Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz. 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. Constructing walking jazz bass lines book ii walking bass lines. The samples are in pdf format and do require adobe acrobat reader to be. The goal of a walking bassline is to outline the chord progression but with an interesting melodic line that provides a countermelody as above. This printable pdf method for guitar with audio files, tabs, shapes, standard notation and analysis contains 28 exercices patterns, 6 jazz blues studies f, g and bb and 1 rhythm changes study. While some knowledge of music theory is necessary, excellent bass lines can be. Also i introduce new jazz standard satin doll which we are going to use in the next. The purpose of this book is to provide the beginning to intermediate jazz bassist a working vocabulary of walking basslines and concepts for improvising. 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. Just like walking with your feet, tyjwalking bass line is one step after the other that takes you somewhere. Walking bass lines for jazz guitar by stephan badreau is a step by step guide to harmonizing bass lines on the guitar. Youll be able to easily drag and drop the chord progressions, lead melodies, bass lines, drum patterns and other midi data into your daw of choice. 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.
Students and readers of constructing walking jazz bass lines. These blues bass lines are like having a one chorus lick that you can rely on to always sound good when you play it. The book will show the musician how to connect familiar chord shapes with the appropriate bass notes. Day three jazz walking bass line 15 minutes example 15 jazz blues in f with roots only playing jazz walking bass lines will help you develop your foundation for all good bass playing. Bass lessons beginners guide to walking bass lines bass tab standard string tuning g,d,a,e recommended 1. In previous lessons, we have looked at creating a solid walking bass line to fulfill our supporting role in a jazz ensemble. Chord tones root, 3rd, 5th, 7th are the most powerful choice you can make when creating your walking lines. For a complete guide to walking bass lines be sure to check out the full course here. The process works and i am now on the way to playing walking bass lines with a jazz band. Walking bass lines for jazz guitarists video jazz guitar. The term walking is used lescribe the moving feeling that quarter notes create in the bass part. 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. The simplest walking bass line formula exactly where to. Walking bass is most readily associated with jazz, where musicians have used it in ensembles of all sizes and styles.
Better includes all basic features plus 2 coaching sessions and graded homework assignments. Here is the list of the printable pdf methods with audio files available for download. 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. 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. Each example includes not only written basslines, but also a series of exercises that stepbystep introduce root motion, chord tones, scale patterns and chromatic halfstep approaches. The bassline construction method explored here uses chord tones, approach notes and basic reharmonization. Walking bass for jazz and blues fundamental changes. Blues with a bass line jazz piano college 154 youtube. It is full of ideas, examples, chord voicings and substitutions, as well as short chord progressions for you to try your new learned skills.
Backing tracks are very useful tools in the process of learning bass guitar for a few. 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. Jazz guitar licks pdf methods with audio files online. First, to outline the chord you are playing over, and second, to smoothly approach the next chord. The bass has been called the most important instrument in any band. Pdf 7 pages check out the youtube tutorial for this lesson here. When creating walking bass lines, its important to outline the root and 5th of the chord. Were going to use basic chord tones and repetitive lines that will act as a springboard in developing your own lines. 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. Ed provides a stepwise, logical approach to getting started on construction of walki. A walking bass line is the most common approach to jazz bass playing. 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.
This jazz guitar method about walking bass lines and chords is available as a pdf files containing 35 exercises with tabs, analysis and audio files. And walking bass lines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time. 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. This ebook will help you learn how to create, play and mix walking bass lines with common chords found in jazz. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of. Constructing walking jazz bass lines walking bass workshop. The bassline we cover is a combination of several bass lines i have. How to write a walking bass line learn jazz standards. This book is designed to help bassists create walking patterns that can be used in a range of styles. Walking bass for jazz and blues fundamental changes music. Walking bass lines supplement this is a supplement for the lesson on walking bass.
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. Bundle of 48 backing tracks and 12 pdf files with chord changes. In this ebook you will learn how to mix walking bass lines with common chords found in jazz. In this weeks lesson were looking at a very simple walking bass line through the chord changes of the jazz standard autumn leaves. 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.
I really liked all of the lines that you guys wrote and hope you enjoy playing through this line as well. 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 majority of the presentation will focus on walking bass lines in a 44 meter. The bass lines in the section are for you to learn, memorize, and play in a real live playing situation. This set of playalongs and chord charts is a great addition to the walking bass lines course. I love jazz but i dont know where to start, it seems a little overwhelming sometimes. Come back to this page after exploring the website and watching the videos and decide whether they are worth a beer.
It is obvious that we should have a command of these bass lines like a musical vocabulary, so to speak. Playing jazz guitar bass lines and chords terence wright. Walking bass lines for jazz guitar bookaudio files. The fundamentals of music are pitch and rhythm which are placed in a grid of five lines and four spaces called staff. Even if you are not a jazz player, all good players know their chord tones and. Playing jazz guitar bass lines with chords the guitar is an extremely versatile instrument, with seemingly endless techniques and tones around every corner. 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. Walking bass lines for jazz guitarists video jazz guitar lessons. It is designed to develop strong harmonic skills, rhythm, phrasing and note choice. Use these lines to get you going the right direction when you start playing a blues. This free lesson with tabs and audio files provides easy guitar walking bass lines exercises for beginners. A walking bass line is the most common approach to jazz bass playing, but it is also used in rock music, blue. R 3 5 6 7 walking bass line theory basics chris fitzgerald.
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. Learning how to construct walking bass lines is the easiest and fastest way to start really learning your fingerboard. If you are wishing to order the pdfmp3 files please go to the correct page as this product is for the pdf file only. Walking bass for jazz and blues is a complete method to help beginners master each element of blues and jazz walking bass. Walking bass lines for jazz guitarists video marcandre seguin improve your jazz guitar playing with a real teacher chord shapes. 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. So what walking bass line the complete bass player. Most often the bass lines are played by an acoustic or upright bass. Oct 12, 2005 walking bass lines for jazz guitar by stephan badreau is a step by step guide to harmonizing bass lines on the guitar. 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.
One very important and widely used jazz guitar technique is playing bass lines in combination with chords. Written in 7 sep 2017 walking bass and chords on a bb blues jazz guitar lesson. In this example, the bass line consists of simple arpeggiations of each chord, giving the overall effect of a simple blues bass line. The description below is for the pdf and audio files. Music educational books and sheet music downloads for blues, jazz, funk, latin, gospel, rock, celtic styles for instruments including piano, keyboards, sax, flute.
The student is taken through the exercises methodically and everything is explained in great detail. Now its time to learn how to create a complete bass line from scratch. Beginners guide to walking bass lines bass tabs bass. How to play walking bass lines at the piano cocktail. Walking bass lines and chords for guitar pdf method with. In jazz, basslines should generally not be too repetitive unless youre intentionally playing a vamp like in blues or boogiewoogie. Bass tabs bb jazz blues bassline a foggy day bassline bireli lagrene. Bb jazzblues walking bass line for guitar documents and ebooks. If you find that information i gathered and shared with you, helped you improve your playing, or understanding of music theory, then hit the image below to buy me a beer. In the jazz standard that we are using in this module there is no such a chord however. Simple walking bass line for jazz beginners talkingbass. The purpose of a good walking bassline or any bassline for that matter is twofold. The bass also has a rich history as a solo instrument in jazz. Incorporating the 3rd of the chord will also give your bass line a stronger harmonic foundation.
The two dots on the right of the bass clef symbol surround the line on which f pitch is written. The symbol of the bass clef is derived from the old german way of writing f. When starting out with walking bass lines, i would recommend that you always target the root when changing chords. Therefore being in control of them and becoming fluent is crucial. 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. Nov 28, 2018 walking bass lines are not just for jazz players. A guitar in standard tuning will never reach the lower bass notes of a real bass, but. In this lesson ill demonstrate how i approach playing walking bass lines and chords at the same time. This is a printable pdf method for guitar with audio files, tabs, standard notation and analysis containing 28 exercices, 6 jazz blues studies f, g and bb and 1 rhythm changes study. Creating lessons material is really time consuming pdf files, videos, backing tracks. This ebook will help you learn how to create, play and mix. 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. Walking bass line piano tutorial walking bass jazz piano. Chords and walking bass part 1 in this lesson ill demonstrate how i approach playing walking bass lines and chords at the same time.
Best includes better plus graded assignments on all lessons and 4 coaching sessions. Good course includes video lessons, audio instructions and downloadable lesson pdf files. We explore how to walk that bass in your left hand up basic triad shapes and scale fragments. But to really give your practise session a boost i created a backing tracks of jazz standards. Apr 26, 2017 wallace stelzer is a professional jazz bass player and content creator from houston, texas. Mel bay the bass has been called the most important instrument in any band. The free source of walking bass lessons complete, free course on how to create walking bass lines. Walking bass line theory basicspart 1by chris fitzgerald.
Constructing walking jazz bass lines book ii walking bass. The bass player must create interesting lines under the chord changes, keep the time flow or pulse steady, and keep the form of the song together. Backing tracks of jazz blues chord progression in 12 keys. Walking bass line theory basics pdf file chris fitzgerald. Rhythm changes in 12 keys upright bass method mooney, steven on. Walking bass lines are a very specific and classic jazz piano sound and generally considered an advanced concept. I have included your bass lines in here so see if you can find your line as you play through these. 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. Also, dont forget to write out your lines at first and really practice these.
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