Walking Bass Lines
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C H O P SB UI L D E R ➧ ➧ CORYELL PHOTO: GP ARCHIVES 142 GUITAR PLAYER MARCH 2002 guitarplayer.com BEING ABLE TO comp and play bass lines at the same time is a very handy skill to have. This column deals with rhythm changes, a progres- sion (based on George Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm”) that centers on the patterns I-VI-II-V and III-VI-II-V. Although the fin- gerings below work for me, they’re not carved in stone. When I’m in “bass-line comp” mode, I put down the pick and use just my thumb and fingers. Now let’s look at the music. Another way to play the opening chord is to barre the 6th fret with your 1st finger, fretting the D note with your 2nd finger. In measure 4, two-note chords are held for two beats while the bass keeps moving. Measure 5 features a barre at the 1st fret, after which you shift to the fifth position to play Bb/D. Notice that the Bb chord in bar 7 does not have a root—this is because the line is moving upward chromatically, and the Walking Bass Lines C L A S S I C C O L U M N BY LARRY CORYELL T A B 4 4 ( ) 1 B 7 Gm7 Cm7 F7 Dm7 5 G7 Cm7 F7 6 6 7 9 9 10 10 8 8 8 8 8 9 6 7 8 8 5 6 6 5 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 1 1 1 2 2 0 2 2 3 3 4 2 2 4 1 2 1 4 2 2 3 4 3 2 1 3 3 2 4 3 3 = 3 4 3 3 2 2 4 3 3 T A B 5 F7 Cm7 G7 B Edim7 E 7 B /D B 7 1 1 4 1 2 4 1 2 3 1 2 3 2 3 1 2 1 1 1 3 5 5 8 6 6 6 6 8 8 7 7 6 8 8 8 9 6 7 10 10 9 8 8 8 9 9 8 8 7 7 1 3 3 4 3 4 2 3 T A B 9 B7 G 7 D 7 Dm7 B 7 G7 Cm7 F7sus4 2 4 3 2 2 3 3 4 1 2 1 4 3 3 4 1 3 2 3 2 1 6 6 7 4 3 3 4 4 3 3 1 1 2 1 3 6 5 5 5 3 4 4 4 3 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 1 3 4 “There are only two kinds of music,” says Coryell. “Good and bad.”
Transcript of Walking Bass Lines
CHOPS BUILDER➧ ➧
CORYELL PHOTO: GP ARCHIVES142 GUITAR PLAYER MARCH 2002 guitarplayer.com
BEING ABLE TO compand play bass lines atthe same time is avery handy skill tohave. This columndeals with rhythmchanges, a progres-
sion (based on George Gershwin’s “I GotRhythm”) that centers on the patternsI-VI-II-V and III-VI-II-V. Although the fin-gerings below work for me, they’re notcarved in stone. When I’m in “bass-linecomp” mode, I put down the pick and
use just my thumb and fingers. Now let’slook at the music.
Another way to play the openingchord is to barre the 6th fret with your1st finger, fretting the D note with your2nd finger. In measure 4, two-notechords are held for two beats while thebass keeps moving. Measure 5 featuresa barre at the 1st fret, after which youshift to the fifth position to play Bb/D.Notice that the Bb chord in bar 7 doesnot have a root—this is because the lineis moving upward chromatically, and the
Walking Bass LinesC L A S S I C C O L U M N
B Y L A R R Y C O R Y E L L
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B 7 Gm7 Cm7 F7 Dm7 5 G7�� Cm7 F7
6
6 7
9 9
10
10 8
8
8 8
8 9 6 7 8 8
5 6
6 5
4 3
3 4
4 3
3 1
1
1
2
2
0
2 2
3 3
�4 2
2 4 1
2 1
4
2 2
3 4
3 2
1 3
3
2
4 3 �
3
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4 3 3
2
2 4 3 3
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� ��5
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1
1 4
1
2 4
1 2 3
1 2
3 2
3
1 2
1 1
1 3
5 5 8
6
6 6
6 8
8 7 7
6 8
8 8 9
6 7
10
10 9
8
8 8
9 9
8
8 7
7
1 3
3
4
3
4 2 3
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� ��9
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2
4 3
2 2 3 3
4 1
2 1
4
3 3
4 1
3
2
3 2
1
6
6 7
4 3
3 4
4 3
3 1
1 2
1 3
6 5 5
5 3
4
4
4 3
2 2
2 3
2 2
2 1
3 4
“There are only twokinds of music,” saysCoryell. “Good andbad.”
Get GP’s Sessions sampler CD and its 11 expert lessons for just five American greenbacks. Call (800) 222-5544 for details.
Net scrapers: To decode GP’s music notation and hear Sessions sound samples, visit the Lessons Archive on the Web at guitarplayer.com.
guitarplayer.com MARCH 2002 GUITAR PLAYER 143
March ’02 Guitar Player Feature Lesson:
Puttin’ the Breaks on the Blues, BY JUDE GOLD
March ’02 Guitar Player Chops Builders:
Whole-Tone Helper, BY JUDE GOLD
Portable Harmonics, BY MATT BLACKETT
Walking Bass Lines, BY LARRY CORYELL
Reader’s Challenge, BY BOB LOOMIS
L E S S O N S a t T r u e f i r e . c o m
Some previously published lessons are still available on CD. For more information, contactNotes On Call, Box 60789, St. Petersburg, FL 33784; (800) 222-5544.
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chord acts as a passing harmony.Measure 10 has another shift. Here, you
jump from the first-position F bass note tothe Ebat the 6th fret, fifth string, putting youin position for the subsequent Dm7 chord.Measure 11 features some chord substitu-
tions to end the exercise: Db7 is substitutedfor G7, Gb7 for Cm7, and B7 replaces F7.
Rhythm changes usually include astandard bridge—the B section—that, in thekey of Bb, consists of two bars each of D7,G7, C7, and F7. To complete the progression
as it’s normally played, play what’s writtenhere—the A section—twice, play the bridgethat I just described, and then play the firstpart one more time. This is referred to as anAABA form. Originally published in the August’88 GP. g
“Your vibrato is your identity.” — Zakk Wylde, Sept. ’00, GP
