Walking Basslines
- Okay, so why the walking bassline? Well, perhaps a bass player has tuned in! I know that as a 'guitarist', you 'may not need to know about them', but as a musician, you must know about them. There are times that I want to play along with a bass player. For instance, if I'm playing with another guitarist, and he's playing rhythm-style power chords, then I might choose to play along with the bass. Maybe I'm playing an acoustic and there is no bass, what then? Someone has to play the bass part, unless it's only you, then you have to play both. Playing walking basslines is also excellent finger exercise. Well, I suppose I could go on forever, but it comes down to one thing. If you want to learn and/or practice them, then read on. If not, then wait until next week. Your choice. -
Okay, let's start off with an easy one! It's 12 bar blues in 'E'! I know it's simple, and somewhat slow, but that's exactly what everyone needs! Allow me to explain. Many people try to play fast, cramming as many notes into a measure as possible, but how many ever truly learn self control? If you are ever to master self control, then you must master slow playing.
FIGURE 1 LISTEN TO IT
G||----------------------|----------------------|----------------------|
D||----------------------|--0-------------------|----------------------|
A||------------2----4----|-------4----2---------|------------2----4----|
E||--0----4--------------|-----------------4----|--0----4--------------|
----------------------|----------------------|--0-------------------|
--0-------------------|------------2----4----|-------4----2---------|
-------4----2---------|--0----4--------------|-----------------4----|
-----------------4----|----------------------|----------------------|
----------------------|----------------------|-----------------2----|
----------------------|--0-------------------|-------1----4---------|
------------2----4----|-------4----2---------|--2-------------------|
--0----4--------------|-----------------4----|----------------------|
----------------------|----------------------|----------------------||
------------2----4----|----------------------|--0-------------------||
--0----4--------------|------------2----4----|-------4----2---------||
----------------------|--0----4--------------|-----------------4----||
Let's keep with the same basic set-up and add to it. As you can see below, We've doubled up the first two notes of measures 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 11, and 12. But the most important difference you'll find is the connecting walks at the end of measures 4, 6, and 8. These 3 simple 1/8th notes tie each Major Chord section into the next. Take a listen...
FIGURE 2 LISTEN TO IT
G||-----------------------|-----------------------|-----------------------|
D||-----------------------|-0--0------------------|-----------------------|
A||-------------2----4----|-------4--4--2---------|-------------2----4----|
E||-0--0--4--4------------|------------------4----|-0--0--4--4------------|
-------------------------|-----------------------|-0--0--------------------|
-0--0--------------------|-------------2----4----|-------4--4--2-----------|
-------4--4--2-----------|-0--0--4--4------------|----------------0--------|
----------------0--2--4--|-----------------------|-------------------4--2--|
------------------------|--------------------------|-----------------2----|
------------------------|--0--0--------------------|-------1----4---------|
--------------2----4----|--------4--4--2-----------|--2-------------------|
--0--0--4--4------------|-----------------0--2--4--|----------------------|
----------------------|------------------------|------------------------||
------------2----4----|------------------------|--0--0------------------||
--0----4--------------|--------------2----4----|--------4--4--2---------||
----------------------|--0--0--4--4------------|-------------------4----||
Did you hear it? Take what I've given you so far, and play around with it. Add notes in here and there. Where? What? Revert back to what you know about scales. Explore the neck, don't just stick with one position. You need to move up and down and find some 'new' notes. Guitar players will be able to utilize two more strings, but the concept is still the same.
Let's move onto something rockabilly sounding shall we? Don't let the tablature fool you, it's not 3/4 time. I'll break down the first measure for you. The 'G' is a quarter note followed by an 1/8 note rest. Next, the 'B' is a quarter note also followed by an 1/8 note rest. The measure is ended with a quarter note 'D'. The same principle is followed throughout.
FIGURE 3 LISTEN TO IT
G||---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
D||----------------0----|----------------0----|----------------0----|
A||---------2-----------|---------2-----------|---------2-----------|
E||--3------------------|--3------------------|--3------------------|
---------------------|---------------------|---------------------|
----------------0----|---------------------|---------------------|
---------2-----------|---------0------3----|---------0------3----|
--3------------------|--1------------------|--1------------------|
---------------------|-------------------||
----------------0----|-------------------||
---------2-----------|-------------------||
--3------------------|--3----------------||
Tying into the example before, next you'll see what can make the
run different than someone else's. The difference is a little 1/8th note
run at the end of measures 1, 2, 5, and 7. I've added a 1/16th note run at
the end of measures 3 and 6, and once again there's a little walk in measure
4. After you practice the example, take a few minutes and experiment with
it and see what you can add to it.
FIGURE 4 LISTEN TO IT
G||-----------------------|-----------------------|-------------------------|
D||--------------0--2--0--|--------------0--2--0--|--------------0-2-0------|
A||---------2-------------|---------2-------------|---------2----------2-0--|
E||--3--------------------|--3--------------------|--3----------------------|
----------------------|-----------------------|--------------------------|
----------------------|-----------------------|------------------3-5-----|
-------0----1----2----|---------0----3--5--3--|---------0----3-5-----5-3-|
--3-------------------|--1--------------------|--1-----------------------|
-----------------------|-------------------||
--------------0--2--0--|-------------------||
---------2-------------|-------------------||
--3--------------------|--3----------------||
In seeing and hearing all examples, could you tell what a difference it makes when you tie in your major note sections? For the last example of the week, I'll show you a country feeling walk in 'Gmaj'.
FIGURE 5 LISTEN TO IT
G||----------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
D||----------------------|------------------------|------------------------|
A||-------5---------5----|-------5----------0--2--|--3---------3--3--2--0--|
E||--3---------3---------|--3---------3--3--------|-------3----------------|
------------------------|-------------------||
------------------------|-------------------||
-------5----------------|--3----------------||
--3---------3--3--4--3--|-------------------||
Suggestions or comments? Tips that I should know about, send them to me. Send this lesson to friend.