Walking Bass (Tip # 82)
– by Carol Kaye
To get going on your jazz walking on bass, remember to practice the Chordal Scale notes going across the board (up) and back down, to get used to the chordal scale notes.
Then use R235 for the major chords, R2b35 for the minor chords, or you can also use just the notes of the chords: R53R major, R5b3R minor.
If you have two bars of some chord, remember, you can always drop down to the lower 3rd and walk it up to the 5th etc. like: R low 3 4 #4 5 #5 6 7 to the R of the same chord if you’re still there.
If you change chords on the 3rd bar, then you’d play this same pattern: R low 3 4 #4 5 5 R 5 (actually any scale pattern here would be quite stale, altho’ you can play sometimes, a scale going down from the Root for a short distance, like R(8) 7 6 b6 5 3 R 5 something like that. It’s wise to get your chordal notes together so that you can hook onto ANY chordal note (not necessarily the Root of the chord, that’s always pretty corny if you’re closer to another chordal note instead), and remember that 2nd sometimes too.
Also, drop in an anticipated note sometimes on the 4-and. Be sure to listen to people like Ray Brown (only listen to the BEST for walking), and listen a LOT to the Standards I tape of mine too, which gets your ear used to hearing good walking note choices, and has the good jazz guitar feel on it you need for a good background to play to.
I’m getting done this week with the Jazz Improv book you will want to get a little later (or some of you are maybe ready for it now). Shows the right steps in getting your melodic chordal note improv together using all the finest of jazz phrases. You will need to get the “Pro’s Jazz Phrases” booklet tho’, for all the vocabulary phrases you will need — this book helps with getting your walking together too.
– Carol Kaye (February 18, 1999 )
These playing tips quoted from Carol Kaye’s website with permission. Visit her website for many more invaluable gems in the “Education’ section at http://www.carolkaye.com.
A veteran of over 10,000 recording sessions, Carol Kaye has written extensively on bass guitar technique. Contact Info: http://www.carolkaye.com
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