Tips for writing walking lines

[lowdown]

So What - Paul Chambers.
[ For the solos ]


[attachment=27205:So_What_...Chambers.pdf]

So What - Neils Pederson
[attachment=27206:So_What_...ederson..pdf]

So What - Ron Carter
[attachment=27207:So_What_...n_Carter.pdf]



Garry

Edited June 16, 2009 by lowdown

[lowdown]

[quote name='jakesbass' post='515642' date='Jun 16 2009, 07:35 PM']Seriously though, Brown was an undoubted bass genius in my mind, there is not a spare or un-meaning note in either of them, not much repitition and they just sing the blues to you all alone,[/quote]

Have been watching the Video of 'LA is my Lady' this afternoon.
Ray Brown on 'Mack the Knife'...Superb.


Garry

[lowdown]

Ok...
I will get those from the list up first. [ will take some though ]

Three versions of 'So What' up above .
+ Two versions of Au Privave

Garry

Edited June 16, 2009 by lowdown

[dlloyd]

[quote name='lowdown' post='515701' date='Jun 16 2009, 08:26 PM']Ok...
I will get those from the list up first. [ will take some though ] [/quote]

I think they'd serve better as a list from which requests could be made (?)

[quote]Three versions of 'So What' up above .[/quote]

I could have done with that a few years ago...

[lowdown]

[quote name='dlloyd' post='515718' date='Jun 16 2009, 08:37 PM']I think they'd serve better as a list from which requests could be made (?)[/quote]

Much better idea...

Garry

[lowdown]

[quote name='dlloyd' post='515741' date='Jun 16 2009, 08:50 PM']

typing out the titles themselves is taking long enough![/quote]



Beats Eastenders though!

Garry

[lowdown]

[quote name='dlloyd' post='515791' date='Jun 16 2009, 09:52 PM']...okay, enough for one night![/quote]

Its a pity there is not one dedicated place for scores / parts / charts etc,
a library sort of thing, a bit like the groove library thread.
There is plenty of good stuff scattered all over Basschat.


Garry

Edited June 16, 2009 by lowdown

[johnny_b]

[quote name='JohnSlade07' post='475333' date='Apr 29 2009, 06:25 PM']Has anyone got any good tips for approaching walking bass lines? I'm aware of the following ideas (although I've only touched on the first few so far):

1. Root.
2. Root and fifth.
3. Root, 3rd, fifth.
4. Arpeggios.
5. Chromatic approach notes.
6. Mixture of the above obviously.

Apart from these I realise the swing and feel is foremost, just looking for a few more ideas to get my teeth into.

I'm odd admittedly, but I find all this stuff fascinating (God I feel ashamed saying that!).

Cheers

John.[/quote]
Great thread - some really useful pdfs - cheers!
I wondered - and maybe this is too obvious, but have you gone through walking round some major and minor II V I's as a jumping off point?
works for me as a first pass, then thinking about all of that other good stuff, esp yr #5 above to get to the next scale tone - as I say, apologies if this is crass, but nobody seems to have mentioned it.
j

[dlloyd]

The lists I posted before were a bit unwieldy, so here they are consolodated in a more sensible way:

[b]A Child Is Born[/b] (Waltz) [i]Milt Hinton[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]A Foggy Day[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]A Night In Tunisia[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]After You've Gone[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]J Lundgaard[/i]
[b]Ain't Misbehaving[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Airegin[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]A Cullaz[/i]
[b]Alice In Wonderland[/b] (Waltz) [i]Eddie Gomez[/i]
[i]George Mraz[/i]
[b]All Blues[/b] (Blues in G) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]All By Myself[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]E Wright[/i]
[b]All of Me[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Ray Brown (2 versions)[/i]
[b]All of You [/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[b]All The Things You Are[/b] (Standard Form With Expansion) [i]Chuck Israels[/i]
[i]Mike Moore[/i]
[i]Milt Hinton[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Alone Together[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]Leroy Vinnegar[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Angel Eyes[/b] (Ballad) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Anthropology[/b] (Rhythm Changes) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]As Time Goes By[/b] (Ballad) [i]Rufus Reid[/i]
[b]Au Privave[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Sam Jones[/i]
[b]Autumn in New York[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]I Crosby[/i]
[b]Autumn Leaves[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen (3 versions)[/i]
[i]Ron Carter (2 versions)[/i]
[b]Awful Mean[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[b]Bags Groove[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Percy Heath[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Bag's Groove[/b] (Blues in G) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Barbizon Blues[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Basin Street Blues[/b] (Short Form A1A2) [i]G. Peacock[/i]
[b]Beautiful Love[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Billie's Bounce[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Black Orpheus[/b] (Latin) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[i]Rufus Reid[/i]
[b]Blue Bossa[/b] (Latin) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Blue Brew[/b] (Blues in G) [i]M Ballou[/i]
[b]Blue In Green[/b] (Ballad) [i]George Mraz[/i]
[i]Mike Richmond[/i]
[i]Scott La Faro [/i]
[b]Blue Monk[/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Blue Rondo A La Turk[/b] (Blues in F) [i]E Wright[/i]
[b]Blue Seven [/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Blues for Herluf[/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Blues For Newport (Cm)[/b] (Minor Blues) [i]C Brubeck[/i]
[b]Blues for Two[/b] (Blues in C) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Blues in Bb[/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]Leroy Vinnegar[/i]
[b]Blues in F[/b] (Blues in F) [i]C Israels[/i]
[b]Blues in the Closet[/b] (Blues in G) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Bluesology[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Percy Heath[/i]
[b]Body And Soul[/b] (Ballad) [i]Charles Mingus[/i]
[i]Charlie Haden[/i]
[i]Mike Moore[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen (2 versions)[/i]
[i]Sam Jones (2 versions?)[/i]
[b]But Not For Me[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Percy Heath[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Bye Bye Blackbird[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[i]Ray Brown (2 versions)[/i]
[b]Cake's Blues[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Caravan[/b] (Double Form) [i]Jesper Lundgaard[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Rufus Reid[/i]
[b]C'est Si Bon[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Close Your Eyes[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Come Rain Or Come Shine[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Comin' Home (Gm)[/b] (Minor Blues) [i]Dave Holland[/i]
[b]Confirmation[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Corcovado[/b] (Latin) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Cotton Tail[/b] (Rhythm Changes) [i]Mike Moore[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Crazy Rhythm[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]J Lundgaard[/i]
[b]Cry Me a River[/b] (Ballad) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Days of Wine and Roses[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen (2 versions)[/i]
[i]Ray Brown (2 versions)[/i]
[i]Steve Davis[/i]
[b]Deep[/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]B. Maize[/i]
[b]Dejection Blues[/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Django[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]Charlie Haden[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Percy Heath[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Donna Lee[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen (2 versions)[/i]
[b]Don't forget the Blues[/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Doxy[/b] (Short Form A1A2) [i]Percy Heath[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Dream a Little Dream[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]D Johnson[/i]
[b]Duff [/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]Red Mitchell[/i]
[b]Easy Living[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]E-Blue Eyes[/b] (Blues in F) [i]J Hughart[/i]
[b]Emily [/b] (Waltz) [i]Mike Richmond[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Equinox (Gm)[/b] (Minor Blues) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Exactly Like You[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Spike Heatley[/i]
[b]Falling in Love with Love[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Five Pounds Blues[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Fly Me to The Moon[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Friskin' the Frog[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Gentle Rain[/b] (Latin) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Georgia On My Mind[/b] (Ballad) [i]D Johnson[/i]
[b]Girl From Ipanema[/b] (Latin) [i]B Maize[/i]
[b]Gofor[/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Gone With The Wind[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Percy Heath[/i]
[b]Goodbye[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Haunted Heart[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]G Mraz[/i]
[b]Have You Met Miss Jones[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]David Friesen[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Here's that Rainy Day[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Hi-Fly[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Honeysuckle Rose[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Spike Heatley[/i]
[b]How Deep Is the Ocean[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Curtis Counce[/i]
[i]Spike Heatley[/i]
[b]How Insensitive[/b] (Latin) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]I Can't Get Started[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Curtis Counce[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]I Can't Give You[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]I Fall In Love Too Easily[/b] (Short Form A1A2) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]I Got it Bad[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]I got rhythm[/b] (Rhythm Changes) [i]George Mraz[/i]
[i]Slam Stewart[/i]
[b]I Hear a Rhapsody[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]D Friesen[/i]
[b]I Remember Clifford[/b] (Ballad) [i]Mike Richmond[/i]
[i]Percy Heath[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]I Should Care[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]E Wright[/i]
[b]I Thought About You[/b] (Ballad) [i]Gary Peacock[/i]
[i]Ray Brown (2 versions)[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]If I Were A Bell[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[b]If You Could See Me Now[/b] (Ballad) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]I'll Remember April[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]In A Mellow Tone[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Jay Leonhart[/i]
[i]Leroy Vinnegar[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]In A Sentimental Mood[/b] (Ballad) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]In Your Own Sweet Way[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen (3 versions)[/i]
[i]Percy Heath[/i]
[b]Indiana[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Isn't it Romantic[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]C Israels[/i]
[b]It Could Happen To You[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[b]It Don't Mean a Thing[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Percy Heath[/i]
[b]It's About Time[/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Itty Bitty Blues[/b] (Blues in C) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Ja Da[/b] (Short Form A1A2) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Joy Spring[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Just Friends[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Just in Time[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Lady Be Good[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]E Jones[/i]
[b]Love For Sale[/b] (Double Form) [i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[b]Lover Man[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Lullaby of Birdland[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Mack the Knife (Bb)[/b] (Short Form A1A2) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ray Brown (2 versions)[/i]
[b]Mack the Knife ©[/b] (Short Form A1A2) [i]Christian McBride[/i]
[i]Ron Carter (2 versions)[/i]
[b]Mean to Me[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Mike Moore[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Minor Swing[/b] (Short Form A1A2) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Misty[/b] (Ballad) [i]Eddie Gomez[/i]
[i]Milt Hinton[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen (2 versions)[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Moanin'[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Sam Jones[/i]
[b]Mona Lisa[/b] (Ballad) [i]Gary Peacock[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Mood Indigo[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Moonlight In Vermont[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]B Maize[/i]
[b]Moose the Mooche[/b] (Rhythm Changes) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Mr PC (Cm)[/b] (Minor Blues) [i]George Mraz[/i]
[i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[b]My Foolish Heart[/b] (Ballad) [i]George Mraz[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]My Funny Valentine[/b] (Standard Form With Expansion) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]My Melancholy Baby[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]E Wright[/i]
[b]My One And Only Love[/b] (Ballad) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]My Romance[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ray Brown (3 versions)[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]My Shining Hour[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Night And Day[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Now's the Time[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Nuages[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Dominique Di Piazza [/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Oleo[/b] (Rhythm Changes) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[i]Percy Heath[/i]
[b]On Green Dolphin Street[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen (2 versions)[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]On the Sunny Side[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Leroy Vinnegar[/i]
[i]Mike Moore[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Once I Loved[/b] (Latin) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Ornithology[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen (3 versions)[/i]
[i]Red Mitchell[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Our Love is Here to Stay[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Chuck Israels[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Out of Nowhere[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Payin Them Berlin Dues Blues[/b] (Blues in F) [i]D Friesen[/i]
[b]Perdido[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen (2 versions)[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Polka Dots [/b] (Ballad) [i]Percy Heath[/i]
[i]Ray Brown (2 versions)[/i]
[b]Prelude to a Kiss[/b] (Ballad) [i]Milt Hinton[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Railroad Crossing[/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]RB![/b] (Blues in F) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Red Cross[/b] (Rhythm Changes) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Reunion Blues[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Robbins Nest[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]'Round Midnight[/b] (Ballad) [i]Chuck Israels[/i]
[i]Paul Chambers (2 versions)[/i]
[i]Percy Heath[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[i]Steve Davis[/i]
[i]Walter Booker[/i]
[b]Samba De Orfeu[/b] (Latin) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Sandu[/b] (Blues in C) [i]Sam Jones[/i]
[b]Satin Doll[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[i]Steve Davis[/i]
[b]Scrapple From the Apple[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ray Brown (2 versions)[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Secret Love[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]I Crosby[/i]
[b]Sho' Nuff Did[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Smile[/b] (Short Form A1A2) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]So What[/b] (Modal) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Softly[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]David Friesen[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Reggie Workman[/i]
[i]Ron Carter (2 versions)[/i]
[b]Solitude[/b] (Ballad) [i]Jim Hughart[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Spike Heatley[/i]
[b]Someday My Prince Will Come[/b] (Waltz) [i]Buster Williams[/i]
[i]Eddie Gomez[/i]
[i]John Pattituci[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[i]Scott La Faro [/i]
[b]Sophisticated Lady[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Speak Low[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]Bob Magnusson[/i]
[i]Dave Holland[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Squeeze Me[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]David Friesen[/i]
[i]Jesper Lundgaard[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]St Louis Blues[/b] (Blues in G) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]St Thomas[/b] (Latin) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Stairway to the Stars[/b] (Ballad) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Stardust[/b] (Ballad) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Stars Fell on Alabama[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Stella By Starlight[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Chuck Israels[/i]
[i]Eddie Gomez[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen (2 versions)[/i]
[i]Paul chambers[/i]
[i]Ray Brown (2 versions)[/i]
[b]Stompin' At the Savoy[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Moore-Reid [/i]
[b]Stormy Weather[/b] (Ballad) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Straight No Chaser[/b] (Blues in F) [i]G Peacock[/i]
[b]Summer Night[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Jim Hughart[/i]
[i]Ron Carter (2 versions)[/i]
[b]Summertime[/b] (Short Form A1A2) [i]Niels Pedersen (2 versions)[/i]
[i]Ray Brown (2 versions)[/i]
[b]Sunday[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Leroy Vinnegar[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Swedish Pastry [/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]C Israels[/i]
[b]Sweet Georgia Brown[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Sweet Lorraine[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Jesper Lundgaard[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Take a Walk[/b] (Blues in F) [i]E Gomez[/i]
[b]Take the A Train[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Jay Leonhart[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Taking a Chance[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Tea For Two [/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]J Lundgaard[/i]
[b]Teach Me Tonight[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Tenderly[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Bob Maize[/i]
[i]Eddie Gomez[/i]
[b]That's All[/b] (Ballad) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]The Boy Next Door[/b] (Waltz) [i]Chuck Israels[/i]
[b]The Duke[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Alby Cullaz[/i]
[i]Eugene Wright[/i]
[b]The Jeep is Jumpin[/b] (Rhythm Changes) [i]S Heatley[/i]
[b]The Man I Love[/b] (Ballad) [i]Percy Heath (2 versions)[/i]
[b]The Preacher[/b] (Short Form A1A2) [i]B Maize[/i]
[b]The Puzzle[/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]The Real Blues[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]The Shadow of Your Smile[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]George Mraz[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[i]Sam Jones[/i]
[b]The Smudge[/b] (Blues in C) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]The Song Is You[/b] (Double Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]The Theme[/b] (Rhythm Changes) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]There is no greater Love[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]David Friesen[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen (2 versions)[/i]
[i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[i]Ray Brown (3 versions)[/i]
[b]There Will Never Be[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Mike Moore[/i]
[i]Oscar Pettiford (2 versions)[/i]
[b]These Foolish Things[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]This Is All I Ask[/b] (Ballad) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Thriving From a Riff[/b] (Rhythm Changes) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Tune Up[/b] (Short Form A1A2) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Undecided[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]United Blues[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Untitled[/b] (Blues in F) [i]A Bell[/i]
[b]Walkin'[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Leroy Vinnegar[/i]
[b]Wave[/b] (Latin) [i]Niels Pedersen (2 versions[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]Wee Dot[/b] (Blues in Bb) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]What Am I Here For[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]What Is this Thing Called Love[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Leroy Vinnegar[/i]
[b]What's New[/b] (Ballad) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]When I Fall In Love[/b] (Ballad) [i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[i]Scott La Faro [/i]
[b]When Or Where[/b] (Unusual Form) [i]Red Mitchell[/i]
[b]Whims of Chambers[/b] (Blues in F) [i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[b]Who's got rhythm?[/b] (Rhythm Changes) [i]Leroy Vinnegar[/i]
[b]Willow Weep For Me[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Milt Hinton[/i]
[i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Windflower (Em)[/b] (Minor Blues) [i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]With Respect[/b] (Rhythm Changes) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]Woody 'n' You[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Ray Brown[/i]
[b]Yardbird Suite[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen (2 versions)[/i]
[b]You And the Night.[/b] (Standard Form AABA) [i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]
[b]You Don't Know What Love Is[/b] (Ballad) [i]Charlie Haden[/i]
[i]Leroy Vinnegar[/i]
[i]Niels Pedersen[/i]
[b]You Go To My Head[/b] (Ballad) [i]B Magnusson[/i]
[b]You'd Be So Nice[/b] (Short Dated Form) [i]Paul Chambers[/i]
[i]Ron Carter[/i]

Edited June 17, 2009 by dlloyd

[xilddx]

Wow! That's good stuff!

This may sound facetious, even stupid or ignorant, but it is a serious question.

Can someone kindly tell me what is the [b]purpose [/b]of walking bass lines and what constitutes [b]good taste[/b]. I've been messing around at home and coming up with some things I like, I have no idea why I'm playing them, I just know I like some of what I hear. Gawd knows what a jazzer would say though, because, as rslaing kindly pointed out, I know nothing about jazz.

I have been listening to Paul Chambers and Scott Thunes playing walking lines and slow, they sound sensitive and seem to give life to the chords and song structures, fast they sound totally hardcore.

[dlloyd]

[quote name='silddx' post='516377' date='Jun 17 2009, 01:12 PM']Wow! That's good stuff!

This may sound facetious, even stupid or ignorant, but it is a serious question.

Can someone kindly tell me what is the [b]purpose [/b]of walking bass lines and what constitutes [b]good taste[/b]. I've been messing around at home and coming up with some things I like, I have no idea why I'm playing them, I just know I like some of what I hear. Gawd knows what a jazzer would say though, because, as rslaing kindly pointed out, I know nothing about jazz.

I have been listening to Paul Chambers and Scott Thunes playing walking lines and slow, they sound sensitive and seem to give life to the chords and song structures, fast they sound totally hardcore.[/quote]

Walking lines essentially outline the harmony and provide the song's rhythmic pulse.

Say you've got a chord progression that goes:

|Cm7 | F7 | Bbmaj7 | Ebmaj7 | Am7b5 | D7#9 | Gm | |...

(that's the first bit of Autumn Leaves)

...you want to play notes in each bar that outline those chords, while keeping the forward momentum into the next bar.

The most useful notes to use to outline the chords are the basic triads...

Obvious choices for the Cm7 would be the root, m3 and 5 of the chord (C, Eb, G).
Obvious choices for the F7 would be the root, 3 and 5 of the chord (F, A, C)
Obvious choices for the Bbmaj7 would be the root, 3, and 5 of the chord (Bb, D, F)
Obvious choices for the Ebmaj7 would be the root, 3 and 5 of the chord (Eb, G, Bb)
Obvious choices for the Am7b5 would be the root, m3 and b5 of the chord (A, C, Eb)
Obvious choices for the D7#9 would be the root, 3 and 5 of the chord (D, F#, A)
Obvious choices for the Gm would be the root, m3 and 5 of the chord (G, Bb, D)

You can do a lot with just those notes.

You often find the root of the chord played on the first beat of the bar, and another chord tone used on the third. You might find another chord tone on the second beat, or it might be a scalar note (if you have the root on one and the third on 3, you might well put the appropriate 2nd on 2)

Approach notes are useful to keep momentum when changing chords. There's all sorts of approach notes... dominant, that are a fifth away from the note you're going to; chromatic, which are a semitone away from the note you're going to; and scalar, which stick to in key notes.

So, if you're going from Cm7 to F7 to Bbmaj7, you might play:

C Eb G Gb | F A C Cb | Bb

Where you're playing:

r 3 5 (chr) | r 3 5 (chr) | r

(chr) = chromatic approach note

Simple, huh?

The trouble is, although Ray Brown mostly follows those 'rules', just following those rules doesn't get you to sound like Ray Brown.

The tendency is to fall back on a few easy note patterns (those chords can come up quick, even at slow tempos!) and you start to sound repetitive... which is easy to ignore for a bit, but not for long. I'm finding that my walking is improving (slowly!) by studying and learning lines like the ones above. I'm learning new ways of dealing with the chords as they're coming up so that my lines are more variable and more convincing. I'm not quite there yet.

[Bilbo]

What is the purpose of walking bass lines and what constitutes good taste?

Walking bass lines have the same purposes as any bass line and there are more than one.

Firstly, the line underpins the harmonic movement of the chords under which it is placed and can literally define that harmonic movement (Steve Kahn always says that, when he presents a tune to his bass player, Anthony Jackson, Jackson’s lines reharmonise his work and make it sound better and more sophisticated).

Secondly, a walking line contributes to creating the illusion of momentum – there are some great examples on some of the Miles Davis/Gil Evans material where the only movement that is happening is the walking bass line of Paul Chambers. Without it, the music would be sedentary chords, like an organist holding a chord down without any changes. The walking lines can actually control the pace, pull back on it, push it, and even stop it, all contributing to the ebb and flow of tension and release that makes music, well, musical. The relationship between a bass line, ride cymbal and piano accompaniment is the defining characteristic of a rhythm section. Listen to Paul Chambers, Jimmy Cobb and Wynton Kelly or Chambers, Red Garland and Philly Joe Jones. Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter and Tony Williams are another great section. All very different despite the main thrust of the bass parts being only straight quarter notes.

The walking lines also create a counterpoint to the soloist. The magic of a great walking line comes from its relationship with the soloists. A big mistake that people make (and this teacher guy with the ’pentatonics’ quip is clearly a victim of this) is assuming that, as long as it is in the scale/arpeggio of the pertinent chord, it will be ok. WRONG – it will only work if the logic of the line before and after it are congruent with the overall mood of the piece. That logic is created from moment to moment by the music being played by the musicians around you. If the pianist plays X, you have to make a choice as to what you do next. Whether that choice is ‘good taste’ is arguably a matter for you but there are good things to do and bad. Hitting a root note on the fourth beat of a bar may, for instance, prematurely project a change –this can be good or bad – it’s all about INTENTION. If you are just thrashing about ‘in the right key’, it will sound like it (a great example of how bad this can get is Van Morrison’s ‘Moondance’, objectively and subjectively a dreadful piece of walking bass).

What we have here is a superb example of something that takes a moment to learn and a lifetime to master. Playing four quarter-notes to a bar is something that, in principle, we can all do on day one of picking up a bass. Trying to develop the ability to creating a congruent, musical, creative, grooving walking bass line will never cease to delight and frustrate in equal measure. I have been trying to do it since 1986 and sometimes, quite often in fact, I feel like a total beginner.

For the record, a LOT of the swing feel that you are trying to get in a walking bass line comes from your SOUND and its relationship with the drummers ride cymbal and pianist’s voicings and rhythmic placement of chords. Don’t expect it to sound great with a bad sound, a crap drummer and a cheap electric piano! When the chemistry is right, the notes are so much easier to find!

[dlloyd]

Great post Bilbo!

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='516458' date='Jun 17 2009, 02:49 PM']The walking lines also create a counterpoint to the soloist. The magic of a great walking line comes from its relationship with the soloists. A big mistake that people make (and this teacher guy with the ’pentatonics’ quip is clearly a victim of this) is assuming that, as long as it is in the scale/arpeggio of the pertinent chord, it will be ok. WRONG – it will only work if the logic of the line before and after it are congruent with the overall mood of the piece.[/quote]

That's pretty much sums up the stage I feel I've got to and need to work on.

I can follow the chords as they're laid down in the real book etc., not trip up too much, and do what the books tell me I'm supposed to be doing. But it still feels like I'm 'pretending to walk' rather than actually walking.

[jakenewmanbass]

I agree with DLloyd Bilbo, great post.
I would only add that as well as the feel and sound creating swing, the flow of the lines also have a deeper swing to them, checking out the Ray Brown lines shows you that his note choice is geared towards takng you to specific points in the harmony that give you a release and he uses many many ways to get you there, it's all subconcious I'm sure as for myself I really have to think if I want to write a line down for a student, but on a gig it just flows. Lines should be melodic and have a natural inner sense of phrasing to rise and fall through the changes small variations of not choices make a huge difference.

[Bilbo]

[quote name='jakesbass' post='516499' date='Jun 17 2009, 03:22 PM']Lines should be melodic and have a natural inner sense of phrasing to rise and fall through the changes small variations of not choices make a huge difference.[/quote]

100% - the logic of the line is profoundly important and, whilst I agree there is a huge element of the subconcious involved (particularly at 260 bpm ), that subconcious is informed by the 1,000s of lines you have previously developed consciously or otherwise. Its like any language, you start by learning the constituent parts and then, eventually, you become comfortable enough to forget them. The equivalent in bass lines would be the strong beat/weak beat issue (e.g. play roots, thirds and fifths on strong beats 1 & 3 and seconds and fourths on weak beat 2 & 4 - a useful 'rule' in teh beginning but not cast in concrete and eminently forgetable as you get more involved in the work of walking).

Fundamentally, you will learn a lot from just playing and listening to transcriptions like those attached above and then just doing it - a million choruses of trial and error. Be patient, it will come.

[Bilbo]

[quote name='dlloyd' post='516483' date='Jun 17 2009, 03:09 PM']I can follow the chords as they're laid down in the real book etc., not trip up too much, and do what the books tell me I'm supposed to be doing. But it still feels like I'm 'pretending to walk' rather than actually walking.[/quote]

The fact that you recognise that fact means that you are listening and conscious of what you are doing; that means you are more than half way there. Try transcribing some of that Paul Chambers stuff - his note choices are magic - but beware. If you just try and play his choruses over any jazz blues, the change of context (drummer and pianist) negates their value entirely and will soudn wooden. Educate you ears and then let them guide you, Grasshopper

[rslaing]

Here's an introduction to walking bass. It is fairly simplistic, but gives a very good grounding.

If you like it, and want to progress further, you can always buy the whole book

If you want an extensive knowledge and practice material that will advance you to a very high level, pm me and I will email you some stuff.

Edited June 17, 2009 by rslaing

[xilddx]

Serious thaks for these replies and to rslaing for the tip sheet.

I'm particularly interested in Bilbo's comment "The walking lines also create a counterpoint to the soloist. The magic of a great walking line comes from its relationship with the soloists".

The walk is more or less improvised, as is the solo, so I infer from the above statement from Bilbo that the relationship between the bassist and the soloist needs to be DEEP. Much more than just musically but on a deep human level too. You need to know each other very intimately to subconsciously predict where the other might go, to create the real magic like you get on something like So What. Maybe this is what jazz is about, maybe I am starting to understand. Or am I?

[Bilbo]

[quote name='silddx' post='516576' date='Jun 17 2009, 04:32 PM']I'm particularly interested in Bilbo's comment "The walking lines also create a counterpoint to the soloist. The magic of a great walking line comes from its relationship with the soloists".

The walk is more or less improvised, as is the solo, so I infer from the above statement from Bilbo that the relationship between the bassist and the soloist needs to be DEEP. Much more than just musically but on a deep human level too. You need to know each other very intimately to subconsciously predict where the other might go, to create the real magic like you get on something like So What. Maybe this is what jazz is about, maybe I am starting to understand. Or am I?[/quote]

Yes and no - the walking line and solo lines are not improvised simultaneously, they are acting and reacting to each other and, in a similar way, to other stimulae (drums, piano, percussion etc). So, in principle, you line is a reponse to the soloist or to another voice that is there in the mis, and not an independent improvisation generated unilaterally. Knowing the other players 'thing' is a massive bonus but not essential for good interaction (like having a conversation with a stranger vs. someone you know). Its like any dialogue, you respond to what is presented and your response, in turn, generates another and so on. Its all about total listening, hearing everything that is going on and reacting organically rather than just playing your part in a predetermined context like many other genres.

[rslaing]

Jazz trio, walking bass examples !

Might not appeal to all, but this is jazz walking bass at it's best. Sorry I couldn't any decent sounds of Oscar Peterson with Ray Brown to upload

I've only linked to this because it is a good example of a simple (!) and slow line.

And for the people asking about jazz, swing, etc - it is the bass and drums that really make it what it is.

I guess if you listen to it enough, you will find "the feel". Just as you do with any other genre whilst you are learning.

In the first (slower one) you will see how when the bassist breaks from two to the bar to quarter notes, the effect it has on the swing feel.



and here is a real swinger, a bit busy for some perhaps, but a great bass contribution from one the greatest bassists ever. Open for argument as usual

[xilddx]

[quote name='bilbo230763' post='516611' date='Jun 17 2009, 04:53 PM']Yes and no - the walking line and solo lines are not improvised simultaneously, they are acting and reacting to each other and, in a similar way, to other stimulae (drums, piano, percussion etc). So, in principle, you line is a reponse to the soloist or to another voice that is there in the mis, and not an independent improvisation generated unilaterally. Knowing the other players 'thing' is a massive bonus but not essential for good interaction (like having a conversation with a stranger vs. someone you know). Its like any dialogue, you respond to what is presented and your response, in turn, generates another and so on. Its all about total listening, hearing everything that is going on and reacting organically rather than just playing your part in a predetermined context like many other genres.[/quote]

Gotcha! Thank you!

This conversation thing is interesting. When I have a vocal conversation, I am not thinking about an audience, only the participants and myself. Whether anyone listening to the conversation finds it compelling or not, is not generally of importance to me. Are you saying that being a member of the audience to a jazz band is basically eavesdropping? Is this why many people who don't [i]get [/i]jazz find it (to paraphase) "up it's own backside" and selfish because it rarely takes the audience into account? It might seem that unless you are one of the jazz cognoscenti you won't [i]get [/i]jazz and will probably be predisposed to dismiss it as self indulgent and that the musicians feel the audience are privileged to witness the musical exchanges of a bunch of people for a couple of hours.

I regard what I do musically as being in the entertainment industry so it's hard for me to accept that I should not regard the audience as an essential part of the energy exchange in a live performance and involve them as much as possible. Hope I'm not barking up the wrong tree or offending the jazz community with this.

[Bilbo]

Your points are credible, but not necessarily contextually accurate. You could think of it in another way; as a dance. If each of the musicians in a jazz performance were a dancer or acrobat, the interaction would, of itself, be the entertainment. If person A jumps up and person B catches them in a creative and original way, you will enjoy the experience (think of that Diversity thing on Britains Got Talent). If, using their individual sound, knowledge, experience, creativity and ideas, a musician makes something of a musical situation that you find stimulating, satisfying, intriguing, original, organic, you will be entertained. If their response is predictable, tasteless or just plain wrong, you will be bored or irritated. In most cases, dances/acrobatic performances are rehearsed to the nth degree so the metaphor breaks down as there is minimal improvisation but, if you think of a jazz performance in those terms, you can begin to get a sense of where the entertainment comes from. The performance requires some additional attentive listening from the audience not a 7 year study of the idiom but, in a nutrshell, the entertainment is in the process performance and not just in the outcome i.e. the piece of music as a product, a thing (in truth, it is deeper than that and the entertainment is in a much broader range of factors but, for purposes of this discussion, you get my point).
.

[xilddx]

That's great Bilbo, thank you. I do get your point. And I need to get back on topic. I'm just finding this very interesting because I've started taking lessons with Jake and it's opening my mind to all sorts of possibilities.

I've just realised the enormity of what is involved in Jazz improvisation and love the idea of having the theoretical and technical facility to back up my reasonable ears in order to be able to walk bass and improvise over complex chord structures with the aim of harmonically enhancing what's already there. This is a fascinating thread and I really appreciate the time you chaps are putting in to educate the likes of me. I do seem to be bearing out what BBC said in another thread though, that once you start learning this stuff you start wanting to make music that will get you on the sex offenders register Just kidding! I think.

Something has really bothered me about what someone said about only deviating from the [b]walk [/b]once for every ten years you've been playing. I kind of found that objectionable. What's the thinking behind that "rule"?

[Bilbo]

Its an artistic choice. I have, for obvious reasons, listened to a LOT of Paul Chambers recently and, one of the first things I noticed was how little he actually deviates from a straight quarter note swing groove. Compare him to someone like Dave Holland, who rarely actually walks a straight line for more than a few bars at a time. The more you deviate from the quarter notes, the less established the swing feel is. This is a choice thing and entirely subjective. For the soloist, however, the straight line is easier to follow and to negotiate than the Scott LaFaro type broken line feel. So, if you want to be liked as a player and, by association, to be booked regularly, stick to the rule. If you want to take it somewhere new, ignore the rule, enjoy the freedom and develop a taste for dry bread and tap water

In truth, the path most people take is somewhere in the middle, trying some creative options that don't alienate the soloist and leave him/her high and dry. Despite the superficial trappings of the game, soloing is a team sport. Support your local soloist!

[XB26354]

[quote name='silddx' post='517281' date='Jun 18 2009, 11:55 AM']Something has really bothered me about what someone said about only deviating from the [b]walk [/b]once for every ten years you've been playing. I kind of found that objectionable. What's the thinking behind that "rule"?[/quote]

I posted that, and I didn't say it - the class teacher did!
As Bilbo mentioned, it is not a rule or even a guideline. We weren't really supposed to play one skip for every 10 years' experience. The idea was to get beginning jazz learners to walk properly by focussing on being able to swing and make solid note choices. As the course was for electric bass, I've found that it is that bit harder to naturally swing - double bass has a depth of tone that lends itself to a walking line very well. A lot of electric "jazz" and "fusion" bass players over-egg a walking line and break things up too much without retaining the swing. I don't play double bass but even after 25 years I still aim for the tone that players like Paul Chambers, Scott LaFaro, Ron Carter, Ray Brown and NHOP on electric. In my experience, once someone has the basics down pat and a solid time feel they can mix things up a little. This "simple" approach applies outside of jazz too - I've played a lot of cuban and south american music and most bands and players want the solid tumbao and percussive feel with very little variation.