-going "out" a little, if you will.

 

I had to cut the loop down a little-I couldn't do that for 4 minutes without getting too repetitive.

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ec437 Newbie

ec437

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You say you can read music, yet you didn't grasp the elementary chord chart bassius laid out?? To me that chart is self-explanatory - guess that's why I thought you meant something different

 

I could read the chords he wrote, but I didn't understand what he was saying when he said "changes in 12 bars". But since it has been explained already, I guess its a null point. I'll try to record a line this week so you can see I'm not just blowing smoke out my ass.:thu:

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bassman1956 Newbie

bassman1956

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If things were better, I'd record one on the H4, and ask help uploading it for you all to hear. I love walking bass lines, be it boogie, blues, rock, big band. There's a whole lot more you can do with them than most people think. Okay, so it's kind of boring to some. Hey, welcome to my world. :)

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Westsailor Newbie

Westsailor

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If things were better, I'd record one on the H4, and ask help uploading it for you all to hear. I love walking bass lines, be it boogie, blues, rock, big band. There's a whole lot more you can do with them than most people think. Okay, so it's kind of boring to some. Hey, welcome to my world.
:)

 

I know I've said it but don't get me wrong.. I too love walking bass lines. To me it's the epitome, what I think of when I think 'bass' (dark, smoky bars with a piano, brushed snare & a URB). Is there anything more definitive of bass than that?

 

It's just when someone says 'Hey, lets do a 12 bar blues jam' (inevitably in A) I pretty much immediately go on autopilot because 9 times outta 10, no matter how much I push & prod in different directions it still ends up like a broken record.

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