Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz. So far we have patterns for each chord change in the 12bar blues except for one, moving from v to iv i. 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. This page features over 180 free bass transcriptions in standard notation.
Holiday classics jump at the sun holiday classics blues bass a guide to the. Aside from of course an extensive knowledge of blues standards and grooves. More than 470 free transcriptions for bass and other instruments on basslessons. The bass line descends the scale and lands on the root of the next chord. Presented in this book are the guidelines and the many variations of the turnaround. Playing a bass pattern to a 12bar blues progression goal will after you learn a few patterns from this book, your next goal will. As a self taught musician ive been making a living as a blues bass player for more than twenty years.
As you follow the scales, you will always go up low to high then back down high to low. This book teaches everything you need to know to create great bass lines. Ill be covering blues rock and jazz blues in upcoming lessons. Chuck rainey all of these transcriptions are from an instructional book that was never published. Bass lessons basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass bass tab. Bassists today need to be familiar with all styles of music in order to increase their versatility and become indemand players. Here is an example with the chord progression c7 f7. This content was uploaded by our users and we assume good faith they have the permission to share this book. Welcome to this collection of berry oakley transcriptions. A thesis submitted to the graduate council of texas state university in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of music with a major in music may 2014 committee members. For example, when you do steps 1, 2, or 3 above, you are creating the most basic kinds of ostinato.
Get started today download the free easy walking bass lines pdf. Easy walking bass lines pdf constructing walking jazz bass lines. Blues turnarounds, by pete farrugia ba hons, dip mus. Constructing walking jazz bass lines book i walking bass lines the blues in 12 keys bass tab edition. Its made up of the root, 3rd, 5th and 6th degrees of an e major scale for all of you music theory buffs out there. The bass track can also be set to play continuously or alternate every other pass through the loop. Bass runs and fills something that can add a lot of interest to your blues playing is a few well placed bass runs. All of our bass tab pdf is printable and downloadable so you can enjoy it for years to come. Walking bass lines the blues in 12 keys upright bass and electric bass method adventures of huckleberry finn. Many professionals use these recordings to warmup, keep in shape, practice new patterns or licks, or to learn new songs and improvise on the chord. Bassists can learn to read music notation, chord lyrics charts, or bass tablature. The fundamentals of music are pitch and rhythm which are placed in a grid of five lines and four spaces called staff.
Simple jazz blues walking bass line breakdown youtube. If youre looking for bass tabs, then click here these free bass transcriptions are provided for educational use only click on the transcription title to view and download the pdf. This book includes transcribed bass lines from aebersolds only playalong recorded with electric bass, and several choruses of two different blues progressions in all 12 keys. Constructing walking jazz bass lines book i the blues in 12 keys new 2hr mp3 playalong free download featuring all chord progressions in 12 keys from part ii of the book available from website. Walking bass lines in 12 keys, techniques and exercises for the electric bass. Pay attention, burn through this as fast as you can, and you. Ive found that expression and feel is what a bass player needs to bring to the gig and to the jam. The bass line construction method explored here uses chord tones, approach notes and basic reharmonization. The bass line will provide a basic harmonic structure for the blues, but, more importantly, also provides the rhythm. Oldschool rhythm and blues and soul bass lines are so awesome. So hopefully, this collection will go some way towards presenting some of the work of a bass player i think is a model example for beginners and intermediates to emulate. The bassline construction method explored here uses chord tones, approach notes and basic reharmonization. Music notation is a great system, but it isnt the most modern, or best system for learn modern bass guitar songs. Combo instructors can use this book to give their bass students instant, professional bass lines.
The blues is almost universally known, so if you ever find yourself playing with new people, you can always use some of these blues bass lines to start making music instantly. Using the 12 bar blues shuffle chunka chunka style for 3. If you have problems hearing it be sure to use either. Bundle of 48 backing tracks and 12 pdf files with chord changes. Motown selections will include analysis and transcriptions of his bass lines for heat wave 1963 by martha and the vandellas and my guy 1964 by mary wells. It helps to partially damp the strings with the heel of your hand to get a more percussive sound. The two dots on the right of the bass clef symbol surround the line. The video lesson covers nine incredibly useable patterns not just for these styles but also blues, pop, funk and rock. In lesson 2, we continued to build patterns for the common chord progressions we see in blues. Teach them a few of the basic 12 bar patterns and send that boy or girl to some blues joints to listen and watch what the old timers do. In other words, you dont have to be a jazzer to walk.
A signature performance by elijah wood audible signature classics the beatles best. Be sure to download the free pdf and backing track below. Basic 12 bar blues in a the walking bass bass tabs. Jazz blues fundamental changes music book publishing. Over 120 great beatles hits piano, vocal, guitar the beatles lyrics. Or at least listen to some real blues on recordings. Building walking bass lines bass instruction pdf free download. Adding bass runs requires a bit of concentration and focus. Check out walking bass lines over major 2 5 1 6, all the things you are, autumn leaves, blues.
While some knowledge of music theory is necessary, excellent bass lines can be. Learn to play by studying the songs of famous bluesmen such as b. Walking bass lines the blues in 12 keys upright bass and electric bass method jump n blues bass book cd jump, frog, jump. Sixth intervals also work well on the bass strings. How to create bass lines 5 ostinato or riff bass an ostinato is a repeated rhythmicmelodic. 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. No matter how simple or complicated a progression is, there are some basic structural guidelines that should always be applied to a turnaround. Our collection of tabs, guitar chords, and video lessons is constantly growing, so check back often to find your favorite songs. To walk bass lines on the ii v i, all we have to do is learn three different walking patterns. 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. The basic principle for playing latin tunes is the same as playing twobeat bass lines. A handpicked collection of licks and grooves covers virtually every style of blues. Here is the basic bass pattern you will play over the e7 chord. Constructingwalkingjazz basslines book ithe blues in12keys if youre just getting started download the easy walking bass lines pdf.
From jazz bassist to popular music icon by joshua andrew zarbo, b. If i was teaching blues bass, id start with a good book for conveying theory and eds book. This is the first in a short series of lessons devoted to playing bass on a 12 bar blues. As well as functioning as a bass line, it can also be used as a kind of lead guitar line in a rockabilly style. James jamerson from jazz bassist to popular music icon. Berry oakley was the bass player for the allman brothers prior to his untimely death in 1972 in a motorcycle accident. Master the art of creating effective bass lines, develop your playing technique, and perform for family and friends all of the music in the book is presented in bass tab and notation. This is an important concept to remember, the walking bass line is movement. A again, the notes just begin to repeat at the 12th fret. I dont remember who first said it, but there is a saying paraphrased. The blues scale, perhaps the most used in modern music to play lines, whether melodies or riffs, allows us to approach the blues sound without having to play within a blues structure. Here are some tips to aid you in mastering these bass blues licks.
These are all complete bass lines and this is the first time i have put them up for the general bass playing public. Common chords used there are dozens of variations to the chord patterns that can be. This walking bassline works over a 12 bar quick change blues. For when you have to learn to play the bass right now. 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.
This just so happens to be done in the key of a but you can play this in any. In part three of our walking bass series, we are looking at the final changes for the 12 bar blues. Constructing walking jazz bass lines jazz online bass. And this just three blocks from where duane allman was killed in a motorcycle accident the year before. R 3 5 6 7 walking bass line theory basics chris fitzgerald. Walking bass lines a small but growing collection of nice walking bass lines 202 pieces currently to give you a couple of fresh ideas for the accompaniment. The collection of material of this book is, in our opinion, the basics to playing bass guitar for some event. Practice the first example on the next page until you can feel a solid groove.
The majority of the presentation will focus on walking bass lines in a 44 meter. King, stevie ray vaughan tommy lee shannon, muddy waters, freddie king, albert king, the allman brothers, otis rush, tbone walker, louis jordan. It is the most extended scale in poprockjazz because of its versatility, because it always sounds good, always sounds like blues. Notice the blues notes, b3 and b5, in the first bar, used to bring a blues vibe to the line. Learn some simple techniques to get started playing authentic walking bass lines today. Simple walking bass line for jazz beginners talkingbass. 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. Walking bass line theory basics pdf file chris fitzgerald.
In this example, the bass line consists of simple arpeggiations of each chord, giving the overall effect of a simple blues bass line. Bass lines 5 bass styles over the same chord progression. Latin or straight8th note bass lines can be embellished by adding an 8th note on the offbeat of beats two and four. If you know how to create a walking bass line, you can be more creative in your jazz playing. This transcription is paul chambers full walking line and solo from red pepper blues, from the 1957 art pepper album, eversoa. This ebook is a highpotency method for any bass guitarist who wants to practice the techniques used by worldclass players. Soloing over the vi7b9 chord in a jazz blues progression can be tough to work out at first. This set of playalongs and chord charts is a great addition to the walking bass lines course. As im sure you have heard before, practice makes perfect. As an old time blues bass player, my opinion is you dont learn blues from no book.
Following, the thesis will focus on the years 19661971, with further description of. Jul 15, 2019 the notes in a g blues scale are as follows. The important thing is to end on time and at the rigght. Its a system that takes weeks or even months to learn the basics, while guitar tab can be learned in a matter. This book with online audio uses classic blues songs and standards to teach you how to lay down your own solid blues bass lines.
With over 100 bass lines covering a multitude of musical styles and techniques, bass line encyclopedia is the perfect resource for the modern bassist. From the funkiest bass grooves to the most lyrical bass solos, from the 50s up until 2020. Dedicate at least 3060 minutes each day to playing the bass. Walking bass line theory basicspart 1by chris fitzgerald. You can break up the monotony of the straight bass line by adding little fills between almost any chord change. On this video the backing track has a very full sound and the bass can sound a little overpowered on smaller speakers. 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. If you are playing the blues on your own, using this kind of bass line can also break things up a bit. This bass transcription is paul chambers full bass line from miles davis famous 1957 album, round midnight. 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. The two dots on the right of the bass clef symbol surround the line on which f pitch is written. Free bass tabs printable, downloadable pdf bass tabs. Below is the bass tablature for the basic blues in e bass line. Includes notes in bass clef with chord symbols above each measure.