séance sel HE JAZZ BASS LINE BOOKadvance msi HE JAZZ BASS LINE BOOKTABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Glossary Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 chapter Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Ouapter7 Chapter 8 Ghpter9 Cuptert0 Gipter peer 12 Caper 3 chapters ‘Appendix [About the Author CChordal Bass Lines Scalar Bass Lines Using Melody in Bass Lines Using Harmony in Bass Lines Using Rhythm in Bass Lines Blues ‘ranscriptions (Comparison View) _Blues Transcriptions (Play View) Minor Blues Vt Progression Israel Crosby Bass Lines Rhythm Changes ‘Rhythm Changes Transcriptions (Comparison View) Playing in 3/4 Bass Lines in Ballads ‘Chords and Harmonics on Bass ‘Bass Lines in Modal Harmony Intervallic Bass Lines Changes and More Changes (Giant Steps) Slash Chords and Bass Lines Playing With a Broken Feel ‘Over the Bartine Rhythms Bass Lines in Latin Music Putting It Into Practice Time Feel Essential Jazz Standards Listening List ‘Transcription Reference " 6 a 34 “9 55 ry o % 2 ” 9s 103 m 1s 20 23 a 139 ur 1st 187 16 169 m m wsINTRODUCTION Jazz bass lines are a mystery to many musicians. The bassist is expected to play a series of logical and functional notes which outline the harmony, to make the time feel as good as possible, to listen and react to rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic ideas, all while fully supporting the rest of the group! For most aspiring jazz bassists, that is too much information to deal with at one time. Just finding the right notes alone can drain all of one’s mental resources. Even experienced players may find themselves wanting to play more interesting lines. This book is intended to help you create functional, supportive, and ultimately beau- tiful bass lines. It covers many of the styles that you will encounter in actual perform ance, so you can become fluent in the language before “conversing” on the bandstand, ‘The first chapter deals with many of the fundamental concepts of constructing walk ing bass lines, applied to an F blues. There are a number of reasons for using the blues exclusively in the first chapter. One is that the blues is a hugely important, but rela- tively simple form in jazz, which makes it an ideal place to start, Another reason fs that it enables you to see and hear the effect of each new idea, comparing it to previous examples on the same form. Subsequent chapters deal with standard jazz progressions, playing in *2", 3/4 time, ballad playing, and many other styles that you need to be familiar with as a jazz bassist ‘The only way this, or any, book will make you a better bass player is through your own application of the concepts. There is a wide chasm between “knowing” something the coreticaly and being able to play it without thinking about it.I suggest taking one idea at a time, and practicing it until it shifts from conscious awareness to an unconscious act. The chapter "Putting It Into Practice” provides a practice template for integrating new ideas into your playing ‘Walking bass lines can be bumorous, quirky, pretty, ugly, bouncy, relaxed, jarring - part of the beauty of a bass line is bringing your own personality into it. That doesn’t mean ignoring all that has come before you. There are close to a century of great recordings ‘of bass players who each had their own way of playing. Learning from other bassists and from the past is a way for you to start where they left off, instead of “re-inventing the wheel’. Ths is how the muisic will stay alive and vibrant. INI GLOSSARY ‘This book assumes that you are familiar with standard music notation. Here are some conventions used throughout this book: pt. apt. cpt. cat. dnt. end. ppg, camb, el et. seg. see. dom. Wy hosted note (muted with left hand) uarmonic (left hand touches string without pressing down) slur created by the right hand plucking only the frst note. The left hand pulls off the string 10 sound the second note shythonie notation passing tone diatonic passing tone chromatic passing tone chromatic approach tone diatonic neighbor tone chromatic neighbor tone appogiatura cambiata escape tone chord tone sequence secondary dominant two minor seventh (as in D-7 in the key of C) five dominant seventh (as in G7 in the key of C)CHAPTER O1-1 CHORDAL BASS LINES Playing the primary notes of a chord (root, thitd, fifth, seventh) is a great way to begin learning how to construct walking bass lines. Even the most “moder” bassists outline triads and seventh chords in their walking lines. Chordal bass lines provide the foun- dation for harmony, which, besides time feel, is one of the fundamental functions of a bassist. ‘This is a basic blues progression in F: Fr Bi? 7 7 8h Bb? f7 7 TRIADS Begin by playing triads in root position: 7 87 7 F7 887 87 7 D7 aChordal Bass Lines Triads in 1 Inversion ‘7 Bi? F7 F7 87 Bh? ‘7 oz Triads in 2%4 Inversion F7 Bi? F7 F7 ‘STEPWISE CONNECTION Having four quarter notes per measure creates the sound of a “walking’ line. On beat 4 of each bar, add a note which resolves up or down by half step or whole step to smoothly connect the chords. This example uses triads in various inversions with dia~ tonic stepwise connection. Notice that most chords have a root on beat 1, which is the strongest way for the bass to outline the harmony. F? Br Fv Fv a7 Bo? F7 b7 2‘These stepwise connecting notes are referred to as “approach tones”, and they can be diatonic or chromatic. Here is an example using chromatic approach tones: ‘7 87 F7 ‘7 SEVENTH CHORDS Play through the chord progression using seventh chords in all inversions. At this point the concer is not smooth voice leading, but just to become familiar with the chords. F7 Bi? F7 F7 Bo7 Bi F7 o7 41 Inversion (Also Practice 2%¢ and 3 Inversion) F7 Bs Fr F7 Bh 7 7 b7 aChordal Bass Lines MOTION DOWN A FIFTH ‘When chord roots resolve down a perfect fifth (or up a perfect fourth), the V to motion in the bass is very strong, Here is an example of a bass line using seventh chords and ‘motion down a fifth on beat 4: Fr BH F7 F7 Bb? eb7 Ff? D7 VOICE LEADING ‘To avoid “choppy” bass lines, and to construct lines with logical motion, itis helpful to view harmony horizontally rather than vertically. For example, instead of thinking of the first two chords this way, Bir == ‘think of them this way: F7 BB? Notice especially the 7th to 3*4 motion (Es of F7 resolving to D of 87). Here is a bass line using 7 to 3¢¢ motion on chords which move down a fifth: v BT F7 7 Bi BHT Fr D7 4Here is a bass line using other voice leading resolutions. Even though many of the chords do not have roots on beat one, the line still sounds logical. F7 Bi7 Fr Fv 7 Bh 7 D7 1CHAPTER 01-2 SCALAR BASS LINES Scalar bass lines offer more possibilities than chordal bass lines. Lines with stepwise motion are more “walking-like” than chordal lines, which tend to ‘leap". In order to retain the sound of each chord, chord tones are generally played on beats | and 3 (the strong thythmic/harmonic beats), with passing tones, neighbor tones, and other melodic devices being used on beats 2 and 4 (the weaker thythmic/harmonic beats). PASSING TONES Passing tones can be diatonic or chromatic, and are used between chord tones ot to connect two chords. Here is an example of passing tones tsed on an F7 chord: °7 pe. pe Ph pa. Here is a bass line using both diatonic and chromatic passing tones on beats 2 and 4: (ee glosary for abbreviations) F7 By F7 FT aps. aps. aps. eps dps. apt. dps. dp ep apt pt? apt D7 apt : E 6 ays or se? oer BOP SCALES ‘The Mixolydian bebop scale places a passing tone between the flat 7" and root, allow- ing chord tones to land on strong beats. This can be applied to walking lines, as is, shown in this next example: 16Scalar Bass Lines F7 BA F7 7 BA? BA Re D7 ‘To create logical scalar bass lines, it is essential to use strong voice leading, Notice in the following example that each note moves logically and smoothly to the next: F7 Bi 7 F7 27 BB 7 o7 NEIGHBOR TONES. Neighbor tones (also referred to as upper and lower auxiliary tones) can be diatonic or chromatic. They offer a temporary movement away from, and back to, a given chord tone. 7 7 : dnd. ie ant. 7 Bb ens: ent. (Gee glossary for abbreviations) aScalar Bass Lines Here is a bass line employing neighbor tones: 847 7 en din. ae 7 ant. ESCAPE TONES AND CAMBIATAS Escape tones and cambiatas are melodic devices that can be used in scalar bass lines. in the following examples, the “E” of the C7 wants to resolve to the “P” (the root of the ¥7 chord), but placing the “F” on beat four would ruin the harmonic rhythm, In this example a cambiata is used on beat 4, delaying the resolution to beat one. c F7 In this example an escape tone is used on beat 4, delaying the resolution to beat one. 7 Ff? Note that a cambiata is a temporary movement in the same direction as the resolution, and an escape tone is a temporary movement in the opposite direction of the resolution ‘The following bass line uses cambiatas and escape tones. Both of these melodic devices are used in bass lines, although the cambiata is more common. 18Scalar Bass Lines Ee camp, BHT awd Re es 87 Bi7 (impled C7) an FF > a c F7 bo? et et. cam Here is a bass line using passing tones, bop scales, neighbor tones, escape tones and cambiatas. Remember that we hear beats | and 3 as the primary harmontc tones, with these devices as “filler” F Bb? 7 ‘7 Bi7 Bb? F7 bp 19)At this point, it may be helpful to examine a poorly constructed scalar bass line such as the one below. Understanding what works and what doesn’t work will strengthen ‘your bass lines. This one is full of problems! 7 847 7 '7 Bh Bh? Fv bz Bar 1/4 C to F sounds like a cadence to F, not Bs Bar 2/3 Ais not a chord tone of Bb7 Bar 3/2 ‘The root on beat 2 makes the line sound “lopsided” Bar 3/4 D wants to resolve to C, not A Bar 4/4 Bs should resolve to D, but jumps to Bs Bars 5 and 6 These notes do not outline B57 on the strong beats Bar 6/4 Bb to Fis a poor resolution Bar 7/3 ‘As makes the line sound like f= Bar 8 ‘The figure doesn’t outline D7 Bar 9/2 ‘The tritone leap E-B» is jarring Bar 10/1 Sounds like it has resolved to F7 already. Bar 11/1 Eis not a chord tone of F7 Bar 12 Beats 3 and 4 do not outline the cadence back to F Try to make your walking lines logical. Your fellow musicians will thank you! 20CHAPTER 01-3, USING MELODY IN BASS LINES Walking bass lines are essentially melodies, underneath the chords and any other melodies that are occurring. They can be heard as a counterpoint line to the other melodic statements. Johann Sebastian Bach’s music is one of many great sources for leaming how a bass line can be functional harmonically, while standing on its own as a beautiful melody. Israel Crosby and Scott LaFaro were two of many jazz bassists who were aware of making bass lines into melodies. Your bass lines wall improve with your understanding of melodic construction. Below are some starting points for making your own bass lines more melodic. DOMINANT TO TONIC STEPWISE MOTION Placing chord tones on beats I and 3 is a good general guideline, but there are many exceptions to this. One of the most common exceptions is 5-4-3-2-1 motion. This line has a strong stepwise motion from the dominant (5) to the tonic (1). FT Bb7 7 ‘7 co . eo i a7 o7 ” 7 Sa eae fp ee SS SSS * a [ - cee =< 2Using Melody in Bass Lines NON-CHORD TONES ON BEAT THREE With the root established on beat one, a strong melody can override the need for a chord tone on beat three, Notice in this example that there are a few melodic ideas that are repeated in various forms, giving the line cohesion: F7 Bh? F7 F7 Bb? Bi F7 7 (This ie heard. as F? fora bar, C7 fora bar) LINES STARTING ON NON-CHORD TONES Note that whenever beat 1 is not a chord tone, there is a chord tone on beat 3. fF? Bb 7 Fy 87 Bi7 ‘7 D7 APPOGIATURAS All of the melodic devices discussed in the previous chapter will help you in creating logical bass line melodies. Another useful device is the appogiatura, which for the pur- ‘poses of this book, is a non-chord tone arrived at by a leap, resolving to a chord tone by whole step or half step. It is a general melodic principle that a leap in one direction should be balanced by stepwise motion in the opposite direction. Appogiaturas can be diatonic or chromatic, as in the following examples: 2Using Melody in Bass Lines Diatonie Chromatic Tere is a bass line using appogiaturas: 7 8H aepog, 7, ac OFT 87 87 F7 br CHROMATICISM ‘Chromaticism can bring variety and a more “modern” sound to a walking line, Note that in the following example beat 1 is always a chord tone, and beat 3 is usually an extension (9', 11% or 13t of the chord or a chord tone. F? a7 Fr ‘7 87 Bb a D7 2aUsing Melody in Bass Lines ‘This is chromaticism taken much further than the previous example, Note that this bass line would not sound good in a ‘straight ahead” context. With the exception of the B natural on beat one of C7, all the first beats are still chord tones. The chord tones can be considered "target" notes, with the previous notes merely leading toward that target. F Bo? 7 7 Ber Bi F7 o7 SEQUENCES ‘Sequences can create melodic structure in a walling bass line. Here is an example of a bbass line using diatonic and chromatic sequences F7 Bir 7 7 Bi7 Bb7 F7 ov seq 5 seq 6 4Using Melody in Bass Lines ‘MOTIVES Motives can be used to create a bass line. Here is an example of a bass line using vari- ations on the motive stated in the first bar. F7 Bi7 7 7 a transposed inversion Bb7 Ber Fr o7 retrograde inversion transposed retrograde transposed Bass lines can incorporate ideas from the melody of a tune. The following bass line uses (loosely!) melodic motives from Monks Straight No Chaser. F7 Bi? 7 F? Bb? Bi? 7 D7 25)Using Melody in Bass Lines MELODIC CONTOUR ‘The direction of a walking bass line creates a melodic shape or contour. Ascending lines tend to create more tension than descending lines. It helps to think of your bass lines in long phrases, not just bar to har. Any strong melody will have a shape lasting, longer than one or two measures. Practice creating melodic shapes in four, eight, twelve, or sixteen bar phrases. Here are a few examples of using direction and longer phrases to influence the feel of a walking line: Ascending, Then Descending Motion Fr Bh? F7 7 Descending, Then Ascending Motion is BH ‘7 7 a7 Bi7 ‘7 07 ‘These concepts can add variety and colour to walking bass lines, In the right context they may sound great, and in the wrong context they may be disastrous. Always keep in mind that the bassist's role in a group is primarily to provide the harmonic and thythmic foundation 26CHAPTER 01-4 USING HARMONY IN BASS LINES ‘The basic blues progression used so far is only a harmonic framework. There are numerous possible chord substitutions that any bassist should know. The following examples show some of the common methods of chord substitution, and some com mon “changes” used on a blues. tis obviously important that your bass line outlines the new chords. Note that you can “impose” these changes on the group you are playing in (which may or may not be a good thing), or you may have to react to someone else’s changes. ALTERNATE CHANGES Here is a common progression that most musicians refer to as “Bird Blues." The bass line uses a combination of chordal and scalar ideas, with a few sequences thrown in. Fa ee Ars D7 (67) cr F7 87 Bi 87 AT 07 Ar? D7 ‘This is a chord progression that may be used on a slow blues: 7 Bh? Fr c? F7 a7 Bor F? G7 AT Ay? G7 7 F7 F7/A Bb? BS? C7sus C7 27Using Harmony in Bass Lines This is a simpler version of the blues that any bass player should know. This bass line is simple and repetitive, and sounds more like R&B than a walking line. The bass line needn't be so triadic in a jazz context, F? ‘7 F7 ‘7 Bb? By F7 Fr a BA? F7 cr Here is another blues chord progression, this time from John Coltrane's Some Other ‘Blues. The bass line is played by Paul Chambers. Fr Eb7sus F7 87 Bh? oe A? bb? C7sus C7sus 7 ‘TRITONE SUBSTITUTION A common harmonic device that is used widely by bassists is tritone substitution. The ‘dea behind it is that the root of any dominant chord can be replaced with a root of the interval of a tritone away. It works because the 3s and 7%s (the defining notes of the chord) are shared between the two chords. For example, the 3 and 7% of an F dominant 7th chord are A and Es. The 7*» and 3% of a B dominant 7 are A and Es (D#) as well. Bis a tritone away from F ‘7 B7Using Harmony in Bass Lines Tritone substitution only works on dominant chords, and is most effective on chords resolving down a fifth. This next example shows a bass line using tritone substitution on a basic blues progression: (B7) FF? (87) 87 Fv Fr (ay7) B07 37 F7 D7 (G7) (as) 7) SECONDARY DOMINANTS AND ADDED II-7 CHORDS: You can create more harmonic movement by adding secondary dominant chords. ‘They become V7 of the following chord (the primary dominant chord - C7 in this case ~ is not considered a secondary dominant chord). Placing a related I-7 chord in front of, a dominant chord also creates more harmonic motion. listen to this bass line using secondary dominants and added 1-7 chords: (1-7 687) c7 F a7 cv 7 (rot a7) (vrofb7) —(vretG7) a7 Bb? Ff 7 Az D7 29)Using Harmony in Bass Lines: {if you apply tritone substitution to bars 7 and 8 you get a common progression lead- ing to the It chord (G-7 ot G7): F7 7 By? o7 G7 or 7 87 AT b7 G7 PEDAL ‘A harmonic “pedal” can be created by staying on one bass note over a series of chords. ‘The most common pedals are on the tonic (root) or the dominant (fifth) of a given key center. They are a great way of building harmonic tension, Listen to this bass line with, the chords “over top" of the pedals, It uses both a tonic and dominant pedal in the key of F 7 Bi 7 7 Bb? BA? F7 —inungat creda) D7 ‘As a bassist, you are expected to know many harmonic variations of the blues, or any standard tunes, Listen to as many recordings as you can get your hands on, so that you ate prepared for the many possibilities (in a jazz setting, the comping instrument or soloist may want to play different changes from chorus to chorus!) 30CHAPTER 01-5 USING RHYTHM IN BASS LINES ‘The quarter note is the basic pulse of a walking bass line. However, there is a lot of room for rhythmic variation while still maintaining the basic pulse. So far most of the examples have used quarter notes. Now play this: F7 7 Bhi F7 eb 2S SS is * 31Using Riaythen in Bass Lines Rhythm can bring a walking bass line to life! It can also destroy the momentum, so use discretion. Check out Paul Chamber's bass line on Straight No Chaser with Miles Davis, Not only is ita great bass line on its own, but it fits beautifully with what Miles is play- ing. 7 Bb? F7 7 Bb7 Bi 7 Av D7 DROPS Drops can happen on any beat, and they create a sense of motion towards the lowest note. 7 87 c7 ‘7 by 4 PULLOFFS, Play the first note of two slurred notes with both hands, then *pull* the left hand off ‘the string, which sounds the second note. F7 Bb7 7 ‘7 ~ > bee SKIP BEATS The left hand mutes the string while the right hand plays the note. This creates the sound of a “ghost note’, or skip beat. F7 Bb? F? 7 2Using Rhythm in Bass Lines EIGHTH NOTES @ TRIPLETS If you overdo these it can sound like a bass solo, which could get you fired in a hurry, 0 use discretion! 7 Bh F7 7 ANTICIPATIONS Comping instruments often anticipate the harmony (the “and” of four, for eg.). To cre- ate a feeling of forward motion, the same can be done in a walking bass line: F7 Bi7 F7 7 RHYTHMIC MODULATION / OVER-THE-BARLINE RHYTHMS In the right context, over-the-barline rhythms can sound great. This three-over-four pattern implies another time feel over the existing one. 7 Bi F7 F? For more patterns, see chapter 12: *Overthe-Barline Rhythms” later in the book. 2]CHAPTER 01-6 BLUES TRANSCRIPTIONS (COMPARISON VIEW) ‘These transcriptions allow you to see and hear what each of these bass players played on two choruses of the 12 bar blues form, measure by measure, The basic changes are above, but note that there are some variations from the basic harmony. F7 87 F7 7 Pops Foster 1929 Jimmy, Blanton 1940 Tommy Potter 1953 Leroy Vinnegar 1957 Paul Chambers 1958 Miroslav Vitous 1968 Gary Peacock 1986 Charlie Haden 34Blues Transcriptions (Comparison View) Bb? a7 F7 D7 35,36PF J ™. Ly, Pc Mw. cr Blues Transcriptions (Comparisons View) F? Bb F7 F? 7Blues Transcriptions (Comparison View) Bi Bi F7 bp 38Blues Transcriptions (Comparison View) G7 c 7 c 39(CHAPTER 01-7 BLUES TRANSCRIPTIONS (PLAY VIEW) This view allows you to play through each transcription without page turns. Pops Foster (1929) 7 7 7 7 87 Bb F7 7 40Blues Transcriptions (Play View) Jimmy Blanton (1940) a7 a7 o 7 F7 Bu7 aBlues Transcriptions (Play View) Tommy Potter (1953) 7 iad F7 iad Bh? Bb F7 7 by F7 Bb? 7 7 Bi Bh? f7 Fr br 42Blues Transcriptions (Play View) Leroy Vinegar (1957) Fr Bo? F? F7 a Be Fr AT o7 Bi (B°7) Bb? (6-7) 7 Bb? AT 07 43Blues Transcriptions (Play Viewo) Paul Chambers (1958) F 7 4 Ee F7 Bh Fr a B7 By 7 7 46Miroslav Vitous (1968) ‘The harmony in this example is treated very loosely. Fr By 7 F? 87 Bb? F7 7 FF? 87 F7 7 45Blues ‘Transcriptions (Play View) Gary Peacock (1986) F7 7 ‘7 F7 Bi Bb? 7 D7 7 Bi? 7 ‘7 Bh Bi Fr Aa b7 46Blues Transcriptions (Play View) Charlie Haden (1988) F? Bb? 7 ‘7 87 Bb F7 F7 o7 7 Bi Fr F7 Bi 87 ‘7 AT pb? oud]narra 02-1 MINOR BLUES The following tune is a minor blues dedicated to the great bassist Ray Brown. Play the melody and chord changes to hear the sound of minor blues. GETTIN’ DOWNES WITH BROWN’S SOUNDS Mike Downes 913 b9b13 be ae ae Cc A7HS#9 pw G7 te = pe G7 c pe 67s i “9Minor Blues ‘Most minor blues use the same twelve bar form as major blues. The harmonic motion {s similar to major blues, but applied to minor keys. It starts in the tonic area for 4 bars, ‘moves to the IV chord (subdominant area) in the fifth bar, back to the tonic in bar seven, and there is a tumaround in the ninth and tenth bars (dominant area), resolv ing back to the tonic. TONIC AREA In minor keys, the tonic can be a minor triad, -6 , ~7, or a -A chord, with extensions above, The basic triad is the same in each, but the bass line needs to change depend- ing on the 7% (6t), Tonic -6 chord lacing a Gt (#5) passing tone in the scale puts chord tones on the beat. C6 cb ch ot eh Tonic -7 chord Placing a B natural (natural 7) passing tone in the scale pus chord tones on the beat, cv ot ot ct ct Tome -A7 chord ‘the same scale and passing tone used on a6 can be used on the -A7 because of the interchangeability of the 6 and 7*. Or simply use a melodie minor scale as below: cea ct ot. et et. Rather than using these scales in their entirety, the best idea is to use segments of them in your walking lines. The main principle is that they line up chord tones on beats 1 and 3. If your bass line is chordal, it should, as always, reflect the chord of the moment. Here is an example of a walking line over the first four bars of a C minor blues. Bars ‘one and two use a scalar line with stepwise connection on beat four. Bars three and four use the “bop” scale for a -6 chord: c re 50‘This second example is similar to the previous example, with a few alterations, The G in bar one resolves upward to A», or $3 of F-, and there is an implied G7 on beats 3 and 4 of bar two, leading back to C-. Bar four has an E natural, implying a C7 chord, which is V7 of F. c F-7 c Cp SUBDOMINANT AREA ‘The IV chord is usually a -7 chord. As with any other chord, you need to determine which are the primary notes of the chord, and which notes are the best choices for passing tones, neighbor tones, etc. In a C minor blues, the lV chord is F-7. First determine the then the extensions primary notes In horizontal form, these notes form an F Dorian scale: diese bee eeaeea asic i7: 1V-7 Sample Lines Passing Tones 4s previously mentioned, the extensions of a chord make good passing tones, because they sound like part of the chord. Take, for example, bars five and six ofthe blues. Here are a few simple but effective lines using passing tones: r7 (toc) 7 opt. foc) 51‘Minor Blues Chordal ines In bars five and six you could also play a chordal line. Here are a few examples: 7 toc} : - Dye - |? 7. ae (to C) = Appogiaturas Here is a line using appogiaturas: ‘These are just a few of the many possibilities. DOMINANT AREA, OR THE TURNAROUND IN MINOR BLUES: ‘The turnaround is usually different than in a major blues. One common tumaround in minor is tlo V749. In C minor, that would be Do G79, Another common turnaround is, svi? V9. In C minor, that would be As7 G79. The 1! chord can also be a dominant chord, and the V chord may have different alterations than 49. For the following examples, we will use lle V79. ‘Once again, it is your job as a bass player to understand harmony and voice leading Notice the following resolutions. Some notes have a strong tendency to resolve in one direction, such as the C of De to the B of G7(9). Other notes can resolve up or down, such as the D of G79 to either C of C- or to Fs of C- be G79 c. 2Minor Blues Here are two bass lines using strong voice leading resolutions: oe G79 3) (leading tone tonic) Extensions of chords are not off limits to bass playerst As an example, the $9 of G7 (Ai) has a strong “pull” to the fifth of C- (G). You can use that in your bass line: be G79 Cc PUTTING IT TOGETHER To put it all together, practice minor blues in the same way that you would a major blues. Begin with triads and seventh chords, trying to connect them smoothly, Then apply all of the concepts discussed in major blues. If you want to get better at playing. aC minor blues, play it for three hours straight! You will find new ways through it ‘because you'll be bored stiff with your own lines. Below is a bass line using a few of the concepts discussed earlier: see. dom. FGetonh dpe C (7) c apes" (implied G7) FT ascending thirds appog. cat. pt. 9 ape peg? G78 scale segment * see glosary for abbreviations 53Minor Blues ‘Transcribing bass lines is a great way to leam how to create your own walking bass lines. It isn't necessary to transcribe marathon bass lines, though. Even a bar or two of ‘quarter notes can teach you a lot about how to play over chords. ‘Transcribing doesn’t necessarily mean writing the lines out. If that helps you, fine. However, simply listening to recordings of the masters, and following the bass line is a great way to lear. Of course, you need to develop your ear to be able to do that. Like anything else, start simple and work your way up. You will probably have an easier time hearing a bass line over a blues than you will over a tune that modulates all over the place. When you can listen to a bass line and visualize yourself playing all the notes, you are transcribing “on the spot”. These are transcriptions of two of my favorite jazz bassists. ‘This is one chorus of Paul Chamber's bass line on Mr. PC. He plays this line behind the piano solo: c o7 o7 c cr Ay? Gr c o7 G7 John Carisi's israel is a variation of a minor blues. Notice how it modulates to the rela- tive major in bar seven, Below is Scott LaFaro's bass line with the Bill Evans Trio. This bass line beautifully outlines all of the “voices” of the harmony. The Bs (6) in the sec- ond bar is played, but he takes care of the lower part of the harmony in the same bar! More in-depth listening to these masters is definitely recommended. D- D-bs D-6 D7 Ee Are D- B7Fses Ee A79 5a(CHAPTER 03-1 11V |PROGRESSION ‘The 11V | progression is found so often in jazz standards that it only makes sense to practice playing bass lines over it. The following are scalar pattems which work great fon most standard tunes. These should be practiced in all major and minor keys. IVI PATTERNS - MAJOR tpdown-up cr 7 Boa. down-up-down cr 7 Boa. upup-down 7 F7 Boa down-dowe-up c7 ‘7 Boa spupup down-down-down C7 F7 Boa 55 coreIV 1 Progression : ILV | PATTERNS - MINOR down-down-up Ae pre os upsup-up ae or Ge down-down-down Ae prs G-6 “This pasing tone could also be B natura, sehich will give the bassline a more modern” sound. Note though, that B natural i the major third in the Rey of G minor. Bs sets up the sound of the key better than B natural 36ILV I Progression IVI PROGRESSION IN ALL KEYS ‘The following is a good way to practice IL V Fpatterns in all keys. The first four bars are ‘transposed using the cycle of fifths (key centers C, then F, then Bs, etc). Watch the key signature! Try to do the same with other patterns from this chapter. ‘Major Keys, cr 7 Boa. F-7 Bi7 Ba Bb-7 es? Aba Ee? Ay? Dba Ay? bs? Gba cr Fer Ba Fe? 87 Ea 37 coerILV I Progression Minor Keys, a prs os ce pmo Bb-6 Fo B79 5-6 Be 6799 Aes De oa Ce 69 6 Ge cy? Fre o ¥ ce Far? B65 He # B79 E-6 58 ounIEV I Progression ‘These pattems are more than just exercises. The following is an example of a bass line using the previous iIV| pattems on the jazz standard Autumn Leaves. cr ‘7 Bhs Eba. 7 7 Boa Ea. sand]IVI Progression Here are some more II V| patterns to practice in all keys: MAJOR Triadie Seventh to Third Resolutions: b-7 G7 ca Sealar: Neighbor Tones: b-7 Gr ca 60 woesIV 1 Progression ‘Appogiaturas: Sequences: MINOR Twiadie a cuoreLVI Progression Here are some more IV | patterns to practice in all keys: MAJOR Triadic Seventh to Third Resolutions: b-7 G7 ca Neighbor Tones: o-7 Gr ca 60 fevenet3(CHAPTER 03-2 ISRAEL CROSBY BASS LINES. ‘These are bass lines over II VI progressions, played by the great Israel Crosby. They are functional and beautifully melodic at the same time. Listen for passing tones, appogiat- uras, neighbor tones, voice leading, sequences and other devices that he liked to use. Israel is a highly underrated bassist. Check out his recordings with Ahmad Jamal and George Shearing, among others. D-7 G7 ca D-7 (67) o7 caIsrael Crosby Bass Lines 64 pour)Israel Croshy Bass Lines 65 corer 3Your notes: IeCHAPTER 04-1 RHYTHM CHANGES “Rhythm changes" refer to the chord progression from George and Ira Gershwins’ I Got Rhythm. Thousands of tunes have been written using these changes, and itis a “must know" for all jazz bassists, Here is an example of a tune based on rhythm changes: NO MELO DIGA Mike Downes et Bier setng 4 Ba OG? fr a Gr 2 - — * = 7 C * — Bba —-BH7/D Ebs Fy a Boa?s F?sus — 2 2 gee aS 2 == 7 Fee = — Seen fated Se F —— o7 or fod F7 bs Bhs B47/D. Ea F7 bee bars F7sus zi oHaving more than one chord per bar presents a new challenge in a walking bass line. In rhythm changes, there are only two beats by which to define a chord. Obviously the bass line can't define a seventh chord in two beats, so it is important to play primary ‘chord tones (root, third, or fith). Since rhythm changes 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 chordal approach to rhythm changes. The entire bass line is made up of chord tones: 8 G7 cr F7 Be G7 cr 7 8 87 Ea eo? Bb/F G7 7 ‘7 Here is an example of a bass line using scalar ideas: & G7 7 F7 Be 6? 7 F7 (implies F7 for full bar) B» 87 Ba e°7 Bi/F GT 7 °7 : Another example using devices discussed earlier (sequences) Bb G7 cr F7 Be G7 cr F7 (neighbor tone) (7-3 voice leading) (chromatic approach tones) Bb 87 Eos E97 Bb/F G7 c7 F7 ‘The following examples discuss each of these approaches. 68Rhythm Changes ‘CHORDAL LINES: ‘As mentioned earlier, the strongest way to define a chord in two beats is to play the root and third or fifth. This may sound simple, but it takes a lot of practice to become comfortable with it at a fast tempo. Begin by playing the root and third of each chord, as in this example: 8 G7 cr 7 Bb G7 cv 7 Bb 7 Ba £97 BA/F G7 C7 F7 ‘Then practice playing the root and fifth of each chord: Bb G7 cr F Bb G7 cr 7 Bb Bs ba £7 Bb /F o7 c7 ‘7 "Now practice lines which use both root and third, and root and fifth, as in this example: Bb G7 cr F7 B> G7 cr 7 = Bb Bb Ba 7 Bb/F G7 cr F7Rhythm Changes ‘The seventh is a chord tone which can be used as well, although as discussed earlier, it may want to resolve to the third of the next chord, In that case the root should be played on the following beat: Bh G7 cr F7 Bb G7 7 F7 Bp Bb7 Ba Eo? B/E G7 c7 F7 SCALAR LINES: Scalat lines offer a nice contrast to chordal bass lines. By their nature, these lines will not always contain roots landing on beats 1 and 3. This i fine, as long as the bass lines give a sense of the main harmonic movement. 8 o7 eG B 67 cr oF apt apt. apt eS aps : — = = =o — = Pees = = Bb BT ba, 7 Bb/F G7 cr F7 apt apt ot don opt : = = i pe ee === = he ie = = eS ‘The next bass line uses tritone substitution, secondary dominant substitution (C7 to F7, ot V7 of V7), appogiatura, neighbor tone, passing tones, chromatic approach tones, and 7-3 voice leading, These are all discussed in the first chapter. B Di cr 87 Bb G7 7 F7 Irtone sub fritone sub ———_appog, nd. | ~ 23 SS SS a ed Bi Ba 7 Bb/F GT co 7 apt. dps. eat. 73 a q 70Rhythm Changes Avoid the over-use of chromatic approach tones. They clash especially with the ~7 chords: ee ce Do te ESS a = ia ‘The harmonic framework of rhythm changes is based largely on the tonality, or key center, of Bs in the “A” sections. The bridge contains a series of secondary dominants leading back to the Bs tonality. With that in mind, some chords are less important than others in establishing the tonality, Listen to this example: Gris ignored Cis ignored” & 67 co » G7 cg x - oe be Bee = a — f=t - ke - nRhythm Changes HARMONIC VARIATION: There are many different chord changes that can, and will, be used on rhythm changes. Some of the main variants are listed below, but there are many more. I strong- ly suggest listening to as many recorded versions of rhythm changes as you can find. The map is not the territory; in other words, the written chords are only a departure point for many possiblities. As always, listening is the key. “Re-Section Bho G-7 C-7 F7 Bho OG-7, C-7_-F7_ BOOBY, s&h. ~D-7G-7_—C~7 FF Bb B°7,C-7 CHT -D-7 G7 C-7 F7 Bh OBHT/D & AKT «-~D-7G7_—C-7 FF? Bb G7 arene D-7 Db7 C7 B7 BI? Eb Ree: D7? G7 coe Pye 7 (second A section) Bb C-7 F7 Bh ODM? «GH? B7«F-7/BhB7 EH OCCT 7B Fre? B7 E-7 AT. -D-7_- G7 C-7 F7 Bh OE7~—sO«EB OAD? Ss«D7s«DHT CoB CTA Bh? AK? Gb?-F7— Bb? AB? Gb7_ =F?) F-7 BHT_sEOAKT «D7 G7 C~TFFRhythm Changes Bridge o7 Ab? c7 D7 c oi 7 87 A-T D7 ET AW D-7 G7 Ab? DIT G-7_ C7 D7 GT C-7_F7_ FET B (the Eternal Tangle) B- 7 Bb? 67 A-T D7 ArT Ds? G-7? C7 FET B7 Now turn the page and take a look and listen to how eight great jazz bassists approached a chorus of rhythm changes. 7Doug Watkins 1958 Pail Chambers 1956 Israel Crosby 1958 Ray Brown 1990 ‘Sam Jones 1958 Ron Carter 1982 George Duvivier 1957 Miroslav Vitous 1981 4 Coens CHAPTER 04-2 RHYTHM CHANGES TRANSCRIPTIONS (COMPARISON VIEW) Check out the different ways that these eight bass players play thythm changes, and compare them measure by measure. The basic changes are above, but note that in each ‘example there are variations from the basic harmony. You can play through each bass line separately by turning to the “play view" on page 82. Bb G7 C7 oF? Bb G7 c7 FF Boe etRhythm Changes Transcriptions (Comparison View) Fy By Ba E'7 Bb/F G7 cr 7 75Rhythm Changes Transcriptions (Comparison View) DW. PC. 1c RB Sh RC GD. 16pw. PC, ie RB RC ep. Mw. Bh? Ba. Eo? Rhytiom Changes Transcriptions (Comparison View) Bb/F F7 ‘owrehRhythm Charges Transcriptions (Comparison Views) Dw. PC. 1c RB. SE RC GD. 78DM. PC RB RC Me. Rhythm Changes Transcriptions (Comparison View) 79 cowerRhythm Changes Transcriptions (Comparison View) Dw. PC 1 RB. SL RC Gp.Dw, PC. 1c RB RC ep. Be Bi Ba e7 8b/F Rhythm Changes Transcriptions (Comparison Views) cr 7 B at counts(CHAPTER 04-3, RHYTHM CHANGES TRANSCRIPTIONS (PLAY VIEW) Doug Watkins (1958) Be eb7 Ba Eb Bb/F G7 cr F7 Bb Bi? Ena e°7 BF FF 8 cy 87 BA e7 BL /F o7 cd Fv B 22Rhythm Changes Transcriptions (Play View) Paul Chambers (1956) Be G7 cr F7 Bb G7 cr 7 Fo? Bi? Eba £7 8 Fv F7 BA Esa e°7 B/E 7 Bb ra Bi Esa e°7 Bi/F c7 F7Rhythm Changes Transcriptions (Play Viet) Israel Crosby (1958) F-7 Bb? Eb Eb Bo/F Le C7 °7 FT Be Eba. Eb BF 7 Bb Bo By fa Be Bb/F C7 F7 a4 eaeRhythm Changes Transcriptions (Play View) Ray Brown 1990 ad B7 ba £97 B/E G7 cv F7 F7 87 Ena £7 B/E F7 8 85Rhythm Changes Transcriptions (Play View) ‘Sam Jones (1958) Bb By BA £97 B/E o7 7 7 F7 By EA £7 8 /F Fr ‘7 Be Bb Bb? Ba. £7 BL/F co F7 86 eeRhythm Changes Transcriptions (Play View) Ron Carter (1982) F7 By Ea £7 Bs/F Fr 8 a7Rhythm Changes Transcriptions (Play View) George Duvivier (1957) F7 Bu Ba £°7 B/E G7 C7 7 Bb eu Eba. e7 Bb/F cr ‘7 88 SerenRhythm Changes Transcriptions (Play View) Miroslav Vitous (1981) ‘The harmony in this example is treated very loosely. Bb o7 c7 ‘7 Bb G7 cr ‘7 D-7 G7 c 7 Bb G7 or : : 'e ete # ‘es e be te 7 Bo Bb7 Ea ev F7 Bb ee eee eee Et == a B leeeilamaae D7 og 3 a ee 2 # Foe ef = = = f= = = 7 = : - Aiken rai. BS/FCHAPTER 05-1 PLAYING IN “2” Playing in *2" is an art. It means playing two notes to the bar, or half notes in 4/4 time. ‘That is the general rule, but there is a lot of room for rhythmic variation, Listen to this chorus of Sam Jones playing in “2° on Blues in the Closet, with the Red Garland Trio. Some of the anticipations are “shots” with the piano, 7 8.7 F7 FT 87 Bi7 ‘7 Ay D7 67 co (7 op? cv o AN . SSS at Because the bass plays less notes than in a walking, or “4” line, the choice of notes is, extremely important. The lowest note defines the type of chord. Observe the impact of changing the root under a G-7 chord: G-7/B> or Bbé G-7/C or C9sus G-7/&> or ba? G-7/F or Fsus®9 Ie S = 7 iS — ‘Alot depends on context. Example one will sound like G-7 even with a Bs on beat one, because itis followed by a G on beat three. The second example will sound like a BS chord) Example 1 aExample 2 In most standard song forms, we hear phrases in 2- or 4-bar segments or longer. Hearing harmonic rhythm in 3 or 5 bar segments, for eg,, is much less common. In much the same way that harmonic rhythm often accelerates at the end of phrases (towards cadence points) in classical music, bass lines can help define phrases by “accelerating” into the next phrase. To illustrate this, listen to the following examples: Rigthm accelerates at Rhytins acelerates the end of a 2-bar towards bar 5: 7 Ce ee 7 F7 Bi? Now compare the feel of the previous example to this one below. Notice that this sec~ ond example does not have as much forward momentum as the first. Rlythm speeds up at the beginning of a 2- Here as well: eee 7 7 B7 Here is a chorus of a blues in “2” using acceleration into the beginning of two and four ‘bar phrases: ‘7 Bo? 7 7 Bi a7 F7 D7 92 owerPlaying in “2° ‘The best way to lea how to play in *2" is to listen to the masters. Check out Ray Brown in the Oscar Peterson Trio. Listen to how he creates tension which builds to an amazing final “release” when he goes into “4”! Below are two different examples of play- ing in “2". The first is Paul Chamber's bass line on Hank Mobley's Dig Dis. ab ar F7 Bo Bb t £ = G7 iat Bb ee — Buss Y ae : = ‘This next example is Ray Brown’s bass line on Milt Jackson's Bags Groove, with the Oscar Peterson ‘rio. While the line has a general feeling of being in 2", it is a counter- melody to the main melody, and is part of their arrangement of this tune: c7 co 67 ae : 93; wrensPlaying in 2 Canadian bassist Neil Swainson plays this bass line in “2” on Kirk MacDonald's record- ing of Turn Out the Stars (by Bill Evans). The underlying pulse is half notes, but he plays a lot of triplet-based fills as well: B7HSHS Erbe he D7 G7 ca Gi CHT? CH7/B B® gh E-7/A ar? Dasa E-7/A ars Dasa I= 7 Ifa bass line strays away from a feeling of two per bar, it becomes what is termed a “broken feel’, More on that later in the book. 94 Sarens(CHAPTER 06-1 PLAYING IN 3/4 Improvising bass lines in 3/4 time can feel awkward at first. Things that have become familiar to you in 4/4 time don't “ft” anymore! This chapter offers some ideas to prac- tice so that you can feel comfortable playing in 3/4 time. PLAYING IN “1” ‘This means playing one note per bar, and is much like playing in “2" in 4/4 time. Boa, p7ts ba G7 ‘TWO NOTES PER BAR: Busier than one note per bar, these rhythms give the bass line forward motion without being locked into we Example 1 Notice how well this flows, because beat one is stressed, preceded by a pickup on beat three. Ba p74s Eb G7 Example 2 This is the reverse rhythm of example 1. It sounds “backwards’, because beat two is stressed, with beat one sounding like a pickup, Boa p75 Eba. o? Example 3 ‘This is another effective rhythm, for the same reasons as in example 1 Bha 78s Ba. G7 95 ounPlaying in 3/4 Example 4 This rhythm can work great in a bass line, but if it is played too much, it sounds like a rhythmic modulation (2/4). It can destroy the feeling of three, because ofits symmet- ical *two" feeling (although you may want to do that intentionally) Bra pris Eba. G7 Example § This is similar to the “backwards” feeling of example 2, with the stress coming on the “and? of one. Boa, p7is Eba G7 ‘THREE NOTES PER BAR ‘This is “walking” in 3/4. It presents an entirely new challenge from 4/4. The bass notes on beats | and/or 2 need to define the chord, with beat three connecting smoothly to the next chord. Walking can be chordal or scalar. The next few examples illustrate dif- ferent ways of walking in three. ‘Chordal Lines ‘This bass line uses triads to define the harmony: Bea pris Ba o7 This bass line uses 7%bs as well as triads: Bhs 7s Ba G7 oePlaying in 3/4 Scalar Lines ‘This line uses passing tones on beat two of bars 1, 3 and 4. Notice that the first bar is the only one with a root on beat one. Bha prs Eba, G7 Here is a bass line which places roots on beat one by using passing tones: Bha. 7s EA, G7 = . 1 ve ie J 2 All of the melodic, harmonic and rhythmic ideas that were introduced in the first chap- ter can be applied to playing in 3/4, As one example, here is a bass line using non- chord tones on beat one, sequences, and eighth notes Bea p75 ba G7 FOUR NOTES PER BAR ‘This can be used very briefly in a bass line to create forward motion. If used for an ‘extended period it will sound like a rhythmic modulation (in other words, 4/4 rather than 3/4) 2Playing in 3/4 ‘THREE NOTES PER TWO BARS ‘This is a 2 over 3 pattern that can be used in 3/4. There are two ways to play it - by anticipating or delaying the harmony of every second bar. The effect works well in a loose playing situation, where the bass is not requited to “hold down the fort.” ‘This first example anticipates the harmony of every second bar: Boa 7s Eba. G7 ‘This next example delays the harmony of every second bar: Bra, 7s E>, G7 “The pattern can be displaced, so that the downbeat is on every second bar. Here the ‘harmony is anticipated (into bar 3, bar 5, etc.) Boa p7es ba G7 tc ‘The pattern is displaced in the same way as the previous example, but the harmony is now delayed: Boa 7s Ba, G7 98 SnareLearning and working on all of these ideas is one thing, Putting them all together in a musical way is another. Each idea should be practiced and mastered on its own, then. you can start mixing them together. At frst it may seem forced, but if you use musical ‘taste, you will create interesting, functional, and hopefully beautiful bass lines. The following chorus of Someday My Prince Will Come incorporates some of the previ- ‘ous ideas. It starts in a loose “1” feel, and works it way up to a walking line in bar 17: Boa, p7ts BoA G7 c7 7s C7 FT b-7 ps7 c7 7 D7 D7 c7 Fz Bea 78s ba G7 c7 ce c7 FT Fe? Bi7 ba Eo APS 100 aresPlaying in 5/4 Here is what Paul Chambers played behind the trumpet solo on the famous Miles Davis recording ofthis tune: Ba p7ts Eba. G7 ors cr F7 D7 beer cr 7 D7 Dse7 c7 7 Ba. 745 Ea. G7 Bb BH ba Eee D-7/F G7 c7 ie 101 cowrenHere is a chorus of Scott LaFaro playing the same tune with the Bill Evans Trio: Boa p75 Eb G7 cr G7t5 cr 7 D7 ad 7 7 Ba. pris Eba G7 cr 7s cr f7 Bb 87 Ba. eo Are 102 are(CHAPTER 07-1 BASS LINES IN BALLADS Playing a ballad well is arguably the hardest thing to do. Everything you play is exposed; the choice of notes, sound, intonation, feel, and all of the other things that define the quality of your bass playing, ‘Ata medium or fast tempo, you could “get away with” playing a bass line like the one below: tee Ata ballad tempo, however, the fact that the chromatic approach tones are not part of the chords becomes painfully obvious, and the bass line sounds horrible, Play the bass line with the chords on a piano, and you will hear the clashes (67 on CA, 55 on A-7 and D-7). By changing beats two and four to chord tones, the bass line sounds much bet- ter co AF D7 Gr ca —. = SCALAR VERSUS CHORDAL LINES Scalar bass lines, which work well in a bebop context (medium to fast tempos), gen- erally do not sound good in ballads (slow tempos). Any notes which are not chord tones clash with the harmony at a slow tempo. Chordal lines are much more effective, because each note belongs to the chord, and no clashes occur. Listen to and compare (preferably with chordal accompaniment) the following two examples over the chord changes to Body and Soul: Example 1 ~ Scalar Line Notice all the problems with this line - the F in bar 1 clashes with the E-7, the As on beat 3 of bar 1 causes the B67 chord to sound like an A+ diminished chord, the scalar line in the second bar is weak for the same reasons as bar 1, the Gs7 chord does not sound like G-7 because there is no root, the Fé in bar 4 clashes horribly with the F-7, and the E diminished chord lacks a root! Be? 379 Be? ANT Dba or FT eo? Avoid this kind of bass line in ballads! 103Bass Lines in Ballads ‘To make this concept clearer, look at the adverse effect of playing the F on beat 2 and ‘Av on beat 3, from the first bar of the scalar bass line in example 1: Eb-7/F sounds tke £7459") B4759/Ay sounds like Ab°7 Example 2 Chordal Line Notice how much better this line sounds than the previous scalar line. Each note is a chord tone, and roots are placed on strong beats, with 3's or 5's placed on the weak beats. Roots on the first beat of each chord are essential at slow tempos. E-7 Bah? Ee? AW Dba cw Fe? E°7 The bass player has a lot of control over the harmony. In each of the following three examples, the same piano voicings are used, but the bass lines differ. The choice of bass note determines what the chord is, affecting the “meaning” of the piano voicings. All three bass lines work well, each having its own effect. Example 3 ~ Bass Plays C Throughout c ca c7 cs Example 4 ~ Bass Line Descends Chromatically c c-4/8 c-7/85 aon 104 eureExample 5 ~ These Bass Notes Turn Bars Two and Four Into Dominant Chords c G73 cr Fra PEDALS Using pedals can create an “open” sound, because there is Jess movement in the bass. Any major or minor iLV can be altered by using a dominant bass pedal (itis called a dominant pedal because the bass note takes place on the fifth of the key of the moment): This major uv: becomes: Fe? Bb Bb7sus Bb7 hs minor ny: becomes: Fo? gi7t9h13——Bhsusl®—gyrb9bt3 Notice that there is only one note that changes (the 57 of the Il chord resolving to the 3 of the V chord). It is because the It and V chords are so similar that the pedal works. This pedal will not work if the I chord is a dominant seventh chord. 105 own?Bass Lines in Ballads Play through the first eight bars of Sammy Cahn and J. Stynes' Fall 1 Love Too Easily, preferably on piano so you can hear the bass line and the chords together: ‘ies Bb7 ba Aba pe G79 c-7 Ars be 78589 C7 C-7/Bb Ae p7bs De G7? Now play through it again, with dominant pedals in place of every i! V: F-7/B> BA EbA AbA pe/c G7? 7 Ares Dec G7tsts C7 A2/D 7 02/G G79 ‘The dominant pedal can be extended into the tonic chord, over the entire liVI. Listen to its effect in this next example. F-7/Bb Bb7 E>A/Bb Aba. DG G79 c-7/G Ars Dec G7tst9 CG A/D os D%/G G7 ‘Taking it one step further, the dominant pedal can extend over the A7(+5) chord (V1 in ‘C minoy). It works because G is a chord tone of A7 and because bars three through six are all in the key of C minor. It definitely creates a mood: 106F-7/Bb Bb? EbA/Bb — AbA DG G7? c-7/G A7PS/G De G7 C/G As/o D7 pes G7? Experiment with using dominant pedals on other ballads. TIME FEEL IN BALLADS ‘The next three examples show different ways a ballad may be played. The quarter note pulse stays the same, but the eighth note feel varies, which affects how you approach the bass line, Play through these three versions of the first two bars of Body and Soul: Example 6 ~ Tiplet Feel or 12/8 (or Simply Swing Feel) B7 BAT? Bb ANT Dba ‘The pulse is the quarter note, but the feel is defined by the underlying eighth note triplet: Example 7 ~ Implied Double-Time Swing: 7 Bb79 Bb? AT Dba, 107 cman‘The underiying feel makes two beats seem like one bar of 4/4, and eighth notes sound like quarter notes at a faster tempo: Example 8 ~ Straight Eighths B-7 Bh 7 AN Dba = ae as ‘The underlying feel is eighth notes, played straight: C L, — ‘The best way to leam these different feels is to listen to them. Below are three examples you can listen to and play along with. The recordings are all commercially available, Below is Charles Mingus's Goodbye Porkpie Hat, as played by George Mraz. The feel is a 12/8, or triplet feel, and George helps define that in his bass line: evs 7 Fa Ore Deas Ce Deas &7 a Aon 7 Fe 78549 chs yc Fa 108 ourBass Lines in Ballads Jimmy Garrison was a master of ballad playing, This is his bass line on You Don’t Know What Love Is by Don Raye and Gene DePaul. He is playing with John Coltrane's famous quartet, and the feel is a double time feel. Note that all sixteenth notes are swung: This is played. ike this: ar py 7 F F7*5 — =| : ie : -- = = Pete = Dee jo lee owe pa ee ce ce F 87 Ar G7 7a ‘The example on the next page is a straight eighths feel. This is Palle Danielson's bass line on Kenny Wheeler's Phrase One: 109Bass Lines in Ballads Palle Danielson’s Bass Line on Phrase 1 (Kenny Wheeler) Gait! Bb-11 Ea write fee ie ee 7 ve es ‘Aba? c-b6 Dbattt Ab-b6 ae eer fs pat" ptt? Goat3# 793 10 uae 7CHAPTER 07-2 CHORDS AND HARMONICS ON BASS Playing two notes or more at one time on the bass can create a full, ich sound, Listen to the sound of “double stops", or two notes played together in the example below. Again it is I Fall In Love Too Easily, now in the key of C to take advantage of open anes ee G7 ‘ ca FA £79 Ava F47bs 2 s Q i 7 a a a ‘This next example would sound too busy with a comping instrument. Be careful not to interfere with the ranges of other instruments. In the absence of a comping instru- ment, playing bass notes with an upper voice melody is a nice effect: ee > G7 cA Fa Be 759 AT Fy7?S 22d) da = 4 4 fs Dy 7 : 24 =: a = ———— i ee —4 Harmonics can give you three or four note chords on the bass, for an even richer sound. Listen to the next example (harmonics are indicated by a diamond shaped note- head): * slide A harmonic down to Gs m omenChords and Harmonics on Bass Using a third/seventh voice leading line with the root is a good way to create logical movement when using chords on bass. Starting On the Third: ba AT G7 co Fer A® p79 b 2D) Es Fy G7 co 7 This example starts with the root and seventh and uses the same third/seventh voice leading as the first example. Starting On the Seventh: Ba A G7 c FT ae p79 Ba F7 G7 aa F7sus F7 Here are two examples using fifth/ninth voice leading in the upper voice and roots in the bass. it has a different quality than using sevenths and thirds, Combining fiftl/ninth and seventh/third ideas will give you the most options. oo. E® 7949 D745 c-7 B74 Bba Eb? Ae 07)989 ee a 22 d 4 de g 2Starting On the Ninth e#9 avi D-7De7C-78785 BAT Ae prisis Gaz idk abd did td oo 4 ‘There are many chordal possibilities on the bass. Using them in a musical and support- ive way requires skill and good taste. 113(CHAPTER 08-1 BASS LINES IN MODAL HARMONY on one chord appears to be easy at first, especially after trying to play jazz tunes with lots of changes. Actually, it is more challenging in a lot of ways. The har- mony is static, so the flow and logic of the bass line is entirely up to you. So What, from Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue recording, has two chords. Here is Paul Chambers walking bass line on one chorus of So What: D7 , Eb-7 15 courtBass Lines in Modal Harmony PC's bass line is almost entirely scalar, or step-wise. He uses chromatic passing tones, particularly between the sixth and the fifth of the D Dorian scale (lower register) and the root and the flat seventh of the same scale (upper register) As discussed earlier, in the same way that soloists use bebop scales (scales with an added passing tone to place chord tones on the beat), bassists can use them in their walking lines, Remember that a walking bass line is strongest when chord tones fall on the strong beats, or beats 1 and 3. If you wish to play scalar bass lines, you will need to use pass- ing tones as connecting notes between chord tones. The most logical connecting notes are the notes that make up the extensions of the chord, so that your bass line sounds like itis outlining the harmony. ‘Take, for example, a D-7 chord. The extensions of that chord are the ninth ("E), eleventh ('G’), and thirteenth (‘B"): Basic 7 chord: Extensions In horizontal form, they make a D Dorian scale Notice that in the ascending version of this scale, the chord tones fall on the strong beats. This is not the case in the descending version though: bo D7 ct ot et a et ct et : epee t fa ge = = = SS SS PASSING TONES To solve this problem, put a passing tone between the flat seven and the root. This places chord tones on the strong beats in both the ascending and descending versions of the scale: 16Bass Lines in Modal Harmony Using this scale, you can start a bass line on any chord tone and play up or down, always placing chord tones on beats one and three: D7 ‘The sound of D-7 will be the strongest if the bass plays the root “D" on beat 1. It is not necessary to play the root on beat 1 of every bar, but playing it every second bar, or at least every fourth bar will maintain the sound of D minor, Chromatic passing tones can be used between other degrees of the scale, but they won't line up chord tones on the strong beats in the same way. That doesn’t mean that they don’t sound great! Paul Chambers plays the passing tone between the sixth and fifth a lot in his bass line: 7 —— Using more than one passing tone opens up even more possibilities: ov 47Bass Lines in Modal Harmony Play this bass line that incorporates loads of chromatic passing tones: se aa 4 ie = ee ee st “BOP” SCALES ‘This concept is not limited to -7t" chords, Here are some “bop” scales that work great on other types of chords: Dominant 7* Chords: (passing tone between the flat seventh and root) Major 7%or 6" Chords: (passing tone between the fifth and the sixth) Aba or AX ‘Minor 6 or ~87 Chords: (passing tone between the fifth and sixth) © (-715) Chords: (passing tone between the flat seventh and root) 118 Gunes