Jazz Fake Books

[How1]

Are jazz fake books suitable for making your own walking bass lines? I want to try some improvised bass lines rather than just learning them note for note. I've been looking at the Real Book(s). Is this what I want? I'm not completely new to walking bass lines, but am by no means very good at them. Can anyone recommend a good book? I seem to remeber there was an Ed Friedland one from years back that is meant to be good..?

Edited June 23, 2023 by How1

[paul_5]

I can heartily recommend the iReal app for learning standards and walking, though it’s Mac only.

[Paolo85]

For what I understand, all you get with fake books is the melody of the intro of a jazz standard, and a chord sequence. The RealBook I had once was like that.

So if that is something that, at your level, helps, then go for it. I imagine nowdays some may have audio files as well.

 

They are not something that teach you how to walk per se. But if you know how to already at least to a certain level they help with practice.

 

Ed Friedland's book instead is a manual. It teaches how to walk, from zero to walking. I tried, it did not work for me. Too succint.

 

I am painfully slowly going through TalkinBass' course on walking which I think is great. It's a bit frustrating because, unlike Friedland, TalkingBass goes: "here is this little bit of new information now do in all keys and all over the fretboard and btw do learn your fretboard". That makes it slow but I don't get lost as much as with faster paced approaches

[How1]

1 minute ago, Paolo85 said:

For what I understand, all you get with fake books is the melody of the intro of a jazz standard, and a chord sequence. The RealBook I had once was like that.

So if that is something that, at your level, helps, then go for it. I imagine nowdays some may have audio files as well.

 

They are not something that teach you how to walk per se. But if you know how to already at least to a certain level they help with practice.

 

Ed Friedland's book instead is a manual. It teaches how to walk, from zero to walking. I tried, it did not work for me.

That's pretty much what I'm after, just a chord sheet to work from so it sounds like that might do the trick. I think the Ed Friedland book might be too basic after reading up Amazon.

[How1]

7 hours ago, paul_5 said:

I can heartily recommend the iReal app for learning standards and walking, though it’s Mac only.

Thanks, I've an app for the same thing after your suggestion, although it's probably not gonna be nearly as good, but it has the chord sheets.

Edited June 23, 2023 by How1