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. When starting out with walking bass lines, i would recommend that you always target the root when changing chords. 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 lines for jazz guitar by stephan badreau is a step by step guide to harmonizing bass lines on the guitar. Certainly unaccompanied works for string instruments have. 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. Pdf a contourbased jazz walking bass generator researchgate. Walking bass workshop constructing walking jazz bass lines. Walking bass line piano tutorial walking bass jazz piano. The unaccompanied double bass solo is a relatively new medium in both jazz and classical common practice.
Chords and walking bass part 1 in this lesson ill demonstrate how i approach playing walking bass lines and chords at the same time. Bb jazz blues guitar walking bass blues guitar, jazz guitar. Walking bass lines are really useful in jazz piano they give you a cool, pro sound and a. Walking bass lines always sound cool in any style of music, but are essential to jazz blues and great american songbook jazz standards. Improvise jazz piano with walking bass line piano with jonny. Wallace stelzer is a professional jazz bass player and content creator from houston, texas. This technique resumes in a direct way the style of a bass instrument. Each of these etudes is designed to clearly outline the chord progression so that the solo line reflects all the harmonies of the tune. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of jazz. All of me jazz sheet music for piano, alto saxophone. Playing a walking jazz guitar bass line is a captivating method of comping for other musicians, and yourself. Walking bass for jazz and blues is a complete method to help beginners master each element of blues and jazz walking bass.
As a jazz bass player, the best quality of a walking bass line is the primary concern. We explore how to walk that bass in your left hand up basic triad shapes and scale fragments. Walking bass with the piano left hand classic jazz piano. In this lesson well take a look at scale style and intervalic bass lines, and even mix them up a bit. An easy method for creating walking bass lines on piano. 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. Teclado aula 62 walking bass piano aula 1 iim7 v7 i7m. The book will show the musician how to connect familiar chord shapes with the appropriate bass notes. How to write a walking bass line learn jazz standards. In this 5 minute masterclass, were going create a bass line over a blues in f.
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. Playing with a walking bass line is a style of piano playing that is used most often in solo jazz performance. The function of the bass is to provide the foundation. Jazz piano lesson left hand lines for any chord progressions duration. Apr 26, 2017 wallace stelzer is a professional jazz bass player and content creator from houston, texas. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of. When accompanying by using walking bass lines, you can turn the piano into an entire rhythm section.
If you know how to create a walking bass line, you can be more creative in your jazz playing. Walking bass noterange usually the bass lies in the lower sound range of the music. Under each phrase i wrote the logic behind it and how i came up with it. Once you have some basic rules down, youll be able to make bass lines over any chord progression. 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. Walking bass on the piano can be one of the coolest things ever. In lesson 2, we continued to build patterns for the common chord progressions we see in blues. How to play walking bass lines at the piano cocktail piano. Walking bass line theory basics pdf file chris fitzgerald. 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. This paper describes the new voicing algorithm for live piano comping in traditional jazz music.
The goal of a walking bass line is to outline the chord progression but with an interesting. 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. Chord tones root, 3rd, 5th, 7th are the most powerful choice you can make when creating your walking lines. If you are wishing to order the pdfmp3 files please go to the correct page as this product is for the pdf file only. I think this chord movement gives the music a feeling of flowing downhill.
A jazz bassist must learn how to walk a line based on the chords of a tune. 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. Easy walking bass lines pdf, constructing walking jazz bass lines. 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. The best way to introduce walking bass lines into your playing is to start with one short common chord progression. Simple jazz blues walking line breakdown talkingbass. Therefore, the bass is played by the left hand on the lower part of the keyboard of the piano. Solo techniques for unaccompanied pizzicato jazz double. The most common chord movement in the blues not to mention jazz, rock, pop and countryfollows the circle of 5ths, where chords descend in intervals of perfect 5ths, for example from d to g to c. Walking bass lines are used in blues gospel, country, rock, ska, rockabilly, rhythm and blues, latin, and many other musical genres. In part three of our walking bass series, we are looking at the final changes for the 12 bar blues. Are you trying to find a way in to playing jazz bass. Dave frank school of jazz, new york city master class archive.
Walking bass, improvisation, jazz harmony theory, technique. This collection of jazz etudes is intended to aid with the development of basic jazz vocabulary and inside playing. 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 lines. Dave found a way to incorporate walking bass lines into his solo piano style in a unique way. How to play walking bass lines jazz piano lesson download the exercises for this lesson here. 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. Walking bass lines are a very specific and classic jazz piano sound and generally considered an advanced concept. Some of the finest performers and teachers of jazz appear at these workshops. Nov 21, 2016 walking bass for jazz and blues is a complete method to help beginners master each element of blues and jazz walking bass. Walking bass and chords on a bb blues jazz guitar lesson. Incorporating the 3rd of the chord will also give your bass line a stronger harmonic foundation.
The video is based on a recording i made and transcribed. A walking bass line is the most common approach to jazz bass playing. It is common for the harmonic rhythm to vary within most chord progressions. Walking bass lesson 3 jazz blues fundamental changes. Just like walking with your feet, tyjwalking bass line is one step after the other that takes you somewhere. Except for the guitar, piano is the only instrument that has. 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. 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. Print and download in pdf or midi autumn leaves solo. T 1 2 a t 3 by chris fitzgerald a 4 t 1 a 2 t 3 a 4 walking bass line theory basics. This is an important concept to remember, the walking bass line is. Youll learn the turnaround progression, the blues scale, and 3 exercises to practice improvisation.
Walking bass lines for jazz guitar digital sheet music. Listen to his cd called giant strides and youll see what i mean. And walking bass lines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time. If youre amazingly extra awesome, youll be able to sing the melody and make a bass line at the same time. 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. Walking bass and chords is one of the greatest ways to comp if you are the only one playing behind a soloist like a horn or a singer. 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.
Dave frank school of jazz, new york city music videos. When creating walking bass lines, its important to outline the root and 5th of the chord. Walking bass learn piano online with david magyel jazz. Learn to play common jazz chords, progressions and lines with your guitar these effective educational books for beginner and advanced players. Walking bass line theory basicspart 1by chris fitzgerald. Build a walking bass line from scales the jazz piano left hand. A bassline is a melody line played in the bass by a lowpitched instrument such as the piano, double bass, electric bass, tuba, etc. The walking bass technique with the piano left hand has great effect. Walking bass lines are a fascinating part of jazz, as they support and mark the harmony underneath the chords and melody. All of me, by seymour simons and gerald marks arranjed by leon bourlon all of me jazz sheet music for piano, alto saxophone, guitar, bass download free in pdf or midi. Simple walking bass line for jazz beginners talkingbass. The term walking is used lescribe the moving feeling that quarter notes create in the bass part. The possible noterange of a walking bass can reach from subcontra a to middle c. The use of ascending and descending stepwise scale patterns form the contrapuntal rhythmic foundation on which the.
Sep 26, 2010 the walking bass technique with the piano left hand has great effect. In this lesson i am going to go over a walking bass comp on a 12 bar bb jazz blues and how you play it on guitar. Autumn leaves solo improvisation guide and walking bass. The description below is for the pdf and audio files. In this lesson we will be creating a simple walking bass line over a basic jazz blues progression. It is designed to develop strong harmonic skills, rhythm, phrasing and note choice.
When the harmonic rhythm of a progression of a song is two chords per bar, the bass. Walking bass lines supplement this is a supplement for the lesson on walking bass. Therefore being in control of them and becoming fluent is crucial. Looking for a structured way to increase your current skill level. 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. So far we have patterns for each chord change in the 12bar blues except for one, moving from v to iv i. I highly recommend our summer jazz workshops which are offered in the u. And walking basslines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time. A walking bass is a bass accompaniment consisting of notes of equal value, usually quarter notes. How to play walking bass lines jazz piano lesson left hand lines. Jazz guitar lessons with tabs, analysis and audio files available for download.