Chapter 01-1 CHORDAL BASS LINES Playing the primary notes of a hord (root, third, fifth, seventh) is a great ay to begin learning ho to onstrut alking bass lines Even the most modern bassists outline triads and seventh hords in their alking lines Chordal bass lines provide the foundation for harmony, hih, besides time feel, is one of the fundamental funtions of a bassist This is a basi blues progression in F: b b D 7 b D 7 TRIADS Begin by playing triads in root position: b b D 7 # b D 7 # 11 hapter 1
Chordal Bass Lines MOTION DOWN A FIFTH When hord roots resolve don a perfet fifth (or up a perfet fourth), the V to I motion in the bass is very strong Here is an example of a bass line using seventh hords and motion don a fifth on beat 4: b b b b b b b b b D 7 # b D 7 VOICE LEADING To avoid hoppy bass lines, and to onstrut lines ith logial motion, it is helpful to vie harmony horizontally rather than vertially For example, instead of thinking of the first to hords this ay, b b b think of them this ay: b b b b b Notie espeially the 7 th to rd motion (E of F7 resolving to D of B 7) Here is a bass line using 7 th to rd motion on hords hih move don a fifth: b b b b b b D 7 # b D 7 # 14 hapter 1
Using Melody in Bass Lines NON-CHORD TONES ON BEAT THREE With the root established on beat one, a strong melody an override the need for a hord tone on beat three Notie in this example that there are a fe melodi ideas that are repeated in various forms, giving the line ohesion: b b n b b b b b D 7 b D 7 (This is heard as F7 for a bar, C7 for a bar) LINES STARTING ON NON-CHORD TONES Note that henever beat 1 is not a hord tone, there is a hord tone on beat b b b b b D 7 b b n b D 7 APPOGIATURAS All of the melodi devies disussed in the previous hapter ill help you in reating logial bass line melodies Another useful devie is the appogiatura, hih for the purposes of this book, is a non-hord tone arrived at by a leap, resolving to a hord tone by hole step or half step It is a general melodi priniple that a leap in one diretion should be balaned by stepise motion in the opposite diretion Appogiaturas an be diatoni or hromati, as in the folloing examples: 22 hapter 1
Chapter 01-4 USING HARMONY IN BASS LINES The basi blues progression used so far is only a harmoni frameork There are numerous possible hord substitutions that any bassist should kno The folloing examples sho some of the ommon methods of hord substitution, and some ommon hanges used on a blues It is obviously important that your bass line outlines the ne hords Note that you an impose these hanges on the group you are playing in (hih may or may not be a good thing), or you may have to reat to someone else s hanges ALTERNATE CHANGES Here is a ommon progression that most musiians refer to as Bird Blues The bass line uses a ombination of hordal and salar ideas, ith a fe sequenes thron in b F E ø A 7 b 9 # D 7 ( G 7 ) C 7 b B b 7 E b7 b b A 7 D 7 # A b 7 b D b7 b b b D 7 # This is a hord progression that may be used on a slo blues: b n b C 7 b b B o 7 n b A 7 A b 7 b b b n b /A B o 7 n sus b 27 hapter 1
Using Rhythm in Bass Lines Rhythm an bring a alking bass line to life! It an also destroy the momentum, so use disretion Chek out Paul Chamber s bass line on Straight No Chaser ith Miles Davis Not only is it a great bass line on its on, but it fits beautifully ith hat Miles is playing F b 7 b J b b b J J A 7 D 7 # b J n D 7 # DROPS Drops an happen on any beat, and they reate a sense of motion toards the loest note b b C 7 b b n b PULL-OFFS Play the first note of to slurred notes ith both hands, then pull the left hand off the string, hih sounds the seond note b b b b C 7 SKIP BEATS The left hand mutes the string hile the right hand plays the note This reates the sound of a ghost note, or skip beat b b b b 2 hapter 1
Minor Blues Most minor blues use the same telve bar form as maor blues The harmoni motion is similar to maor blues, but applied to minor keys It starts in the toni area for 4 bars, moves to the IV hord (subdominant area) in the fifth bar, bak to the toni in bar seven, and there is a turnaround in the ninth and tenth bars (dominant area), resolving bak to the toni TONIC AREA In minor keys, the toni an be a minor triad, 6, 7, or a hord, ith extensions above The basi triad is the same in eah, but the bass line needs to hange depending on the 7 th (6 th ) Toni 6 hord Plaing a G ( 5) passing tone in the sale puts hord tones on the beat b b b C 6 n t t t # n t n Toni 7 hord Plaing a B natural (natural 7) passing tone in the sale puts hord tones on the beat b b b C 7 t t t t n n b b b Toni 7 hord C n The same sale and passing tone used on a 6 an be used on the 7 beause of the interhangeability of the 6 th and 7 th Or, simply use a melodi minor sale as belo: t t t n t n Rather than using these sales in their entirety, the best idea is to use segments of them in your alking lines The main priniple is that they line up hord tones on beats 1 and If your bass line is hordal, it should, as alays, reflet the hord of the moment Here is an example of a alking line over the first four bars of a C minor blues Bars one and to use a salar line ith stepise onnetion on beat four Bars three and four use the bop sale for a 6 hord: b b b C n C n n b 50 hapter 2
II V I Progression II V I PATTERNS - MINOR up-don-up A ø b b pt* D 7 b 9 G 6 don-up-don b b A ø D 7 b 9 # G 6 # n b up-up-don A ø b b D 7 b 9 # G 6 # n b don-don-up b b A ø D 7 b 9 G 6 up-up-up b b A ø D 7 b 9 # G 6 don-don-don b b A ø D 7 b 9 G 6 # n b * This passing tone ould also be B natural, hih ill give the bass line a more modern sound Note though, that B natural is the maor third in the key of G minor B sets up the sound of the key better than B natural 56 hapter
Rhythm Changes Having more than one hord per bar presents a ne hallenge in a alking bass line In rhythm hanges, there are only to beats by hih to define a hord Obviously the bass line an t define a seventh hord in to beats, so it is important to play primary hord tones (root, third, or fifth) Sine rhythm hanges are strongly built around one tonality, though, there is a lot of room for variation in your bass lines Here is an example of a hordal approah to rhythm hanges The entire bass line is made up of hord tones: b b B b G 7 n C 7 B b G 7 C 7 b b B b E b E o 7 n B b /F G 7 n C 7 Here is an example of a bass line using salar ideas: b b B b G 7 b C 7 (implies F7 for full bar) # B b G 7 C 7 b b B b E b E o 7 B b /F G 7 b C 7 Another example using devies disussed earlier: (sequenes) b b B b G 7 n C 7 B b G 7 C 7 b b (neighbor tone) B b b (7- voie leading) E b E o 7 n (hromati approah tones) B b /F G 7 b b C 7 b b The folloing examples disuss eah of these approahes 68 hapter 4
Doug Watkins 1958 1 Chapter 04-2 RHYTHM CHANGES TRANSCRIPTIONS (COMPARISON VIEW) Chek out the different ays that these eight bass players play rhythm hanges, and ompare them measure by measure The basi hanges are above, but note that in eah example there are variations from the basi harmony You an play through eah bass line separately by turning to the play vie on page 82 b b B b G 7 n C 7 n # B b G 7 n C 7 Paul Chambers 1956 b b b n Israel Crosby 1958 b b Ray Bron 1990 b b n n b n Sam Jones 1958 b b J n # b b n Ron Carter 1982 b b # n n b George Duvivier 1957 b b b n n Miroslav Vitous 1981 b b Πb 74 hapter 4
Playing in 2 Example 2 b In most standard song forms, e hear phrases in 2- or 4-bar segments or longer Hearing harmoni rhythm in or 5 bar segments, for eg, is muh less ommon In muh the same ay that harmoni rhythm often aelerates at the end of phrases (toards adene points) in lassial musi, bass lines an help define phrases by aelerating into the next phrase To illustrate this, listen to the folloing examples: b Rhythm aelerates at the end of a 2-bar phrase: b Rhythm aelerates toards bar 5: No ompare the feel of the previous example to this one belo Notie that this seond example does not have as muh forard momentum as the first b Rhythm speeds up at the beginning of a 2- bar phrase: b Here as ell: b Here is a horus of a blues in 2 using aeleration into the beginning of to and four bar phrases: b n b b D 7 # b b D 7 92 hapter 5
Playing in /4 Example 4 This rhythm an ork great in a bass line, but if it is played too muh, it sounds like a rhythmi modulation (2/4) It an destroy the feeling of three, beause of its symmetrial to feeling (although you may ant to do that intentionally) b b 4 B b D 7 # 5 E b G 7 n Example 5 This is similar to the bakards feeling of example 2, ith the stress oming on the and of one b b 4 B b D 7 # 5 E b G 7 n THREE NOTES PER BAR This is alking in /4 It presents an entirely ne hallenge from 4/4 The bass notes on beats 1 and/or 2 need to define the hord, ith beat three onneting smoothly to the next hord Walking an be hordal or salar The next fe examples illustrate different ays of alking in three Chordal Lines This bass line uses triads to define the harmony: b b 4 B b D 7 # 5 # E b G 7 n This bass line uses 7 th s as ell as triads: b b 4 B b D 7 # 5 # E b G 7 n 96 hapter 6
Bass Lines in Ballads Example 5 These Bass Notes Turn Bars To and Four Into Dominant Chords & b b b C G 7 b 1 n C 7 F 1 n b b b PEDALS Using pedals an reate an open sound, beause there is less movement in the bass Any maor or minor II-V an be altered by using a dominant bass pedal (it is alled a dominant pedal beause the bass note takes plae on the fifth of the key of the moment): This maor II-V: beomes: & b b b sus b b b & This minor II-V: b b b b F ø 9 b 9 b 1 b beomes: B b sus b 9 b 9 b 1 b b b b b Notie that there is only one note that hanges (the 7 of the II hord resolving to the of the V hord) It is beause the II and V hords are so similar that the pedal orks This pedal ill not ork if the II hord is a dominant seventh hord 105 hapter 7
Chords and Harmonis on Bass Using a third/seventh voie leading line ith the root is a good ay to reate logial movement hen using hords on bass Starting On the Third: b b b E b A b7 b n A ø D 7 b 9 # n E b b b b n This example starts ith the root and seventh and uses the same third/seventh voie leading as the first example Starting On the Seventh: b b b E b A b7 A ø D 7 b 9 n E b b b b Œ sus n Here are to examples using fifth/ninth voie leading in the upper voie and roots in the bass It has a different quality than using sevenths and thirds Combining fifth/ninth and seventh/third ideas ill give you the most options Starting On the Fifth: b E ø A 7 b 9 # 9 D 7 D b7 #5 C 7 B 7 # 5 O O J b n B b Œ E b7 b A ø D 7 b 9 # 9 b 112 hapter 7
Bass Lines in Modal Harmony Using this sale, you an start a bass line on any hord tone and play up or don, alays plaing hord tones on beats one and three: D 7 b # # b # The sound of D 7 ill be the strongest if the bass plays the root D on beat 1 It is not neessary to play the root on beat 1 of every bar, but playing it every seond bar, or at least every fourth bar ill maintain the sound of D minor Chromati passing tones an be used beteen other degrees of the sale, but they on t line up hord tones on the strong beats in the same ay That doesn t mean that they don t sound great! Paul Chambers plays the passing tone beteen the sixth and fifth a lot in his bass line: D 7 b These passing tones an ork as ell: D 7 b Πb ΠUsing more than one passing tone opens up even more possibilities: D 7 # # b b 117 hapter 8
Chapter 08-2 INTERVALLIC BASS LINES SCALES IN VARIOUS INTERVALS Using sales intervallially, as opposed to stepise, an open up a orld of ne possibilities for your bass lines Pratie playing sales in thirds, fourths, fifths, sixths, sevenths, otaves, ninths, et Here are four ays you an pratie them: D Dorian in Thirds: D Dorian in Fourths: 120 hapter 8
Changes and More Changes Belo are some more ideas for handling Giant Steps A hromati bass line orks over the progression: B D 7 b b G b E b b G B b b E b F # b # n B REHARMONIZATION: By using alternate hords, you an ome up ith different bass lines hih ill ork over the original hanges In this first example, all of the dominant hords are replaed ith the related II 7 hord Even if the rest of the group is playing the dominant hords, the bass line ill still ork: B A 7 G b E b b b A 7 G b E b C # 7 b b # # B et E b A 7 G C # 7 B E b C # 7 124 hapter 9
Slash Chords and Bass Lines V/I Depending on ontext, this ould sound like F 9, or possibly F 9 If it has been preeeded by F minor tonality, it may be pereived as F 9, but in most ases treat it the same ay as you ould an F 9 C/F VI/I This is again a triad in inversion, although if it resolves don a fifth or half-step, it may be funtioning as a F7alt hord This is beause it ontains the alterations 5 and 9 If it is funtioning that ay, the bass line should stress the root,, 5 and 7, even D b /F b b though they are not all tehnially present in the hord VI/I Piano players and guitar players often voie hords ith a triad over a shell voiing (root, third, seventh) A VI maor triad over I is usually used as a dominant hord voiing in this ase F1( 9) The bass line should therefore sound like it is outlining the D/F # F1( 9) Typially, an F Half/Whole Diminished sale ould be the sale of hoie for this hord A problem arises ith plaing hord tones on strong beats, hoever Look at the example belo: 1 b b b n # 4 ( b 5 ) 6 b 16 hapter 10
Over-the-Barline Rhythms Pratie eah one of these separately at first Then use this page as a template along ith a reording (Straight No Chaser,from Miles Davis Milestones album, for example), playing one or to horuses of eah variation Applying these to a blues is a good plae to start All the three-over-four rhythms repeat every three bars, so that they ork out over a telve bar form Note that the five-over-four rhythms repeat every five bars Example 1 6 Quarter Notes Over 4 Example 2 Synopated Whole Notes Example Synopated Half Notes ΠExample 4 Half Note Triplets Over 4 Example 5 Quarter Notes Over 4 Example 6 Quarter Notes Over 4 With Added Note Example 7 Example 6 Reversed 148 hapter 12
Chapter 1-1 BASS LINES IN LATIN MUSIC This is a very broad ategory, and to disuss it in detail ould easily take several volumes The influene of Afro-Cuban, Brazilian, and other Latin Amerian musi is ide ranging in azz Jazz musiians have been influened by this great musi, and Latin Amerian musiians ho play azz bring elements of their traditions into the musi Tunes from omposers suh as Antonio Carlos Jobim have beome part of the standard azz repertoire The bass line is an integral part of most Latin Amerian styles, suh as Cha-ha-ha, Bolero, Mambo, Son Montuno, Salsa, Samba, Bossa Nova, and many others As a azz bassist, the study of these styles an greatly enrih your bass lines Listen to as muh Latin Amerian musi as possible! For a muh more omprehensive look at bass lines in these idioms, the folloing books are invaluable: Brazilian Musi Workshop, by Antonio Adolfo (Advane Musi), The Latin Bass Book, by Osar Stagnaro & Chuk Sher (Sher Musi), and The True Cuban Bass, by Carlos Del Puerto and Silvio Vergara (Sher Musi) Here are a fe ideas to get you started Remember that the feel is based on straight eighths (even eighth notes), not sung eighths (triplet feel) THE BASS TUMBAO For playing afro-uban styles, this is the essential bass pattern It gets its name from the tumbadora drums (ongas) The simplest tumbao pattern is this: J J The synopated version of this (the most ommon pattern no used) ties beat four to beat one, so that the bass does not play on beat one: J J Here is an example of the bass tumbao applied to a azz hord progression Notie that the harmony is alays antiipated: b F J E ø A 7 b 9 D 7 G 7 J C 7 151 hapter 1
Bass Lines in Latin Musi One hord per bar, using root and fifth (thirds an be used as ell): b F D 7 J Here are some possible variations on the bass tumbao pattern for you to pratie More liberties an be taken hen playing latin azz than playing traditional styles, so make a point of listening to reordings or live performanes of both styles b F D7 J F D7 J b F D7 J F D7 J J b F D7 F D7 ΠΠBrazilian musi has been heavily influential on azz, espeially sine the 1960s Familiarity ith Bossa Nova and Samba is a requirement for any azz bassist today Here are some samba patterns to get you started: > > ΠΠΠΠ152 hapter 1
Putting It Into Pratie 4) OUTLINE THE TRIADS Play the triads (in or out of time) in root position and all inversions: A) Root Position Πb b B) First Inversion Πb b C) Seond Inversion Πb b 5) OUTLINE THE SEVENTH CHORDS Play the seventh hords (in or out of time) in root position and all inversions: A) Root Position b b b b B) First Inversion b b b b 159 hapter 14
Putting It Into Pratie B) Appogiaturas b b # A 7 C) Neighbor Tones b A 7 9) COMBINE 6), 7) AND 8) Combine 6), 7) and 8) to reate alking lines (try to at a time, et): b b # A 7 # hordal salar (pt) appog at nt 10) CREATE LINES USING SEQUENCES OR MOTIVES Invent your on phrases using these melodi devies: A) Sequenes b b A 7 # B) Motive (Half-Step Motive) b b n # A 7 b b 161 hapter 14
Putting It Into Pratie 11) MANIPULATE THE HARMONY A) Tritone Substitution (Dominant Chords) b b E b7 b b B) Added or Subtrated II 7 b b E 7 A 7 # C) Seondary Dominants b b b b A 7 # D) Pedals J /B b b b J A 7 J b 12) USE DIFFERENT RHYTHMS AND RHYTHMIC DEVICES A) Various pull off ghost note J b b n synopation/antiipation skip beat A 7 # drop 162 hapter 14