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Gorecki
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Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 238
Location: Glenwood, MD
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 Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 2:18 am Post subject: Okay, what's the best approach for walking changes? |
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I've done all my own bass tracks in the past but when it comes to Jazz, if it weren't for Band in a Box I would be lost!
I've improvised walking lines over changes but honestly most often I'm guessing and when I get a somewhat good one, honestly I have to learn it because it was pure luck.
As in guitar work I know there is no 'single easy trick' but is there a common practice to improve walking bass lines?
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Mark
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Joined: 26 Feb 2007
Posts: 479
Location: Portland, OR
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| Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 4:38 am Post subject: Re: Okay, what's the best approach for walking changes? |
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| Gorecki wrote: | I've done all my own bass tracks in the past but when it comes to Jazz, if it weren't for Band in a Box I would be lost!
I've improvised walking lines over changes but honestly most often I'm guessing and when I get a somewhat good one, honestly I have to learn it because it was pure luck.
As in guitar work I know there is no 'single easy trick' but is there a common practice to improve walking bass lines? |
Brian,
Okay, I'll try to keep this somewhat concise (good luck to me  ).
For starters, BIAB is an excellent program, especially for jazz and latin, not surprising given that its author and programmer is Peter Gannon, a jazz pianist from Canada. I spoke with Peter for the first time back in '90 or so, when my dad was still alive. BIAB was at version 1 or 2 at that point in time.
If you've ever peeked under the hood to see how the program cleverly mixes up parts (Style Editor) depending on the length of the chord and whether you're in the A or B sections, you know that there are all of these tiny recordings designated by a number. Most are a 5, meaning that the program will choose it randomly the same as others. If you change the number it changes the frequency. There are also bar and beat masks, but I digress...
The walking bass parts are effective not because of their harmonic power per se, but the fact that so many rhythm drops (8ths) are added to push the groove. However, if you understand the bass role in jazz, there are all kinds of hidden flaws. For instance, let's say a bass line is leading from an F# note on the 4th beat to a chord change and a G note on the 1st beat of the next bar. BIAB will often opt for the lower octave, something a good bassist would never do. But most will never notice that due to the positive rhythm factor. Me? I'm fussy about those things and rarely will use a BIAB walk "as is" without serious surgery, and you can easily do that by exporting it as a MIDI file and then editing it in a notation program, like G7, Finale, Sibelius, Encore, etc.
Moving on...
Generally speaking, the best way to learn about walks is by observing bass players who do it well. For me early on it was Ray Brown, Ron Carter, Sam Jones, Scott LaFaro, Paul Chambers, and others. Check out the Jamey Aebersold CDs for notable bass players, because you can turn off the keys and clearly hear the bass parts. When the "All Bird" (Vol. VI) edition was released many moons ago, I jumped all over it and transcribed every Ron Carter walk on it. Another great source is right here at Vision Music, because the jazz and swing blues tracks at Jam Central Station are my arrangements, and based on what I've learned from those legends. You can also turn off the keys on the JCS tracks, plus download the MIDIs like BIAB and see the music in a notation program. My bass lines are definitely stronger due to my influences. Strength generates strength.
And finally, the easiest walks are those when the chords change every two beats, because it's like connecting the dots with one passing tone between roots. It gets a bit tougher when they occur every four beats, but the number of ways that you can, let's say, move from a I chord to a IV chord and back (as in swing blues) are not unlimited by any means. The toughest challenges are when you're sitting on a single chord for two bars or longer. And keep in mind achieving balance between vertical and horizontal motion when walking or sequencing a jazz walk, just as you would in a good jazz solo. All for now...
- Mark
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Gorecki
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Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 238
Location: Glenwood, MD
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| Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 5:09 am Post subject: |
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Awesome! As of lately I've been hearing a lot of Ray Brown because of Peterson recordings. So what I'll do since I have been soaking it up like a sponge is listen hard for Brown's changes and see if I can find his comfort zone (so to speak), if I get lucky I'll hear it. And take a step or two from there...hopefully. 
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Fajah
Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 9
Location: Toronto
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 12:20 pm Post subject: |
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Being a both a jazz/blues guitar and bass player, I found that my jazz guitar theory helped me to build my walking bass lines. I have BIAB, which I found to be helpful to a point, but I got the most from taking several versions of staight 12 bar blues tunes first, then on to jazz/blues, and finally modal tunes (like So What and Impressions), slowing them down and getting ideas from them.
The software I use to slow down and loop sections is freeware and can be found here;
http://www.xs4all.nl/~mp2004/bp/#download
Hope this helps,
Lawrie |
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Gorecki
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Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 238
Location: Glenwood, MD
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 3:29 pm Post subject: |
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Hey Lawrie, glad to see ya here! 
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Fajah
Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 9
Location: Toronto
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Gorecki wrote: | | Hey Lawrie, glad to see ya here! |
Nice to be here, thanks. Hope I can contribute in a meaningful way. I'm also happy to see the creation of a Vision Music forum (and administered by you  ) since I've been a Vision Music member for a long time now. Mark does such a wonderful job with the site, and it's been invaluable over the years in my jazz guitar playing pursuit. So much so, I was listening to a Kenny Burrell tune called Midnight Blue this morning. Went into all my fake books to see if I could find the chart, and nothing. So I go to Jam Central Station and bingo.....there it is. Jam Track and all. Gotta love it.
I'm also pleased to see a bass section, where we can share some ideas, for I've been playing blues/jazz bass solidly for a good couple of years now. But you know most this anyway from my posts in other forums
Lawrie
PS - Until Mark's post, I never knew your name was Brian
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Mr. Lawrie Mann: Toronto, Canada
Guitar Gear:
1968 Raven Semi Hollow
1970 Ovation Balladeer
SX STL-50
Roland Cube 60
Roland Microcube
Bass Gear:
SX SJB-75
Douglas WEB-846 Fretless
Markbass LMII
Bergantino AE112 Cab |
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Gorecki
Site Admin
Joined: 24 Feb 2007
Posts: 238
Location: Glenwood, MD
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| Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 4:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Fajah wrote: |
PS - Until Mark's post, I never knew your name was Brian |
Well I guess we'll learn something new here even if it isn't what we expected.
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