Walking bass line piano exercises pdf

The goal of a walking bassline is to outline the chord progression but with an interesting. This tutorial takes a look at five different approaches to playing walking basslines in a 12bar blues progression. How to play walking bass lines jazz piano lesson download the exercises for this lesson here. 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. It is found most commonly in blues and jazz, but as you learn bass guitar, you will hear its influence in almost any style of music. A walking bass line is the most common approach to jazz bass playing. This is an important concept to remember, the walking bass line is.

Chords and walking bass part 1 in this lesson ill demonstrate how i approach playing walking bass lines and chords at the same time. Blues bass line walking download but not for me drop 2 download c. And walking basslines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of. 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.

When creating walking bass lines, its important to outline the root and 5th of the chord. A walking bass is a bass accompaniment consisting of notes of equal value, usually quarter notes. How to play a simple left hand walking bass jazz improv free. The left hand on the piano chords arpeggios and bass. Here is a bass line constructed using ascending chord tones in the first 3 bars and descending in the 4th. Apr 26, 2017 our basic method for bass line construction is pretty straightforward. Walking bass with the piano left hand classic jazz piano. Think of your bass like a bass drum it is impossible for the drummer to play a long bass drum note. Walking bass on the piano can be one of the coolest things ever. Walking bass lines are really useful in jazz piano they give you a cool, pro sound and a. For when you have to learn to play the bass right now. R 3 5 6 7 walking bass line theory basics chris fitzgerald. Walking bass workshop constructing walking jazz bass lines.

Walking bass lines piano tutorial 5 minute masterclass. The possible noterange of a walking bass can reach from subcontra a to middle c. The bass provides the rhythmic and harmonic foundation for the rest of the band, so its imperative that theres no hesitation when walking a bass line. Jahrah stevens approach is masterly crafted to ensure that you are playing strong bass lines right out of the gate in all twelve keys with numerous exercises to reinforce each and every concept whether theoretically andor harmonically in a very comprehensive and progressive approach including clearly written directions of the various concepts for the thoroughly written out exercises. Well be taking small single chord phrases as a practice tool for building your walking bass vocabulary in simple, easy steps. Walking bass lines are a very specific and classic jazz piano sound and generally considered an advanced concept. Using the following figures and lots of practice, you can play a perfectly authentic groove in just about any of the main musical genres. The intervalic bass line is created from your knowledge of what notes make particular chords. The walking bass technique with the piano left hand has great effect. The stemsdown version would work as an ending of the tune or perhaps the end of someones solo.

Ifr blog instrument blogs bass blog walking bass line exercise 2 5 1 progression join my online ear training workshop in april, 2020. Nov 29, 2017 the bass provides the rhythmic and harmonic foundation for the rest of the band, so its imperative that theres no hesitation when walking a bass line. Join my online ear training workshop in april, 2020. Sep 01, 2014 the only time a bass is held for the entire quarter note value is during a bass solo or a walking bass line and then it is not played legato it is still separated from the following note for percussive effect. Just like walking with your feet, tyjwalking bass line is one step after the other that takes you somewhere. The target of this quizworksheet is to test you on the basso continuo, features of walking bass lines, nonchord tones, and notes in chords. How to play walking bass lines at the piano cocktail. Bass lessons beginners guide to walking bass lines bass tab standard string tuning g,d,a,e recommended 1. Sep 08, 2014 practice bass scale exercises and if you are walking the bass into the next measure walk the scale tones of the next measures chord key signature. Beginners guide to walking bass lines bass tabs bass. Under each phrase i wrote the logic behind it and how i came up with it. Playing with a walking bass line is a style of piano playing that is used most often in solo jazz performance.

These lessons are easy to understand and can make a huge difference to your playing. 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. And walking bass lines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time. Bass guitar exercises for dummies cheat sheet dummies. And walking basslines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time walking basslines. The collection of material of this book is, in our opinion, the basics to playing bass guitar for some event. This technique resumes in a direct way the style of a bass instrument. Print and download in pdf or midi autumn leaves solo. 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.

Walking bass line lessons talkingbassmark 20171106t20. Walking bass line theory basics pdf file chris fitzgerald. Walking bass lines are used in blues gospel, country, rock, ska, rockabilly, rhythm and blues, latin, and many other musical genres. The only time a bass is held for the entire quarter note value is during a bass solo or a walking bass line and then it is not played legato it is still separated from the following note for percussive effect. If you are wishing to order the pdfmp3 files please go to the correct page as this product is for the pdf file only. Youll learn the turnaround progression, the blues scale, and 3 exercises to practice improvisation. Walking bass lines always sound cool in any style of music, but are essential to jazz blues and great american songbook jazz standards. Imagine being able to listen to any song and recognize every note of the melody by ear. Simple walking bass line for jazz beginners talkingbass.

A jazz bassist must learn how to walk a line based on the chords of a tune. How to play walking bass lines jazz piano lesson left hand lines. Fundamental concepts for walking bass a systematic method ebook by george urbaszek. Walking bass lines are a fascinating part of jazz, as they support and mark the harmony underneath the chords and. In this 5 minute masterclass, were going create a bass line over a blues in f. Walking bass blues without iv in bar 2 19870506 download pdf. Dave frank school of jazz, new york city music videos. 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. Walking bass lines are a fascinating part of jazz, as they support and mark the harmony underneath the chords and melody. Bill evans was a visionary artist who made an enormous personal contribution to our modern concept of jazz piano. Walking bass noterange usually the bass lies in the lower sound range of the music. A bassline is a melody line played in the bass by a lowpitched instrument such as the piano, double bass, electric bass, tuba, etc.

They walk great bass lines, and they create great grooves. The function of the bass is to provide the foundation. 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. How to write a walking bass line learn jazz standards. If you know how to create a walking bass line, you can be more creative in your jazz playing. Every chord change in the blues should be viewed as an opportunity to create harmonic movement and interest for the listener. 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. Walking bass lines for jazz guitar by stephan badreau is a step by step guide to harmonizing bass lines on the guitar.

The description below is for the pdf and audio files. Our basic method for bass line construction is pretty straightforward. Practice bass scale exercises and if you are walking the bass into the next measure walk the scale tones of the next measures chord key signature. Playing a walking jazz guitar bass line is a captivating method of comping for other musicians, and yourself. Bass line exercises level 2 shelia lees accordion blog. How to play walking bass lines at the piano cocktail piano. 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. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz.

Louis armstrong what a wonderful world sheet music notes and chords arranged for ukulele. 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. Additional components of convincing bass lines are note choice and forward motion. Incorporating the 3rd of the chord will also give your bass line a stronger harmonic foundation. Autumn leaves solo improvisation guide and walking bass. In essence, were using the b note in our walking bass line, plus the guitars standard tuning to create a very cool sounding chord change. A walking bass line simply walks through the appropriate scale of each chord, one note per beat, hitting every beat of each measure.

Exercises drills marked na to be released soon in a new appendix na to complement jazz piano book all arrangements below are written by kent hewitt. Build a walking bass line from scales the jazz piano left hand. Piano players and guitarists will generally create chords by playing all the chord tones together. 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. Walking bass line theory basicspart 1by chris fitzgerald. The symbol of the bass clef is derived from the old german way of writing f. Ifr blog instrument blogs bass blog walking bass line exercise 2 5 1 progression. Oct 26, 2018 in this 5 minute masterclass, were going create a bass line over a blues in f. Walking bass line piano tutorial walking bass jazz piano. If youre amazingly extra awesome, youll be able to sing the melody and make a bass line at the same time. 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. When starting out with walking bass lines, i would recommend that you always target the root when changing chords.

Pay attention, burn through this as fast as you can, and you. Playing the bass guitar well means playing grooves. The walking bass line was developed by upright bassists like ray brown, milt hinton, paul chambers, and ron carter, but now its also commonly played on the bass guitar. As bass players we can create strong sounding walking bass lines by playing them one by one. Mar 25, 2019 piano players and guitarists will generally create chords by playing all the chord tones together. 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. Sep 26, 2010 a walking bass is a bass accompaniment consisting of notes of equal value, usually quarter notes. A walking bass line can in principle contain arbitrary chromatic runs, but obviously its not a good idea to do that all the time. And yet at the same time, he believed that all human beings have an innate. Best of all, you can do so using the same set of notes for each of the grooves. Intro to playing basses on the accordion shelia lees.

The notes above are all natural however any of this notes can be raised or lowered a half. In bars 2932 the stemsup line would be played for repeated choruses as it outlines the iiv progression in the last two bars. Even though our intent is to spice up the a to c change just by walking up the bass notes from a to b to c, were able to do a lot more than that in this case. Michael gundlach download pdf file walking bass for. Paypal will automatically convert from us dollars to your currency using the exchange rate at the. We teach you all the key aspects, so you can improvise swinging walking bass lines that your band members will love. Improvise jazz piano with walking bass line piano with jonny. Often its best to keep mostly to the chord notes and add some extra melodic spice just when it makes sense for supporting the harmonic movement. The term walking is used lescribe the moving feeling that quarter notes create in the bass part. The wonderful thing about it is that walking a basic bass line is not all that difficult once you learn a few simple steps. Sep 26, 2010 the walking bass technique with the piano left hand has great effect. In jazz, the quarternote pulse generated by the bassist is mirrored by the drummers ride cymbal. Therefore, the bass is played by the left hand on the lower part of the keyboard of the piano.