Basic jazz bass lines pdf

Below is the bass tablature for the basic blues in e bass line. A walking bass line is the most common approach to jazz bass playing. This can be a lot to take in at first, so it can be easier to separate the notes on the lines from the notes in the spaces. Get a hold of the fundamentals before tackling this. Walking bass lines always sound cool in any style of music, but are essential to jazz blues and great american songbook jazz standards. Bass tablature for cool riffs for beginners by bass lessons. Looking for a structured way to increase your current skill. In this example, the bass line consists of simple arpeggiations of each chord, giving the overall effect of a simple blues bass line. Jazz improvisation by jerry coker, and repository of easy walking bass lines pdf.

Mike downes the jazz bass lines book chord music melody. In this handout, bert ligon shows many different possibilities for improvising bass lines on a blues in f. It is intended as a supplement to help you find the notes on the neck. The language of jazz or the jazz idiom is in a constant state of flux. Chords, soloing, theory, vocabulary, and more in each book. The bassline construction method explored here uses chord tones, approach notes and basic reharmonization. Here is the basic bass pattern you will play over the e7 chord. Nov 28, 2018 walking bass lines are not just for jazz players.

Walking bass lines for guitar jazz guitar workshop series. The fundamentals of music are pitch and rhythm which are placed in a grid of five lines and four spaces called staff. It is not necessarily the definitive method for sight reading, just a tool to help you get the information you need from this book. The jazz bass lines book free ebook download as pdf file. On this video the backing track has a very full sound and the bass can sound a little overpowered on smaller speakers. As this is a lesson about the baseline, we will be using only basic rootless voicings in our right hand for the following chords. And walking basslines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time walking basslines. A walking bass line is a more creative form of bass playing than the other swing styles because you choose new notes each time you play the same song. Building bass lines 5 it is common practice by jazz bassists to simplify a walking bass line by playing only on beats one and three, usually during the beginning of the tune when the melody is being played. By working jazz guitar licks, you increase your fretboard knowledge and build a strong connection to the jazz tradition at the same time. If you know how to create a walking bass line, you can be more creative in your jazz playing. Jazz bass line construction thelonious monk institute of. The goal of a walking bassline is to outline the chord progression but with an interesting.

Use these lines to get you going the right direction when you start playing a blues. The symbol of the bass clef is derived from the old german way of writing f. Chapter 2 of this thesis begins with a description of jamersons early recording. Jazz standards for jazz guitar pdf sheet music, tabs, chords and soloing with audio examples. He appears on countless recordings on the blue note and prestige record labels. A very basic primer for walking bass lines connecting the dots part 1 david hodge guitar lessons guitar columns by david hodge, guitar lessons for beginners weve mentioned this before, but it certainly bears repeating. And walking bass lines are a continuous sequence of quarter notes, generally played on the beat 4 notes per bar in 44 time. This style heavily utilizes the roots and 5ths of chords. This simplification is known as a twobeat bassline. A bass line is a melody line played in the bass by a lowpitched instrument such as the piano, double bass, electric bass, tuba, etc.

While you may know that its important to practice jazz guitar licks, finding the right lines to work on can be a daunting task. Since the root is the most common target note used in beginning bass lines, a bass line for the following. Easy walking bass lines pdf constructing walking jazz bass lines. The 251 or iivi chord progression is the most common in jazz repertoire. If youre amazingly extra awesome, youll be able to sing the melody and make a bass line at the same time. The main point to consider when constructing walking bass lines is how to create a smooth transition between the last note of the current chord, and the first note of the next. Jan 30, 2019 learning jazz guitar licks is essential for anyone studying the genre.

We explore how to walk that bass in your left hand up basic triad shapes and scale fragments. Ill be covering blues rock and jazz blues in upcoming lessons. Today, pauls lines are classic jazz bass literature. For a complete guide to walking bass lines be sure to check out the full course here. The bass line descends the scale and lands on the root of the next chord. Here, we will provide you with lead sheets, basic chord melodies, chords and single note solos that you can begin applying over some of the most popular standards right away. Jazz standards for jazz guitar pdf sheet music, tabs, chords and soloing with audio examples welcome to our archive of some of the most popular jazz standards for jazz guitar. If you have problems hearing it be sure to use either.

Free stuff national jazz workshop a summer jazz camp. A slightly embellished version of this kind of line would also be typical of a basic boogie woogie type bass line, as in the following example. In this lesson, we will show you a couple of jazz bass lines that will help to open your eyes to the use of chords and chromatics within jazz bass guitar playing. As im sure you have heard before, practice makes perfect. One of the basic requirements for unlocking the groove is being able to understand the relationship that you as a bass player should have with the drummer. The free 3 scale concepts that create killer walking bass lines pdf. This lesson i cover my top 5 most popular riffs for beginning bass guitarists. Everything you need to master your favorite tunes is found in these essential, fun, and engaging study guides.

Here are some tips to aid you in mastering these bass blues licks. The most important thing you can do is learn them, and then practice them the right way. Are you trying to find a way in to playing jazz bass. Chords, voice leading, soloing, licks, basslines, its all. This just means that you can play a couple notes higher on the guitar and those notes are so high pitched they are pretty annoying to listen to anyway. Jazz is one of those few styles that expands and goes past the average intermediate phase. Jazz has changed greatly over the past 70 years and is presently in transition. Welcome to our archive of some of the most popular jazz standards for jazz guitar. Sit back for a minute and think of all the great bass and drum rhythm sections. In this weeks lesson were looking at a very simple walking bass line through the chord changes of the jazz standard autumn leaves. You must work together closely with the drummer at all times. Simple walking bass line for jazz beginners talkingbass. James jamerson from jazz bassist to popular music icon. The bass lines in the section are for you to learn, memorize, and play in a real live playing situation.

Free bass tabs printable, downloadable pdf bass tabs. Its made up of the root, 3rd, 5th and 6th degrees of an e major scale for all of you music theory buffs out there. Our basic method for bass line construction is pretty straightforward. For when you have to learn to play the bass right now. Try to play the phrase on as many sets of strings as possible. With these jazz standard study guides you learn how to master your favorite jazz tunes on guitar. How to create bass lines 5 ostinato or riff bass an ostinato is a repeated rhythmicmelodic.

The difficulty in walking bass on the guitar lies in the combination of playing chords and bass at. Pay attention, burn through this as fast as you can, and you. Play through the progression using only root notes if it is new to you. It doesnt make a big difference if you have 20, 22, or 24 frets on your guitar. Walking bass line theory basics pdf file chris fitzgerald. First off, before we begin, it is important that you take a look at your skillset. This is a a way of playing that i use really a lot in situations where theres no bass player, so mostly duo settings with a guitar player, singer or horn player. The two dots on the right of the bass clef symbol surround the line on which f pitch is written. R 3 5 6 7 walking bass line theory basics chris fitzgerald. Sep 24, 2019 adhere to this basic rule and you can even tackle the approach notes in a similar fashion, creating the effect of walking to the new chord in onefret steps. After browsing our selection of free bass tab pdf, view our video lessons to help you get started learning your favorite songs from start to finish. Misc beginner jazz bass tab a lot of new and old jazz is built on r, 3, 5, 3. Here, we will provide you with lead sheets, basic chord melodies, chords and single note solos that you can begin applying over some of the most popular standards right.

For example, a short pattern that is played on two strings could be played on strings 12, 23, 34, 45. Students in the jazz studies program complete eight semesters of applied study, two semesters of jazz theory, two years of classical theory, two semesters of jazz history, four semesters of jazz workshop, a music business and industry course, as well as other general and core requirements. John patitucci jazz bass lessons online artistworks. Jazz studies handbook the university of central florida. The two dots on the right of the bass clef symbol surround the. The simplest walking bass line formula exactly where to. So you can play them to your friends and feel like a rock star. This just means that you can play a couple notes higher on the guitar and those notes.

A thesis submitted to the graduate council of texas state university in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of master of music with a major in music may 2014 committee members. Jazz guitar makes full use of many theoretical concepts, and also tends to use a lot of the more difficult concepts in music, such as improvisation and proper usage and implementation of the chromatic scale. Bass lines by jim snidero is an exciting and unique way for bassists to learn and practice how to play in a jazz rhythm section and how to accompany a jazz soloist. Each generation of jazz musicians contribute their own unique ideas, feelings, and sound to the music and this is what.

Our collection of tabs, guitar chords, and video lessons is constantly growing, so check back often to find your favorite songs. Therefore would it be a great idea to learn licks over 251 chord progressions. His ability to create seemingly endless streams of energetic, sophisticated lines, then turn on a dime and nail a blues run, made him fun and enjoyable for all jazz fans to listen to. Were going to use basic chord tones and repetitive lines that will act as a springboard in developing your own lines. While walking bass in a band is generally played by the bass guitar or double bass player, being able to play walking bass lines is an essential skill for jazz guitarists when playing without a bass player. In general, we make this transition smooth by limiting the interval between these two notes to either a half step semitone, whole step tone or a perfect5th. This is the most common 12bar blues form aka iivv progression. Here you can find carol kaye jazz improvise for bass book pdf shared files. Bass lines incorporate many basic improvisational concepts and fundamental musical building blocks such as chord tone outlining with chromaticism, bop scales, and use of sequence that are essential tools for improvising in the jazzfusion idioms. Latin or straight8th note bass lines can be embellished by adding an 8th note on the offbeat of beats two and four.

In this handout, bert ligon shares some basic concepts of constructing good jazz bass lines. Basics of bass guitar playing 8 there are usually about 20 something frets on a standard bass guitar. Just like walking with your feet, tyjwalking bass line is one step after the other that takes you somewhere. Here is an example with the chord progression c7 f7. For example, when you do steps 1, 2, or 3 above, you are creating the most basic kinds of ostinato. Learning how to construct walking bass lines is the easiest and fastest way to start really learning your fingerboard. A bassline is a melody line played in the bass by a lowpitched instrument such as the piano, double bass, electric bass, tuba, etc. Adhere to this basic rule and you can even tackle the approach notes in a similar fashion, creating the effect of walking to the new chord in onefret steps. The basic principle for playing latin tunes is the same as playing twobeat bass lines. Chords and walking bass part 1 in this lesson ill demonstrate how i approach playing walking bass lines and chords at the same time. This set features 15 solo etudes based on blues and standard chord progressions, demonstrated by different soloists and a worldclass rhythm section. Take a one or two bar phrase and transpose it to all 12 keys. Riffs are a great way to get started on bass because they are relatively quick to learn quicker than full song and theyre usually quite catchy. Apr 26, 2017 our basic method for bass line construction is pretty straightforward.

On the next few pages is a basic reference guide to reading music. The man was a genius of jazz guitar, one of the most influential musicians of his generation, and someone who changed the face of jazz forever. All of our bass tab pdf is printable and downloadable so you can enjoy it for years to come. So in this lesson, im giving you 25 easy iivi licks. How to write a walking bass line learn jazz standards. Walking bass lines supplement this is a supplement for the lesson on walking bass.

Apr 10, 2009 jazz bass for beginners walking jazz bass lines. Students in the jazz bass course have unlimited access to these video lessons, as well as music theory, backing tracks and study materials. To walk bass lines on the ii v i, all we have to do is learn three different walking patterns. From jazz bassist to popular music icon by joshua andrew zarbo, b.

Walking bass line theory basicspart 1by chris fitzgerald. In this bass guitar lesson im going show you 3 scale concepts that create. The term walking is used lescribe the moving feeling that quarter notes create in the bass part. The collection of material of this book is, in our opinion, the basics to playing bass guitar for some event. These blues bass lines are like having a one chorus lick that you can rely on to always sound good when you play it. The bass line construction method explored here uses chord tones, approach notes and basic reharmonization. The difficulty in walking bass on the guitar lies in the combination of playing chords and bass at the same time. In this handout, bert ligon shows many different possibilities for improvising bass lines on a blues in b flat. As you follow the scales, you will always go up low to high then back down high to low. David ellefson has been a mainstay in the rock and metal communities for over 25 years. This is the first in a short series of lessons devoted to playing bass on a 12 bar blues. Bass lines incorporate many basic improvisational concepts and fundamental musical building blocks such as chord tone outlining with chromaticism, bop scales, and use of sequence that are essential tools for improvising in the jazz fusion idioms.