A walking bass line is the most common approach to jazz bass playing. In this post, i want to take abstract concepts about how bass lines are constructed and use them to create practical exercises that help all musicians learn how to improvise walking bass lines in real time. The difficulty in walking bass on the guitar lies in the combination of playing chords and bass at the same time. The man was a genius of jazz guitar, one of the most influential musicians of his generation, and someone who changed the face of jazz forever. The free source of walking bass lessons complete, free course on how to create walking bass lines. Mexican made, basically not an expensive fender jazz bass, but it was a real fender and it was my total goto axe, it was the only one i owned for many years. Chapter 2 of this thesis begins with a description of jamersons early recording. How to write a walking bass line learn jazz standards. Jazz bass explores the key ingredients necessary to play great jazz bass lines, including the sound, feel, foundation, and power. In the example of iivivi in the key of c, you will play notes from the c major scale. The difficulty in walking bass on the guitar lies in the combination of playing chords and bass at. If you are just beginning your bass playing journey, one of the best ways to test yourself and improve is to learn your favorite songs. The bass line construction method explored here uses chord tones, approach notes and basic reharmonization.
Playing jazz guitar bass lines and chords terence wright. New ones include grateful dead, frank sinatra, john mellencamp, paloma faith and neil young. Easy walking bass lines pdf constructing walking jazz bass lines. Simple walking bass line for jazz beginners talkingbass. Included is over 150 choruses of walking jazz bass lines over the jazz blues lines in 12 keys. Famous bass lines that use a flanger which might serve as useful reference points include. For example, when you do steps 1, 2, or 3 above, you are creating the most basic kinds of ostinato. Building walking bass lines pdf free download epdf. Just found the best bass notation site in the universe, also offering tab to the lesser bass mortals, just cannot understand why it took me so long to find you. Ultimate guitar a heavyweight compilation of 50 alltimegreat rock songs, with lyrics, melody, chords and bass lines. How to keep your bass lines interesting and how to write a walking bass line. Take a one or two bar phrase and transpose it to all 12 keys.
This page features over 180 free bass transcriptions in standard notation. The lines start super basic with chord tones and gradually add in all of the other melodic and rhythmic elements so that you basically get an education in the historical development of the bass and bass lines through the different eras and genres of jazz. The two dots on the right of the bass clef symbol surround the line. As im sure you have heard before, practice makes perfect. Bass transcriptions jazz classical pop rubenheimans. From the steely dan album aja border song holy moses. If you want one of my bass transcriptions, theyre free. The language of jazz or the jazz idiom is in a constant state of flux. The symbol of the bass clef is derived from the old german way of writing f.
Constructing walking jazz bass lines book i the blues in 12 keys. 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. Free ebook downloads, practice tracks, drum tracks and much more. Walking bass lines for guitar free jazz guitar lessons. By working with the three etudes in this article you will learn how to. Latin or straight8th note bass lines can be embellished by adding an 8th note on the offbeat of beats two and four. One of the most effective ways of comping is using walking bass lines. Playing jazz guitar bass lines with chords the guitar is an extremely versatile instrument, with seemingly endless techniques and tones around every corner. Jazz guitar makes full use of many theoretical concepts, and also tends to use a lot of the more difficult concepts in music, such as improvisation and proper usage and implementation of the chromatic scale. 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 bassline construction method explored here uses chord tones, approach notes and basic reharmonization. Jazz bass books constructing walking jazz bass lines. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of. In this weeks lesson were looking at a very simple walking bass line through the chord changes.
In order to be a part of the jazz movement one must accept change. How to play amazingly easy 1625 jazz walking bass guitar. Sids ahead bass solo time was bassline time was solo videos. Throughout the course, you will learn techniques for playing effective walking bass lines over jazz chord changes. A complete guide demonstrating the devices used to construct walking jazz bass lines in the jazz tradition. The majority of the presentation will focus on walking bass lines in a 44 meter. A guitar in standard tuning will never reach the lower bass notes of a real bass, but. Walking bass line theory basicspart 1by chris fitzgerald. How to keep your bass lines interesting learn jazz standards. The two dots on the right of the bass clef symbol surround the line on which f pitch is written. 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. From the aretha franklin album young, gifted and black break it to me gently. In this lesson we will be creating a simple walking bass line over a basic jazz blues progression. Simple jazz blues walking line breakdown talkingbass.
Here are some tips to aid you in mastering these bass blues licks. Weve now hit the 550 mark and theyre all free fellow bass players, help yourselves. 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 tune when the. James jamerson from jazz bassist to popular music icon. Bass lessons bass tabs 448 tabs big bass tabs free. Walking bass lines free jazz guitar lessons for all levels. A free and accurate list of pdf bass tabs made from power tab files. Jazz is one of those few styles that expands and goes past the average intermediate phase. Learn to play great jazz bass lines, recognize common chord progressions in jazz standards, and study the work of jazz bass greats like paul chambers, ray brown, ron carter, and christian mcbride. Bass line used in rappers delight influenced another one bites the dust and wot green onions booker t. The next approach involves the diatonic scale notes in the key of the progression or tune you are playing. 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. The fundamentals of music are pitch and rhythm which are placed in a grid of five lines and four spaces called staff. For when you have to learn to play the bass right now.
From john lee hooker to saltnpepa, here are 10 simple songs you can learn on the bass in minutes. 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. Our collection of tabs, guitar chords, and video lessons is constantly growing, so check back often to find your favorite songs. How to create bass lines 5 ostinato or riff bass an ostinato is a repeated rhythmicmelodic. Just like walking with your feet, tyjwalking bass line is one step after the other that takes you somewhere. Dec 16, 2015 the free source of walking bass lessons complete, free course on how to create walking bass lines. The bassment free bass guitar transcriptions in standard. A flat major and minor scale and arpeggio bass tabs. From the funkiest bass grooves to the most lyrical bass solos, from the 50s up until 2020.
Chords, voice leading, soloing, licks, basslines, its all here ready for you to grab your guitar and dive in. The basic principle for playing latin tunes is the same as playing twobeat bass lines. Each generation of jazz musicians contribute their own unique ideas, feelings, and sound to the music and this is what. Sids ahead bassline time was bassline time was solo website. Free bass tabs printable, downloadable pdf bass tabs. Heres a multigenre collection of 200 great songs, with bass lines in both standard notation and tab. Everything you need to master your favorite tunes is found in these essential, fun, and engaging study guides. This printable pdf ebook available for free download contains 6 easy jazz guitar licks with tabsnotation, youtube video link and analysis about. 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. 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. The term walking is used lescribe the moving feeling that quarter notes create in the bass part. The bass line descends the scale and lands on the root of the next chord.
Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz. Jazz walking bass line etudes for guitar jamie holroyd guitar. More than 460 free transcriptions for bass and other instruments on basslessons. Playing a walking jazz guitar bass line is a captivating method of comping for other musicians, and yourself. 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. Also, there are multiple bass tracks such as the synthy whammy pedallike slides up in the chorus. Red hot chili peppers love rollercoaster the lick this blew my mind when i first heard the bass part a little after 3 minutes in close to the end. Here on learn jazz standards, there are a few great posts on walking bass lines for bass players. More double bass inspiration can be found on my youtube channel. For example, a short pattern that is played on two strings could be played on strings 12, 23, 34, 45.
To walk bass lines on the ii v i, all we have to do is learn three different walking patterns. Luckily, fener play has a plethora of easily digestible lessons that highlight the basslines of some of the. Walking bass line theory basics pdf file chris fitzgerald. An index of bands and artists beginning with the letter a. If theres a bass part not listed that you want me to transcribe, then theres two options. The bassment is a mean machine groove for bass players. Bruno mars locked out of heaven the mix gets thick during the choruses so theres room for interpretation but i definitely hear some syncopation during the first couple choruses.
This article teaches you 3 jazz walking bass line etudes arranged for guitar. Walking bass lines always sound cool in any style of music, but are essential to jazz blues and great american songbook jazz standards. Apr 26, 2017 wallace stelzer is a professional jazz bass player and content creator from houston, texas. An easytouse, stepbystep approach to basic theory is given as a foundation, and then the essential stylesand many styles within each styleare explored from the bass point of view. Mike downes the jazz bass lines book melody free 30day trial.
Wallace stelzer is a professional jazz bass player and content creator from houston, texas. This book teaches everything you need to know to create great bass lines. His ability to create seemingly endless streams of energetic, sophisticated lines, then turn on a dime and nail a blues run, made him fun and enjoyable for all jazz fans to listen to. The bass lines in the section are for you to learn, memorize, and play in a real live playing situation. 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. Dedicate at least 3060 minutes each day to playing the bass. R 3 5 6 7 walking bass line theory basics chris fitzgerald.
Groove is in the heart deeelite 1990, bass line from bring down the birds. In this example, the bass line consists of simple arpeggiations of each chord, giving the overall effect of a simple blues bass line. As you follow the scales, you will always go up low to high then back down high to low. All of our bass tab pdf is printable and downloadable so you can enjoy it for years to come. The concepts in the approach note soloing series can be easily applied to bass lines as well.
If youre amazingly extra awesome, youll be able to sing the melody and make a bass line at the same time. Jan 30, 2019 the man was a genius of jazz guitar, one of the most influential musicians of his generation, and someone who changed the face of jazz forever. 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 big part of being a jazz guitarist is accompanying other musicians. Learn some simple techniques to get started playing authentic walking bass lines. From jazz to pop and classical to some of my own compositions.
Mike downes the jazz bass lines book free ebook download as pdf file. Use these lines to get you going the right direction when you start playing a blues. We have 4 fender jazz bass manuals available for free pdf download. Try to play the phrase on as many sets of strings as possible. One very important and widely used jazz guitar technique is playing bass lines in combination with chords. Jazz has changed greatly over the past 70 years and is presently in transition.
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