The Major's Bass Boot Camp - Session 33

[Major-Minor]

The Major's Bass Boot Camp - Session 33

Walking lines on one "Key Centre"


So, GonzoBass has asked:
"I wondered if you would be so kind as to show your approach to a walking line over several bars of one chord.
Perhaps using "So What?" as an example?"

This is actually quite a big subject to expound on, as it throws up many possibilities, many different approaches, and potentially, many misunderstandings !
I'm probably just going to scratch the surface here, but it should be a good starting point for the aspiring jazz bass player.

My own approach to playing walking lines will change according to who I'm playing with, the nature of the gig, the instructions from the bandleader or soloist, how I'm feeling at the time, the acoustic of the venue, and so on. In other words, I hope I never play in a rigid formulaic way, and that spontaneity and inspiration come into the equation along with my listening skills and connectivity with the other players.

So to clarify our scenario from the start:
This session is rooted in "straight-ahead" jazz, embodying the creation via improvisation of a suitable pulsing bass-line in a typical jazz setting.
The bass player's job, in this context, is not only to provide the pulse, but also to clarify the harmonic roots for the soloists.
When playing on a single chord or key centre, the job is made a little easier in some senses, and the bass player should, if he or she wish, be able to wander away from that root and chordal notes more than usual, as you will see. The tricky bit comes in trying to keep things fresh and forward moving for longish periods in one key centre.

Firstly lets deal with what is meant when you get a single given chord for several (or many) bars.

The mistake made by new players is to believe that you are in some way restricted by this given singular chord. In fact the opposite is true. It is a chance to stretch out, without the need to change (modulate) from chord to chord, or root to root.
Clearly, it depends on context, and the requirements and preferences of the musicians you are playing with. But the trick is to learn how to pull away from the obvious notes of the basic chord and create something more interesting. As always, my motto is "There are no rules in music - only preferences". If you like playing "out", being creative, taking a risk, if this defines your musical personality, then go for it. Don't let anybody tell you otherwise ! As an artist, you need to be true to your ideals, presenting exactly what you feel is right. That's in an ideal world !

But in reality, a lot of the time, as a working, gigging bass player, you need to provide what the other musicians, and the audience, expect of you. You can't always play in the way you might prefer. So yes, learn to play "out" - but in a controlled way, with true musical understanding and direction. Hopefully the examples that follow will kick start you in the right direction.

I've loosely taken Miles Davis's "So What" on which to base my examples. Apart from the occasional reference in the accompaniment and the codas, I'm using nothing more from this piece other than the fact that the first 16 bars are usually given harmonically as:
D minor 7 (Dorian).

So with a root note (key centre) of D, the other notes of the Dorian mode are:
E F G A B C
In other words, it is all the white notes on the piano, but with that all important root (tonic) of D, and including the B natural (major 6th from the root) as opposed to the Bb (minor 6th) that is in the D minor key signature. Its this B natural that defines and shapes the Dorian mode (when D is the root).

Now each of these notes will have a different effect on the way your bass line will be perceived. Its important to know the interval from the root note (D in our examples) to each note of the scale and what the effect of that interval will be. So for instance, the F is a minor 3rd away from the root and, as it is in the chord of Dm7, it will not only fit perfectly, but it also defines the "minor-ness" of the line. (However, if you play too many F's without referring back to the D root, you will give the impression that the piece is now in the Major key of F.)

If, for instance, you play a G, the 4th note of the scale (and NOT in the chord of Dm7), you momentarily alter the underlying harmony, giving the line a nice forward movement, but it will feel as if you have moved away from the basic D minor chord. Similarly, the other 2 non-chordal notes in the scale, ie E and B, can create that same tension and instability, a useful tool to create an exciting line.

I'll assume that you can already play a scale of D minor (Dorian). I'll also be using other non Dorian (chromatic) notes occasionally. As I said before, the Mode is just a starting point, a point of reference, from which the players will want to break free to create some exciting music. Otherwise you might as well return to Ancient Byzantium !
Let's be clear : Modal playing in jazz/rock etc is not about restricting your musical ideas to the notes of that mode. The Mode is a springboard to creativity, giving the whole band a "home base", a foundation, from which to travel to new and exciting musical frontiers.


The following examples are in my usual "Play-Along" style. Each 8 bar phrase is repeated, but I only play for the first 8, leaving you on your own for the second 8. Either play the written notes, or if you wish, you can improvise something suitable. If you do the latter, try to do something similar to the written notes, utilising the same ideas.

An important note about the accompaniments:
If I simply used a chord of Dm7 throughout (as I have in Example MBBC33e) it would become extremely monotonous to play, but also to listen to if it carried on throughout a longer piece. Jazz musicians, seeing a single given chord or key centre, will open out and stretch the possibilities. I've chosen to use all the notes of the Dorian mode (all the white notes on the piano) in various voicing and clusters to demonstrate the harmonic possibilities while still remaining firmly in the Dorian mode. As you will hear, each of your bass notes will have a specific effect on the overall harmonic "drive", and you need to learn what that effect will be, how to control it (ie where best to place it), and how best to utilise this knowledge. This will come with experience, actually getting out there and doing it with good players. Its not something you can learn to do just by following this lesson or reading academic tomes. You need to put it into context - get out there and play ! But this Session is a good first step.



MBBC33a
[attachment=76697:MBBC33a.pdf]
[attachment=76702:MBBC33a.mp3]

In this first example, I've kept it simple, mostly steady crotchets. The root note D is often referred to, defining the key centre.

( In some situations, you need to emphasise this root note for the rest of the band. In "So What" for instance, the chord changes in bar 17 (for 8 bars) to Eb minor and back to D minor in bar 25. Making these changes absolutely clear to the other musicians is a vital part of the bass players role. So make sure you reiterate the root note several times at these change points when you get out there and play "So What" for real.)

For the first 16 bars, it's all very clearly centred on a D root. Now look at bar 20 which starts with a B natural, the one note that is different in this Dorian mode from the Bb that would be present in the Aeolian mode (the Natural Minor). This B, placed on the first beat of the bar, accentuates the Dorian nature of the piece.
Bar 23 starts with a G natural, and you can clearly hear the effect of this, hinting at a chord of G7, momentarily changing the perceived harmonic direction.
Bar 33 and 34 have a falling chromatic run, including several notes from outside the Dorian scale. As you can hear, there is nothing wrong with using these notes, quite the opposite in fact, as they create a pleasing effect. But care has to be taken with notes like these. Unless you want to create a lot of tension (and there is nothing wrong with that aspiration !), its best to use them as passing notes ie for moving between scale notes that fall on strong beats.
Then, in bar 45, I have used a little syncopation to give the line a fresh feel. Never think that you must only play 4 crotchets to the bar when walking, although clearly that is the predominant nature of a walking bass part. Putting in the occasional rhythmic variation can only add to the potency of the 4 in a bar passages that follow. (For me, "variation" and "contrast" are the 2 most important words in music.)

MBBC33b
[attachment=76698:MBBC33b.pdf]
[attachment=76703:MBBC33b.mp3]

Now we start to add some of those little tricks that bring a "4 in the bar" style to life. Skips, rakes, syncopation and cross-rhythms all help to add interest to your playing and enhance the feel and groove of the music.
From bar 17, there is a riff-like passage. I love doing this kind of thing. Rather than always creating a "4 to the bar" pulse, I think its great to occasionally include an improvised repeated riff of some sort, ideally with a syncopated groove. And its even better if other band members notice what you are doing and play in a complimentary way. (To be fair, on the mp3 I have somewhat contrived this passage with an accompaniment that fits !)
Bar 33 goes back to the walking line with skips and rakes. Again notice how, in bars 35 and 36, the note G (and the G major rake) has a profound effect on the perceived harmonic direction. This 4th note of the scale has great power when used intelligently.

MBBC33c
[attachment=76699:MBBC33c.pdf]
[attachment=76704:MBBC33c.mp3]

In this example, we combine all the ideas so far mentioned. The tempo is a little faster now.

MBBC33d
[attachment=76700:MBBC33d.pdf]
[attachment=76705:MBBC33d.mp3]

Much faster this time.
Notice in bar 38 and 39, the little device of phrasing crotchet notes in 3's to create a cross-rhythm.

MBBC33e
[attachment=76701:MBBC33e.pdf]
[attachment=76706:MBBC33e.mp3]

A little slower.
And here the piano accompaniment is purely Dm7(9). Although one can use rhythms to make it a little more interesting, hopefully you can see why I would say its rather boring to stick literally to one static harmony throughout a piece. It's OK for short sections, but then some variety is needed.

This time, I've written the swing quavers (triplet quavers) as ordinary quavers (8ths), as opposed to semiquavers in the previous examples.
This is the more common way of writing this.

Again, a mix of walking and syncopation. From bar 21, we get one of those cross-rhythms again, this time each note is 3 quavers long.

Notice how I don't start this piece with the root note. You can feel the tension in those first 2 notes ( A C ) which is then released when we hit the D. This happens again in bar 5 (C A ).


If you've made it through to this point in the Session, I hope you can see that I've given you a few pointers that will help you create good walking lines on a single key centre. But the best advice I can give you is to learn all this, take it all in, then forget it !
Finding your own style through experimentation is far more fun and far more rewarding, and you will end up having an individual voice, rather than being just another bass player who plays like everybody else. The great players are great because they have an individual recognisable style.

The Major

Edited December 6, 2011 by Major-Minor

[GonzoBass]

Thanks Major!

[daz]

a belated thanks for this, just tried it today. good stuff.