Now its time to learn how to create a complete bass line from scratch. Bass lessons beginners guide to walking bass lines bass tab standard string tuning g,d,a,e recommended 1. 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. Sep 24, 2019 every chord change in the blues should be viewed as an opportunity to create harmonic movement and interest for the listener. If you know how to create a walking bass line, you can be more creative in your jazz playing. Walking bass on the piano can be one of the coolest things ever. It is designed to develop strong harmonic skills, rhythm, phrasing and note choice. Bass lessons basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass bass tab blues basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass by. Walking bass lines piano tutorial 5 minute masterclass. And walking bass lines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time. Autumn leaves solo improvisation guide and walking bass.
Master arpeggios and concepts to play like the masters. Easy walking bass lines pdf constructing walking jazz bass. This classic jazz song, most notably played by frank sinatra, is great practice for learning walking bass. Chunky c this just so happens to be done in the key of a but you can play this in any key you like by following the same pattern for the chosen key.
Autumn leaves walking bass sound of emotions learn. You can also resize the bass tabs which makes them perfect for viewing on an ipad, smartphone or other tablet. Walking on the moon sheet music pdf the police free download walking on the moon sheet music pdf the police. T 1 2 a t 3 by chris fitzgerald a 4 t 1 a 2 t 3 a 4 walking bass line theory basics. Chords used major 7, minor 7, dominant 7 and minor 7 b5. This just so happens to be done in the key of a but you can play this in any. All of our bass tab pdf is printable and downloadable so you can enjoy it for years to come. Walking bass with the piano left hand classic jazz piano.
Walking bass lines are a fascinating part of jazz, as they support and mark the harmony underneath the chords and. 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. It is used in country, bluegrass and jazz very often, but you can use it in other genres as well. Sep 26, 2010 the walking bass technique with the piano left hand has great effect. This just means that you can play a couple notes higher on the guitar and those notes. 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. When creating walking bass lines, its important to outline the root and 5th of the chord. Dave frank school of jazz, new york city music videos. In lesson 2, we continued to build patterns for the common chord progressions we see in blues. While some knowledge of music theory is necessary, excellent bass lines can be. Walking bass lines are a fascinating part of jazz, as they support and mark the harmony underneath the chords and melody. 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. A bassline is a melody line played in the bass by a lowpitched instrument such as the piano, double bass, electric bass, tuba, etc.
When you use our free bass tabs pdf youll be able to download and save them to your computer for future use. Basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass bass tabs. Playing with a walking bass line is a style of piano playing that is used most often in solo jazz performance. Bass lessons basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass bass tab. Playing a walking jazz guitar bass line is a captivating method of comping for other musicians, and yourself. Easy walking bass lines pdf constructing walking jazz. And walking basslines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time walking basslines.
Are you trying to find a way in to playing jazz bass. Incorporating the 3rd of the chord will also give your bass line a stronger harmonic foundation. Playing jazz guitar bass lines with chords the guitar is an extremely versatile instrument, with seemingly endless techniques and tones around every corner. The possible noterange of a walking bass can reach from subcontra a to middle c. This is an important concept to remember, the walking bass line is. 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.
While often associated with jazz, walking bass can be found in any genre. With this tutorial you will learn tips to improve your walking bass technique. Obviously the sound of the contrabass is warmer and softer than the percussive sound of the piano and some shadings are impossible with the piano, for example glissando or bender. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz. Walking on the moon sheet music pdf the police free download walking on the moon sheet music pdf the police for piano sheet music, scoring piano vocal guitar, original key. 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. How to write a walking bass line learn jazz standards. This tutorial takes a look at five different approaches to playing walking basslines in a 12bar blues progression. Our collection of tabs, guitar chords, and video lessons is constantly growing, so check back often to find your favorite songs. The goal of a walking bassline is to outline the chord progression but with an interesting.
Walking bass for jazz and blues is a complete method to help beginners master each element of blues and jazz walking bass. Every chord change in the blues should be viewed as an opportunity to create harmonic movement and interest for the listener. Walking on the moon sheet music the police d sheetmusic. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of. A walking bass line generally consists of notes of equal duration and intensity typically 14 notes that create a feeling of forward motion. 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. These walking bass patterns will equip you with the necessary skills to walk bass when playing jazz, blues, rock, gospel, etc. Listen to his cd called giant strides and youll see what i mean. This is a solo i wrote for the jazz standard autumn leaves using a variety of thecniques that i have learned over my years of playing jazz.
In this lesson well take a look at scale style and intervalic bass lines, and even mix them up a bit. Walking up or down into a chord is a really nice way of making a transition from one chord to another. A walking bass line is the most common approach to jazz bass playing. 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. With this course, youll not only learn 48 different walkingbass patterns over four popular chord progressions, but youll also develop robust lefthand techniques. Therefore, the bass is played by the left hand on the lower part of the keyboard of the piano. Walking bass lesson 3 jazz blues fundamental changes. This technique resumes in a direct way the style of a bass instrument. All lessons are applied to all 12 keys with written out bass lines and 333 mp3 backing tracks applied to 10 jazz and bebop standard chord progressions with over 150 choruses of written out bass line examples. In this example, the bass line consists of simple arpeggiations of each chord, giving the overall effect of a simple blues bass line. Walking bass noterange usually the bass lies in the lower sound range of the music. Simple walking bass line for jazz beginners talkingbass. Jazz walking bass books constructing walking jazz bass lines. Take two different chords and you want to move as stepwise as possible between the roots of the two chords.
Popularized by piano greats lennie tristano and dave mckenna, among others, the walking lh bass line can effectively subtitute for a rhythm section, if desired, and provides a rhythmic and melodic foundation for rh improvisations. A guitar in standard tuning will never reach the lower bass notes of a real bass, but. You can watch the video below as i demonstrate and show you various left hand patterns and right hand improvisational progressions you can implement in using the blocked and broken major sixth chords. The walking bass technique with the piano left hand has great effect.
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. At the most basic level, you can use it to add a bit of extra something to your chord. The function of the bass is to provide the foundation. How to play a simple walking bass left hand pattern on the. In this seventh lesson of a blues piano crash course, learn how to play the simple but challenging walking bass.
Discover a complete method to learn jazz and blues walking bass. 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. R 3 5 6 7 walking bass line theory basics chris fitzgerald. Walking bass is a form of bass line, or a musical line that usually provides the lowest voice of the musical texture.
Walking bass line theory basicspart 1by chris fitzgerald. It is possible to add rhythmic variations, but in general, a walking bassline drives the song forward step by step. In a jump blues tune in which the bassline consists of lowpitched quarter notes played on the double bass in a scalar walking bass style, a bass run may consist of a bar of swung eighth notes played using a percussive slap bass style, in which the right hand strikes the strings against the fingerboard. Print and download in pdf or midi autumn leaves solo. In this article were going to focus on a few specific things that you can practice to help you play walking bass lines at the piano. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz online jazz handbook welcome to the bass chapter of the thelonious monk institute of jazzs online jazz handbook.
Walking bass line piano tutorial walking bass jazz piano. Oct 26, 2018 in this 5 minute masterclass, were going create a bass line over a blues in f. Beginners guide to walking bass lines bass tabs bass. How to create bass lines 2 3 play in four quarters. Key of c major although there are a few nondiatonic notes and chords as well. The walkingbass practice regimen piano lesson with warren. So far we have patterns for each chord change in the 12bar blues except for one, moving from v to iv i. Once you have some basic rules down, youll be able to make bass lines over any chord progression. Basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass bass tabs bass. In the piano version we see that this fournotesequence is used many times. In a bluessong the use of the notes of the major triad with the added minor third makes a very good walking bass. Just like walking with your feet, tyjwalking bass line is one step after the other that takes you somewhere. The following is an example of a common bass line construction when the harmonic rhythm is moving at the rate of two chords per bar target notes are designated with t, and approach notes are designated with a. It is possible to add rhythmic variations, but in general, a walking bassline drives the.
When starting out with walking bass lines, i would recommend that you always target the root when changing chords. Chords and walking bass part 1 in this lesson ill demonstrate how i approach playing walking bass lines and chords at the same time. In this theory tip tuesday video i show how to play a simple walking bass left hand pattern on the piano using a 12 bar blues progression. In part three of our walking bass series, we are looking at the final changes for the 12 bar blues.
This is a short demonstration lesson detailing the basic principles of walking bass lines. Develop a full range of scales, arpeggios and soloing to create your own walking bass lines. If you are looking to begin playing the bass then this how to video is the place to start. 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. 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. How to play walking bass lines at the piano cocktail piano. Chord tones root, 3rd, 5th, 7th are the most powerful choice you can make when creating your walking lines.
But the truth is that walking bass lines are fairly easy to practice and, like everything in. We offer a broad selection free bass tabs pdf sheets to help you learn songs. In this 5 minute masterclass, were going create a bass line over a blues in f. Free bass tabs printable, downloadable pdf bass tabs. How to play walking bass lines at the piano cocktail. 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 doesnt make a big difference if you have 20, 22, or 24 frets on your guitar.
The majority of the presentation will focus on walking bass lines in a 44 meter. Walking bass lines are a very specific and classic jazz piano sound and generally considered an advanced concept. You will learn some easy scales and how to play a walking bass line for whatever song you are playing. The best way to introduce walking bass lines into your playing is to start with one short common chord progression. Basics of bass guitar playing 8 there are usually about 20 something frets on a standard bass guitar. Share, download and print free sheet music for piano, guitar, flute and more on the worlds largest community of sheet music creators.
Walking bass mascari piano studios piano lessons, music. One very important and widely used jazz guitar technique is playing bass lines in combination with chords. Wallace stelzer is a professional jazz bass player and content creator from houston, texas. Dave found a way to incorporate walking bass lines into his solo piano style in a unique way. How to play basic walking bass lines bass wonderhowto. Therefore being in control of them and becoming fluent is crucial. But the truth is that walking bass lines are fairly easy to practice and, like everything in music and life, the more you practice the more comfortable you will become when playing in this style. Under each phrase i wrote the logic behind it and how i came up with it. Looking for a structured way to increase your current skill level.
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