thanks a lot Mr fitzgerald. I love walking bass. your examples and explanation are so clear and smart. This series is a marvellous gift. you deserve the best for your work and your life.
Thank you so much for your fantastic bass lessons. I’ve played bass guitar for many years and never heard such clear and concise musical explanations. I taught myself walking bass and thought I was doing quite well, but after watching your RUclips’s you’ve provided me with a whole new universe of ideas. Thank you again, wonderful work.
THE FIRST video on RUclips where you have explained PROPERLY what was played. Yes of course, you can play by ear but why not know what you are playing?? Well done - Thx
Chris. I have always been curious as to how great walking lines were constructed. thanks to you i am finally getting some insight on the subject. thanks a million. i am looking forward to your next video of lines over one chord type. i honestly can't wait. thanks alot Chris.
Many thanks! It''s great to see in depth analysis of real world bass lines beyond simple beginners concepts. Thanks also for including the in context performances (great soloing near the end). This series is turning into one of the most important resources for walking bass available. Many thanks for sharing it for free. Please keep the episodes coming! Are the pdfs with the analysis available to download?
You're very welcome! The contextual examples were a great idea submitted by viewers, and will be an ongoing feature from here forward. The PDFs will be available as soon as my website redesign is finished, which will hopefully be in the next month or so. Thanks for weighing in on the videos.
Grace: if you haven't seen all of the videos on the channel, just click on my name and the entire channel and playlist and channel should show up. Thanks for checking in.
IDK man I think the first two Fmaj lines are perfection ! I always hear, whether from my teacher ( he plays for a big Rock a Billy turned jazz-bo touring Big Band dude) or Milt Hinton, or Percy Heath's Brother , that the Horns, The Band Leader etc don't want to hear some dude zipping around the outside like Ornette/Hindemith's Love Chile' , they want the Changes outlined solidly with a snappy 'Swing -rhythm' I'd love to hear your excellent examples a wee slower, (110 ish?) so i could absorb transcriptions better.. i think you can be melodic and tastefully push the envelope when need & check all the boxes with out resorting to 1-5 lines OR the root on the 1st or 3rd beat of the bar every time! thanks for a great Vid !
Completely understand and agree, but everything is about context. The later line was more along the lines of the kind of line Charlie Haden would play sometimes when a soloist was stretching the boundaries. It would sound great in the right context, and not so great in the wrong context. And of course that last line can only happen when all of the basics are solidly under the belt.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with this beginning bass player. I would love to see the first seven lessons as well as more lessons as I become more skilled. Could you let me know how I can access them? I have basically been self taught so struggling with a ton of things - there are very few resources on our little island in the middle of the ocean. You are very generous.
Hello Chris. I can not say how much I appreciate these videos, so thank you for all the effort you put in. When playing these lines on your electric bass, are you trying to use open strings as often as possible or do you have any set of rules about when to use them to get certain type of sound or feel? I feel like playing higher up the neck gives me rounder sound which resembles upright bass a bit, but it is much more difficult to execute. Thanks!
I don't really play electric bass much any more, but when I did I would usually vary the technique to match the sound desired for the style. When playing jazz on an electric bass, I would often bring my right hand closer to the neck to get a warmer sound, and avoid using open strings if they sounded too bright and made them stick out in the line. In the left hand, I probably didn't play as many open strings because it was a lot easier to simply play in higher positions since intonation wasn't an issue on a greeted instrument.
Thanks! Yes, I played the bass line first, then overdubbed the piano on top.The transcribed bass lines from this video are available for free here: www.chrisfitzgeraldmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Walking-Bass-Line-Examples-and-Analysis-PDF-File.pdf The piano has not been transcribed.
Hi Chris. Thanks for shedding some light on the construction of walking bass lines. It's always been a mystery for this rock and roller. One thing I don't understand.....I'm trying to construct diatonic approach notes for the first eight bars of confirmation. It would seem that the chords in the progression all fall into the F major scale but some of the chord tones (the major thirds) in the dominate 7 chords don't jive with a F major scale. So, how do you reconcile diatonic approach notes around a key such as F major with chord tones that aren't in that key? Maybe I'm making it to complicated when there are other options.Thanks!
You'll hear a lot of different explanations for this. For me, the whole A section is in F major with some secondary function chords thrown in. Instead of thinking of a bunch of chord scales, I just think of F major and then consider whatever notes in the chords that are different from F major (i.e. C# in the A7, F# in the D7, B natural in the G7, etc.) as being diatonic for the duration of that chord. There are more complicated formulas for dealing with this, but for the purposes of bass line construction that's a good basic starting point. Does that make sense?
***** Hi Chris, that's a pretty huge subject, and one that will probably be the subject of another video similar to this one. But in a nutshell, I consider harmony to be "static" if it is more or less moving but without a clear harmonic goal that is different than where it came from. In the case of rhythm changes, the first four bars are static because they are just a big turnaround that begins and ends on Bb. When the harmony of a section isn't really doing much of anything (I think of it as "treading water"), that makes that section a good candidate for potential simplification, reharmonization, or superimposition; the key is to get back "inside" by the time the harmony starts actually doing something goal oriented again. Hope this helps! C
+burricanecarter In one of the analyses I wrote non chord tones in parentheses, and in some special cases a note functions simultaneously as both a chord tone or altered chord tone and a chromatic approach note, so I put these in parentheses as well to show that they could be explained either way. Good eye!
+Chris Fitzgerald Wow, that was super fast! Thanks a lot. Again, your lessons are simply amazing and offer so much value even as I'm replaying them. Another thing that I don't understand is the determination of target notes in your second approach. I struggle to understand the placement of the target notes in bars 24 and 25. Did you predetermine your target notes when you were constructing the bass line and than organise the rest of the notes so they lead to your target notes or is this the way you wanted the resolution to sound? Am I completely wrong here? Determining the target notes in the first chorus was very easy, but I wouldn't be able to locate them in the second chorus on my own if didn't have your analysis written down. Thanks
+burricanecarter Are you talking about the 2nd chorus of Confirmation or Rhythm changes? Either way, the examples are set up so that the first chorus is very traditional and "inside" with roots on downbeats and the second chorus is a more open and advanced example where the changes are more implied than stated in a directly obvious way. Once a player has mastered the craft of building lines that are completely clear (as in a Vermeer painting, to make an analogy to visual art), they may decide to abstract their lines a bit in later choruses (like Monet or Degas, or even Picasso and Magritte). These lines imply the changes more than they state them as fact, which in some styles of playing is more in line with the nature of the music. This kind of line, like the first kind, is a special art unto itself, but rests on the ability of the player to be able to control the resolutions of a traditional line. As Hal Galper once famously said in a master class when asked about his outside playing, "your outside **** is only as good as your inside ****". :)
+Kasidy Boldizar Right here on my site: 2014.chrisfitzgeraldmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Walking-Bass-Line-Examples-and-Analysis-PDF-File.pdf Enjoy!
thanks a lot Mr fitzgerald. I love walking bass. your examples and explanation are so clear and smart. This series is a marvellous gift. you deserve the best for your work and your life.
Thank you!
Thank you so much for your fantastic bass lessons. I’ve played bass guitar for many years and never heard such clear and concise musical explanations. I taught myself walking bass and thought I was doing quite well, but after watching your RUclips’s you’ve provided me with a whole new universe of ideas. Thank you again, wonderful work.
Thanks for watching and for the positive feedback!
Thank you so much for preparing these lessons.It's very generous of you. Expertly done. I have such a long way to go.
well, did you get there?
THE FIRST video on RUclips where you have explained PROPERLY what was played. Yes of course, you can play by ear but why not know what you are playing?? Well done - Thx
Chris. I have always been curious as to how great walking lines were constructed. thanks to you i am finally getting some insight on the subject. thanks a million. i am looking forward to your next video of lines over one chord type. i honestly can't wait. thanks alot Chris.
Thank you for this excelent work, video and pdf, very pedagogic, really good. Best regards.
Thank you!
absolutely great!!
thanks sooo much for sharing this!
Excellent Tutorial
Thank you Thank you
Many thanks!
It''s great to see in depth analysis of real world bass lines beyond simple beginners concepts.
Thanks also for including the in context performances (great soloing near the end).
This series is turning into one of the most important resources for walking bass available. Many thanks for sharing it for free. Please keep the episodes coming!
Are the pdfs with the analysis available to download?
You're very welcome! The contextual examples were a great idea submitted by viewers, and will be an ongoing feature from here forward. The PDFs will be available as soon as my website redesign is finished, which will hopefully be in the next month or so. Thanks for weighing in on the videos.
Grace: if you haven't seen all of the videos on the channel, just click on my name and the entire channel and playlist and channel should show up. Thanks for checking in.
IDK man I think the first two Fmaj lines are perfection ! I always hear, whether from my teacher ( he plays for a big Rock a Billy turned jazz-bo touring Big Band dude) or Milt Hinton, or Percy Heath's Brother , that the Horns, The Band Leader etc don't want to hear some dude zipping around the outside like Ornette/Hindemith's Love Chile' , they want the Changes outlined solidly with a snappy 'Swing -rhythm' I'd love to hear your excellent examples a wee slower, (110 ish?) so i could absorb transcriptions better.. i think you can be melodic and tastefully push the envelope when need & check all the boxes with out resorting to 1-5 lines OR the root on the 1st or 3rd beat of the bar every time! thanks for a great Vid !
Completely understand and agree, but everything is about context. The later line was more along the lines of the kind of line Charlie Haden would play sometimes when a soloist was stretching the boundaries. It would sound great in the right context, and not so great in the wrong context. And of course that last line can only happen when all of the basics are solidly under the belt.
Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with this beginning bass player. I would love to see the first seven lessons as well as more lessons as I become more skilled. Could you let me know how I can access them? I have basically been self taught so struggling with a ton of things - there are very few resources on our little island in the middle of the ocean. You are very generous.
Thanks, will do.
Hello Chris. I can not say how much I appreciate these videos, so thank you for all the effort you put in.
When playing these lines on your electric bass, are you trying to use open strings as often as possible or do you have any set of rules about when to use them to get certain type of sound or feel?
I feel like playing higher up the neck gives me rounder sound which resembles upright bass a bit, but it is much more difficult to execute.
Thanks!
I don't really play electric bass much any more, but when I did I would usually vary the technique to match the sound desired for the style. When playing jazz on an electric bass, I would often bring my right hand closer to the neck to get a warmer sound, and avoid using open strings if they sounded too bright and made them stick out in the line. In the left hand, I probably didn't play as many open strings because it was a lot easier to simply play in higher positions since intonation wasn't an issue on a greeted instrument.
Chris Fitzgerald Thanks for your answer!
Did you make the opening recording of I Got Rhythm? It sounds absolutely insane. I have to do some transcribing. The harmony!!!
Thanks! Yes, I played the bass line first, then overdubbed the piano on top.The transcribed bass lines from this video are available for free here: www.chrisfitzgeraldmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Walking-Bass-Line-Examples-and-Analysis-PDF-File.pdf The piano has not been transcribed.
Hi Chris. Thanks for shedding some light on the construction of walking bass lines. It's always been a mystery for this rock and roller. One thing I don't understand.....I'm trying to construct diatonic approach notes for the first eight bars of confirmation. It would seem that the chords in the progression all fall into the F major scale but some of the chord tones (the major thirds) in the dominate 7 chords don't jive with a F major scale. So, how do you reconcile diatonic approach notes around a key such as F major with chord tones that aren't in that key? Maybe I'm making it to complicated when there are other options.Thanks!
You'll hear a lot of different explanations for this. For me, the whole A section is in F major with some secondary function chords thrown in. Instead of thinking of a bunch of chord scales, I just think of F major and then consider whatever notes in the chords that are different from F major (i.e. C# in the A7, F# in the D7, B natural in the G7, etc.) as being diatonic for the duration of that chord. There are more complicated formulas for dealing with this, but for the purposes of bass line construction that's a good basic starting point. Does that make sense?
Chris Fitzgerald
Yes sir. Thanks for response!
Chris,
Can you tell me more about static harmony? I've thought about using it on rhythm changes before but also when is it appropriate to use it?
***** Hi Chris,
that's a pretty huge subject, and one that will probably be the subject of another video similar to this one. But in a nutshell, I consider harmony to be "static" if it is more or less moving but without a clear harmonic goal that is different than where it came from. In the case of rhythm changes, the first four bars are static because they are just a big turnaround that begins and ends on Bb. When the harmony of a section isn't really doing much of anything (I think of it as "treading water"), that makes that section a good candidate for potential simplification, reharmonization, or superimposition; the key is to get back "inside" by the time the harmony starts actually doing something goal oriented again.
Hope this helps!
C
Hey Chris,
returning to your analysis, I wanted to ask you, why certain notes are written in parenthesis. Thanks
+burricanecarter In one of the analyses I wrote non chord tones in parentheses, and in some special cases a note functions simultaneously as both a chord tone or altered chord tone and a chromatic approach note, so I put these in parentheses as well to show that they could be explained either way. Good eye!
+Chris Fitzgerald Wow, that was super fast! Thanks a lot. Again, your lessons are simply amazing and offer so much value even as I'm replaying them.
Another thing that I don't understand is the determination of target notes in your second approach. I struggle to understand the placement of the target notes in bars 24 and 25. Did you predetermine your target notes when you were constructing the bass line and than organise the rest of the notes so they lead to your target notes or is this the way you wanted the resolution to sound? Am I completely wrong here?
Determining the target notes in the first chorus was very easy, but I wouldn't be able to locate them in the second chorus on my own if didn't have your analysis written down. Thanks
+burricanecarter Are you talking about the 2nd chorus of Confirmation or Rhythm changes? Either way, the examples are set up so that the first chorus is very traditional and "inside" with roots on downbeats and the second chorus is a more open and advanced example where the changes are more implied than stated in a directly obvious way. Once a player has mastered the craft of building lines that are completely clear (as in a Vermeer painting, to make an analogy to visual art), they may decide to abstract their lines a bit in later choruses (like Monet or Degas, or even Picasso and Magritte). These lines imply the changes more than they state them as fact, which in some styles of playing is more in line with the nature of the music.
This kind of line, like the first kind, is a special art unto itself, but rests on the ability of the player to be able to control the resolutions of a traditional line. As Hal Galper once famously said in a master class when asked about his outside playing, "your outside **** is only as good as your inside ****". :)
+Chris Fitzgerald Great answer, thanks for making that clear(er) :)
where can I find sheet music for the first walking line? Thanks!
+Kasidy Boldizar Right here on my site: 2014.chrisfitzgeraldmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/Walking-Bass-Line-Examples-and-Analysis-PDF-File.pdf
Enjoy!
Thanks a million!