Bass Lessons

I've taught 1000's of bass lessons to aspiring players in almost every style. But I've always felt that the walking bass materials that were available were lacking. Many method books will devote a short chapter to the basic concepts, while others will simply provide a series of etudes or duets as examples in the hope that students will "get the idea."

For years, as I've worked to improve my own jazz bass chops, I've wanted to develop some way to jumpstart a serious student's understanding of walking. I wanted to give them some ready patterns that will cover common playing situations.

The series of 18 exercises below are the results of that desire. They focus on connecting common ii - V chord changes using chromatic variations of two walking bass cliches. Each 6-part exercise also takes those variations and expands them using pathways based on inversions.

As I build out this lens, I will expand on the thinking that developed these exercises. In the meantime, they are offered below for those of you who have a grasp of the basics and want to dive right in. I've also included MIDI renditions of the exercises, with accompanyments, to allow students to hear how the lines relate to the changes.

The exercises are presented in the key of C. Many teachers would suggest transposing and practicing them in all keys. While this isn't a bad idea, better still would be to apply the patterns to some specific songs (break out your Real Books if you have them). Look for tunes like "Minority" or "Just Friends" or "How High the Moon." I'll add additional lessons in applying these ideas to altered changes soon.

Thanks! -- Al