And walking bass lines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time. Walking bass for jazz and blues is a complete method to help beginners master each element of blues and jazz walking bass. 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. Read more starting with the basics, you will explore jazz chord voicings with tensions, how to interpret melodies and phrases with an authentic jazz feel, improvisation, jazz bass lines, and.
It is designed to develop strong harmonic skills, rhythm, phrasing and note choice. A walking bass line is the most common approach to jazz. C and g which are typically the notes the bass player is most likely to emphasize while walking bass lines. A followup to building walking bass lines, this book approaches more advanced walking concepts, including modal mapping, the twofeel, several must know changes, and other important jazz bass lessons. Walking bass lines are really useful in jazz piano they give you a cool, pro sound and a good sense of rhythm and. Lets begin the examples with a basic 251 chord that you mastered in lesson 1. As a busy rhythm section clinician, i am thrilled to use and demonstrate this muchneeded and complete text. 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. Accompanying audio includes a jazz trio for practicing standard tunes. This is an important concept to remember, the walking bass line is. Therefore, the bass is played by the left hand on the lower part of the keyboard of the piano.
Book ii in the constructing walking jazz bass lines series rhythm changes in 12 keys provides various insights into how the rhythm changes song form may be approached by the jazz bassist. The language of jazz or the jazz idiom is in a constant state of flux. A bassline is a melody line played in the bass by a lowpitched instrument such as the piano, double bass, electric bass, tuba, etc. Walking bass lines are a very specific and classic jazz piano sound and generally considered an advanced concept.
Learning freedom online jazz piano courses 2,984 views 11. Now with mp3 playalong backing tracks of rhythm changes in 12 keys outlining the chord substitutions used in the book. Constructing walking jazz bass lines book v building a 12 key facility for the jazz bassist pt ii constructing walking jazz bass lines daily warm up exercises for bass all books are available in either standard notation or bass tab. Fundamental concepts for walking bass a systematic method will show you stepbystep how to make up your own walking bass lines for jazz, country, rockabilly etc this manual can be used by anyone wanting to learn how to play improvised walking bass on any instrument in any time signature.
Below you can find a selection of downloadable pdf files containing the. Constructing walking jazz bass lines, book 1 by steven mooney. That seems easy, but when i saw the notes on his example bass lines, he doesnt do it that way. When starting out with walking bass lines, i would recommend that you always target the root when changing chords. Pdf a contourbased jazz walking bass generator researchgate. Constructing walking jazz bass lines jazz online workshops. 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. A walking bass line generally consists of notes of equal duration and intensity typically 14 notes that create a feeling of forward motion. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of. Being able to construct a wide range of chords and voicings is an essential skill for the jazz pianist. Here is the bass lines for autumn leaves that everyone contributed to last week. The roots and 5ths of all three of these chords are the same two pitches.
Learn walking bass from the master of walking bass himself. Jazz piano is designed to teach you timeless techniques that develop your ability to meet the demands of a working pianist in dynamic situations. The purpose of this book is to provide the beginning to intermediate jazz bassist a working vocabulary of walking basslines and concepts for improvising. Walking bass line theory basics pdf file chris fitzgerald. The majority of the presentation will focus on walking bass lines in a 44 meter. To get started with walking bass lines it is important to be aware of the root notes in each of the chords you are playing.
Walking bass lines lesson 1 the jazz blues progression. The possible noterange of a walking bass can reach from subcontra. 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. We start with a simple 151 octave higher and then the 3rd of the chord leading chromatically to the 4 chord bb.
This configuration will allow you to turn the bass track off and play with the piano and drums. 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. Covers scales, arpeggios, rhythm, walking bass lines and music theory as it applies to the bass, along with many lines and grooves played over a variety of progressions in all keys. The function of the bass is to provide the foundation. Walking bass lines always sound cool in any style of music, but are essential to jazz blues and great american songbook jazz standards. This is the usual second step for players who want to master walking bass before moving to chromatic lines. Walking bass for jazz and blues fundamental changes music. While some knowledge of music theory is necessary, excellent bass lines can be.
If you know how to create a walking bass line, you can be more creative in your jazz playing. The term walking is used lescribe the moving feeling that quarter notes create in the bass part. Looking forward to hearing your walking bass lines over autumn leaves. Transcribing from solos is the most effective way to learn to improvise.
T 1 2 a t 3 by chris fitzgerald a 4 t 1 a 2 t 3 a 4 walking bass line theory basics. To walk bass lines on the ii v i, all we have to do is learn three different walking patterns. Intermediate walking bass lines for jazz guitar by. Intermediate walking bass lines for jazz guitar explores the creation of walking bass lines played over chord sequence using scale tones. Written by stephen richter in both standard notation and tab. The blues in 12 keys, book i in the constructing walking jazz bass lines series new 2hr mp3 playalong free download featuring all chord progressions in 12 keys from part ii of the book available from website. When creating walking bass lines, its important to outline the root and 5th of the chord.
Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz online jazz handbook. A walking bass line generally consists of notes of equal duration and intensity typically 1 4 notes that create a feeling of forward motion. A must know chord progression played at all the jam sessions. How to write a walking bass line learn jazz standards. This book is specifically on walking bass lines for 12 bar blues in all 12 keys. Book ii in the constructing walking jazz bass lines series rhythm changes in 12 keys provides various insights into how the rhythm changes song form may be approached by the. Wallace stelzer is a professional jazz bass player and content creator from houston, texas. Jazz has changed greatly over the past 70 years and is presently in transition. In order to be a part of the jazz movement one must accept change. Constructing walking jazz bass lines walking bass lines 3 book set for a limited time buy books 1 3 and take our walking bass.
It is part of a series that includes books on rhythm changes in all 12 keys and standard jazz lines whatever they are thre friedland book actually he has done 2 on walking bass are less specific. I have this book and no only is it a great way to get some very nice walking bass lines down, its a nice book for piano technique as well play the bass lines in both hands, together. 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. Constructing walking jazz bass lines book ii walking bass. Walking bass lines are a fascinating part of jazz, as they support and mark the harmony underneath the chords and melody. I read scots lesson on walking bass lines, but i still dont get it.
This pdf contains a minor 251 line transcribed from a chet baker recording. Playing jazz guitar bass lines and chords terence wright. Oct 07, 2010 now with mp3 playalong backing tracks of rhythm changes in 12 keys outlining the chord substitutions used in the book. In this lesson well take a look at scale style and intervalic bass lines, and even mix them up a bit. The basic idea of a walking bass line is to go from one. If this kind of work is new to you, it may take several weeks or a month to get comfortable with walking lines between chords. In this 5 minute masterclass, were going create a bass line over a blues in f. It is possible to add rhythmic variations, but in general, a walking bassline drives the song forward step by step. Bebop bass line transcriptions example 1 a classic bebop chord progression. Walking the ii v i in combo, youll learn that the ii v i is one of the most important chord progressions in jazz.
Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz. Chords and walking bass part 1 in this lesson ill demonstrate how i approach playing walking bass lines and chords at the same time. He says play chord tones on the first 3 beats an then a leading tone which is a half step away from the root of the next chord. In this weeks lesson were looking at a very simple walking bass line through the chord changes of. 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.
Playing a walking jazz guitar bass line is a captivating method of comping for other musicians, and yourself. The book will show the musician how to connect familiar chord shapes with the appropriate bass notes. How to use guidetones to navigate chord changes learn jazz. Apr 26, 2017 wallace stelzer is a professional jazz bass player and content creator from houston, texas. Simple walking bass line for jazz beginners talkingbass. If you are wishing to order the pdfmp3 files please go to the correct page as this product is for the pdf file only. 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. The possible noterange of a walking bass can reach from subcontra a to middle c. How to play walking bass lines at the piano cocktail piano. Jan 22, 2018 an example of scales used for walking bass lines, i try to use mostly the notes in the key of c, the bass line have some embellishment notes and right hand plays chord voicing with some rhythmic. This is the first step in developing walking bass lines. Walking bass line theory basicspart 1by chris fitzgerald. 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. This is the pattern of scale degrees 1 2 3 5 applied to the c dorian scale.
Rhythm changes like the blues is an essential part of the jazz musicians vocabulary. Walking bass lines for jazz guitar by stephan badreau is a step by step guide to harmonizing bass lines on the guitar. Each generation of jazz musicians contribute their own unique ideas, feelings, and sound to the music and this is what. Walking bass line piano tutorial walking bass jazz piano. Players of all levels like to stretch out on the blues. Sheet music plus, amazon ray brown legendary jazz bassist.
Chapter 1 walking bass noterange usually the bass lies in the lower sound range of the music. A walking bass line is the most common approach to jazz bass playing. Build a walking bass line from scales the jazz piano left hand. Incorporating the 3rd of the chord will also give your bass line a stronger harmonic foundation.
And walking basslines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time. 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, 1 2 step below to whatever is the next chord. The latin bass book is the finest work, in a practical approach, yet written. Walking bass lines the blues in 12 keys upright bass and electric bass method pdf created date 10272016 9.
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