walking bass lines

warwick87 · Tadpole Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 23

how does one go about walking a bass line? what is involved? what scales and such do i have to learn to be able to do this?

BassMan02 · Tiger Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 848

Basically bass walking is playing arpeggios. On each beat play a note in the arpeggio. Check out the Bass Logic book. Excellent description on what you need to bass walk. I incorporate tons of bass walking in my style. Infact that is 90% of my bass playing.
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SteveJazz · Posted: Fri Oct 10, 2003 1:54 pm Post subject:

And man, is walking the bass fun! Typically you are playing quarter notes. BassMan02 is right, and I would add: Learn all the scales, and you can even play tones that are not in the scales or chords. These are called passing tones, and they lead to the next chord change, or, simply fill a space between two scale tones.

Theory: Live it, learn it, love it, and play beautiful bass using it! Add a trained ear to music theory, and look out world!

SJ Cool

BassMan02 · Tiger Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 848

*Holy Censor, Batman* straight.
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Sometimes we ride on your horses
Sometimes we walk alone
Sometimes the songs that we hear
are just songs of our own

-"Eyes of the World" Grateful Dead

warwick87 · Tadpole Joined: 02 Oct 2003 Posts: 23

so you ojust play the arpegiations of the chord and that;s it? that sounds way too simple,i think i must be missing something?

and im a little embarassed to ask, what is the bass logic book?

BassMan02 · Tiger Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 848

The bass logic book runs down all the stuff a bass player should know about the fretboard and scales. Walking bass is wasy. You just need to know your fretboard.
_________________
Sometimes we ride on your horses
Sometimes we walk alone
Sometimes the songs that we hear
are just songs of our own

-"Eyes of the World" Grateful Dead

GreyFox · Posted: Mon Oct 13, 2003 8:07 pm Post subject:

is the intro to "styx - lady" walking bass? it sounds like what you guys are explaining...
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BassMan02 · Tiger Joined: 15 May 2003 Posts: 848

I know the song but it has been a long time since I have heard it. Listen to Pride and Joy by SRV. The bass player there does a little walking.
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Sometimes we ride on your horses
Sometimes we walk alone
Sometimes the songs that we hear
are just songs of our own

-"Eyes of the World" Grateful Dead

SteveJazz · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2003 7:32 am Post subject:

Also, listen to "Moondance" by Van Morrison, or the verse sections of "Eight Days a Week" by the Beatles. There are many examples...

SJ Cool

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gibson_thunder · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2003 10:06 am Post subject:

Charles Mingus plays ALOT of walkin` bass... check out "Hatian Fight Song"... I guess its half walkin, half runnin with a rocket pack strapped on his back.. Laughing

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GreyFox · Posted: Tue Oct 14, 2003 1:31 pm Post subject:

lol ok gib
i know what your talking about on pride and joy. if you get a chance listen to lady though just the intro (break out the old styx records, it's always a good choice lol Wink

)
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Ninestring · Posted: Wed Jan 28, 2004 10:18 pm Post subject:

There is a definite 'science ' involed when creating balanced walking bass lines . it is a combination of the basic walking lines ,arps ,and scalewise lines.

waliking lines avoid playing the same note twice and you set them up in a way to have the line lead you to the next chord.

You need to practice playing a I chord to a V chord for example and combine scale and arps to develope a smooth transition from chord to chord.

You can listen to other bass players walking until you turn purple ,but the only way to get good at playing walking bass lines is by doing it and working out the 'kinks"

start by walking 2 bars of C then two bars of F The basic 4/4 major walking line is :

|: c-e-g-a- |c(octave up) back down to a-g- e | f--c-a-c| f-g-a-b- Neutral

Just keep playing between two chords -it will get easier.
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