Walking Bass Line Lesson: 5 Plug-And-Play Formulas You Can Use Right Now
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- Опубліковано 1 жов 2024
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►► FREE: Get the walking bass tabs, notation, and backing track from this lesson, then take your walking bass lines to the next level with my guide to the modes →
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Walking bass lines can be an absolute mystery - especially for beginners. Someone shoves a chord chart in your face and expects you to know exactly how to get through it.
In theory, it should be easy. You just have to play 4 notes per bar, right? In reality, it can be a lot trickier than it sounds.
The conventional wisdom when it comes to learning how to make your own walking bass lines usually boils down to 2 things:
#1 - Learning millions of fancy scales and arpeggios; or
#2 - Spending years transcribing existing walking lines from famous recordings
Now if you’re serious about your walking bass lines, you should absolutely do these things. There’s no substitute for putting in the work.
But what if you don’t have time to learn a million fancy scales or arpeggios? Or you don’t want to spend years transcribing walking lines? What can you do then?
Well, instead of going through all that, you can actually get started very quickly and surprisingly easily. In today’s video, I want to show you how get started with walking bass lines using 5 simple formulas.
The walking bass lines that these formulas make will definitely get you started and help you out in a pinch.
However, if you want to get serious about your walking bass lines and get them to the to the next level, then be sure to go here:
becomeabassist...
Fill out the form on that page and sign up for the Ultimate Guide To The Modes For Bass. Not only will you get the Guide, but I've also put the tabs and notation for all the lines in this lesson in there as well as the practice track from this video so you can try all of them out for yourself.
Of course, the notes in your walking lines are just one part of the equation. We haven’t even started talking about how a walking line should feel. That will have to wait for another day!
Of course if you have any questions about walking lines, just let me know in the comments below or send me a message through the site.
Good luck with the lesson and happy walking!
Cheers,
Luke
You put it so well! This video is probably one of the best on the internet explaining walking bass. As an internet only taught bassist, I greatly appreciate this.
Thanks so much Eli - I'm happy you got so much out of this lesson. And thanks for your kind words as well!
I agree Eli! I am primarily a guitar guy but am getting very serious about bass! New to Luke and feel that his lessons are in the league of Steve Stine"s lessons whom I feel is such a fantastic guitar teacher! I made a strict rule for myself when I put a bass in my hands is to think like a bassist and not like a guitarist! Luke is helping me stay in that framework!
Eli...agreed on all counts!
Eli Porter I agree
@@BecomeABassist 1aaaaaa
I love that you put that Tabs and notes on screen. its hard for new players to keep replaying the same 10 sec clip trying to learn the pattern without the tabs.
I've ben playing these 5 formulas over and over and found that by counting 1-2-3-4 as I played. it helped me see that every time I was starting on the root. This was a sea change lesson for me. Thank you Luke.
That "huge ugly leap" is actually used a lot too, it's kinda cool when used sparingly. Just something one shouldn't overuse and be careful when to do it
With great power, comes great responsibility 😂
I wish I had seen this 20 years ago
Ditto
Me too but its not too late.
Gregory Grimes too late
When you are playing over a minor chord why do you say it’s the 1 3 5, isn’t it a flat 3 ?
Walking bass was a technique I have needed to work on in my playing for a long time. Your tutelage has made it easy for me to understand and experiment with! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Thanks' Luke for sharing your musical knowledge with us great lessons.
Pondering Luke.
I am learning bass.
You teach well.
The Bible says, A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance and doeth good like a medicine and he that winneth souls is wise.
There is no god
@@MenkoDany A merry heart does you good
I've never seen a walking bass lesson this thorough. There was so much more explanation of the examples. Well done, sir! What are the specs and model of that Spector bass?
Glad you like the lesson Robert! And the bass is a Spector Euro, although I'm not sure about the exact specs or model. I bought it 2nd hand from a friend and never really asked about those things - I just loved the way it sounded and played.
That was surely the clearest explanation of walking bass I have seen!!! Thank you very much Luke!!!
First definitely subscribing. This was in my feed. These days I primarily play and teach piano, but I will be helping somebody learn
base. I really like the tab and the sheet music form. This is great for pianist also. I plan to send this link to my students, past and present.
As an amateur jazz guitarist, I do versions of this, as the base line figures heavily in chord melody songs. Presently I am working on White Christmas. It has a lot of diminished chords and altered chords. I will be soon putting in the
tabs, even going back and redoing some of my old videos. Believe or not, great site reading possibilities.
I am looking forward to using this video with my students. Glad I found your site. Pianostyle100..
If you teach you think you could give me bass pointers for learning the fret board?
Thanks Luke, for a super lesson. You've given me the courage to finally tackle the bass.😊
so how it was going ? its been a year now lol
Just perfect! Thank you!!! With that approach: the secret of bass lines are revealed 😘
from Argentina, muchas gracias por tus videos, son increiblemente instructivos.
Played bass since HS (teen rockband), church gospel and always wanted to do bass walking but never could. Until seeing how you did it on this video. Now I gotta get working on it. Thank you!
This is such a fabulous explanation/demonstration of walking bass! Makes me want to shout, laugh, dance. I first viewed this video and learned the techniques Luke is teaching here back when it was posted, and since then, everyone I play with thinks I'm a friggin' jazzer!
zajebiscie tłumaczy na prezydenta go!!!!
thanks Luke for your great instruction. You break it down so simple. You are a great instructor. Mr.Jazz
Thanks, my dream of playing walking Jazz bass has come to reality. Thanks to You!!!!
Wow, I’ve been playing guitar for 40+ years but I’m falling in love with bass thanks to your help.
Awesome walking bassline learning tool Luke !!😱🎶😁
Thank you so much! You are a TRUE help for beginners. Thank you again.
That was an excellent video on walking bass. I'm pretty good at walking the bass right now and understand jazz theory, but I'm interested in idiosyncratic bass lines for country songs (if there are such a things). I need to make some money and I don't want to sit around and transcribe Country tunes (I'm lazy). Besides root/5th/approach tone/ walk ups/ walk downs is there anything else in that style.
thank you Luke
very useful lesson
walking bass made easy !!
Wow. Thank you so much.
Finally a lesson that I can easily understand.
I looked so many you tube films. This is the first I really understand and have quick successes. 👍👍👍🙂
Mind blown. Like 25 yrs ago I played bassnin rock band and it was boooooring.
Now i bought this badly held punk bass that i fixed.
I never felt anything like this with bass guitar. Thanks bro. I am having fun here !!!!
Got to make my own backing track
Thanks Luke! I’ve been trying to get my walking bass down recently. Very helpful!
You're welcome Sean! Glad to hear it's helpful!
Good lesson for beginers..The fórmula #5 could be better explained as 1 2 b3 3 and goes to the Target...(hace falta una fórmula descendente.) I would like to add a descending line formula ..
8 7(3) 5 and goes the Target.. perfect 4th up ...(3)means the third of the following chord...
I am a bass player from colombia
Ej..on this chords
Dm7/G7/C∆7. ... play
DC(B)A /GF(E)D /C......
Ej 2...
Dm7b5/G7/Cm7.... play
DC(B)Ab /GF(Eb)D /C.....
I hope..this advices...help the students..
Bye🎶🎵👍
Luke explained it so well. I now understand walking bass lines. It's like taking a walk in the park, on your bass. I am a big fan of his videos!
Perhaps I am simply an ungrateful bastard, but one extreme frustration I find in many such videos is the presenter over explaining everything as if everyone watching is an absolute novice. That said, you do strike a good balance. I am getting back into playing bass after not playing it seriously for almost 15 years, and I was able to pick up a few tricks here.
Well done.
Very well done! This was one of my weak points, but after watching this video I really understand how to connect the dots now. Thanks!!!!!
Amazing! I'm so happy to hear it Carlton.
"Plug and play." I see. What a bunch of bullshit. 1) get Carol Kaye's materials. 2) Wanna play like Wooten? Then go straight to Wooten and work on his shit. This guy ain't gonna take you anywhere. He's throwing up barriers to learning for his own pocket. Brits didn't invent contemporary music. Americans did. Any fool think a Brit's gonna get you playing for real? No. He's miring you in HIS shit and none of it is every going to be your own.
I feel the same way you did when you first heard this. Totally confused. Ugh. I'm not clever enough for this.
Just pause when the tab comes up and play it slowly. In the meantime look into chord tones so you can learn what 1st, 3rds and 5ths are. You're making it more complicated than it need be. It's not simple, granted but you can do this, Rik!
@@pleromicpastry5445 Lol, your profile picture is funny
And yes, great suggestion!
Thanks this is very helpful to get me started! I need to work on some jazz basslines for a new band I'll be playing with and I've mostly played just bluegrass/folk/Irish music on double bass before.
What a brilliant video, I've been struggling with walking bass lines for so long, and in just 20 mins, I'm already jamming to jazz bass tracks.
Thank you so much Luke!
This is exactly what I like to hear Matthew! Thanks so much for letting me know - this is awesome!
I’m an intermediate bass player working on my theory. this is a much better lesson than the others that I’ve ran across . I’m wondering if there is an order to the videos that would make following your lesson plan easier.
cool tip, for every other chord i used to desend, 8765.... same like 1235
I didn't know I'd been doing chromatic approach notes from below almost my entire play history.
hi luke - long time no see :) this lesson is so good for me - becouse i already know the scales and where is what an the neck but i didnt know that i can use this 1-3-5-3 for plaing jezz SO im gonna practice now on this / so funny this is an old lesson of yours .... Israeli gritting and care
My teacher in college was absolutely horrible.. wish I had this back then. Thank you!
What's up next well if you add the burps in with that oh my God then you are a BASS god..!!!
question 1...can u clarify on the minor 3rd from the target note? so in other words, if the root is C and the target note is G, that means i play C then E, F, F# and then G?
Nice lesson for beginner bass player like me to give me something I can work on.. Switching from 6 string guitar. I find your teaching technique most enjoyable.
Thanks John - I'm glad it works for you!
Fantastic!! Simple and Clear! Well done!!! Abs
Thanks Marcelo - glad you like it.
thanks Luke...what make and model of bass you play please. sounds great.
Thank you! This video finally made it click for me
So simple to understand! Thank you!!
I'm very interested to this lessons
I liked the ’ugly’ leap 🤣
Thank you very much. However I don't get why at 7:30 we aim for the G? We are in Dm7, and the notes are D, F, A, C, Dmin7. Is the choice of G arbitrary?
Ah, got it! The G is the root for the next chord (G7). But playing this G7 with notes in reverse order, no root, and a chromatic note to link to the next chord (C maj7)...well, I would never guess it is a G7 chord if it was not written on the annotations. It does not make sense to me.
Luke, I have listened to all the UA-cam guys, and want to say yours will help me move forward. Its precise, no showy "stuff" and doesn't loose me in those who want to show me their knowledge of music theory complexities. I appreciate you and looking forward as I restart my bass learning.
"...doesn't lose me..."
Excellent!!!
Luke!!
You're a Master!!!
This was a great tutorial. Thanks so much!
No worries Larry - Glad you liked it!
At 14:20 This pattern is a must know lick for a jazz musician. I studied it for an hour. The base is
what unifies the band , as far a chord structure and forward movement. On the G7 on the base b, I use G7b9. Which is nothing more than a Ab dim. notes (Ab B D F).. This gives a climbing effect. The base line note is B but next is a C, chord, which is when the C is played on base.
Bass*
Really good stuff. Mainly a guitar player but lately also love to play bass!
Very good Tutorial(super)?
Incredible! This lesson is amazing! Thank you so very much!
Thanks so much for watching it @John Kimble - I hope it helps!
Hey Luke...this is the second time I've tried to get the guide to the modes...it never came.
You explain things so well for beginners and make it so interesting to play bass! Thank you for this video!
What a great lesson for us newbies! I love the patient, repetitive and well-explained way that you presented the material. I will definitely look for your other lessons. Thanks so much.
You're welcome @Chester Burnett - I'm happy the lesson worked well for you! That's always great to hear.
I've checked out a lot of beginner walking bass line videos - this has been the most accessible and helpful I've found so far. Thanks :)
Awesome to hear! Thanks for checking it out.
Romans 10:9
Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Oh, I'm not from Rome. I actually live in Australia: 10/10
WHERE DID YOU STASH THE BACKING TRACK LESON 5 DOES IT HAVE ANOTHER NAME
Thank you ! Very helpful!
To je přednáška jako by štěpil atom..
Great job, thanks man
Great lesson if you could explain it better. Show what notes you’re playing
I'm not sure what you mean @georgeray2630. Did you not see the fretboard diagrams and the tabs and notation on the screen?
great class, greetings from Tijuana!
like your style thanks for the great bass info...
Brilliant! Thank you so much!
This is VERY Helpful!!! Thanks!! I've been playing for 7 months and am wanting to learn walking. This is very good.
Thank you, it has been said before but to say it again this was a transformative lesson for me. It brought several elements together including an introduction to walking bass, chord integration and even simple rhythm in a simple digestible, approachable way.
You're welcome Fred. Thanks for watching and thanks for the kind words as well!
Outstanding...I learned a lot with this video
I played trumpet for almost 10 years, but I've started playing bass and I had no experience with chords and chord progressions and needing to understand them
But learning the patterns of the fret board and watching this helped me use the music theory skills I already had from trumpet, being able to remember the scales and transfer them onto the bass!
Thanks !!
every time Luke says, Yeah? I eat one of my basses
Yeah? Wow...
@@BecomeABassist Luke, I want to thank you, your videos have helped me make my high school jazz band. Keep up the great work!
That's awesome @Andrew Brown! Congratulations!
Great video excellent teacher. Thanks you so much
No worries Gael - glad you think so.
I play classical guitar but now dabbling with the bass for recording purposes, finding your channel super useful, appreciate the work , thanks 🙏🏻
wow i really like youre videos and how you teach them
I've never had a problem with walking bass lines. Key players (piano players) play basses differently from how guitar players play basses.
I noticed that you deleted your other comment @Paul Anderson, although I’m still curious what you meant. I’m all ears if you want to share.
@@BecomeABassist It's my ears that are/were wrong. I heard the piano as a straight C, not Cmaj7.
As a 40 year pro..........this here is THE BEST OF THE BEST....!!!! 🙄😳🙄😀😂❣️❣️❤️❤️
Thanks @Steven Gorum - glad you appreciate it.
Maybe we can teach the up and coming bassist in this world to separate themselves from the boys because this is for men so the big boys versus the little boys makes all the difference in the world... Then they can become world-class players and think of themselves as big men players laugh out loud ❣️❣️❣️
Music and bass playing isn't just for 'men' or 'boys' @Steven Gorum. Every human is welcome at the table of music.
Hi Luke. Fellow Aussie bass player here who's just recently discovered your channel. You're a very good teacher mate, and this is an excellent introductory lesson to walking bass. Well done. Have a listen to Anthony Jackson walk on "Jumpin at the Woodside" from Buddy Rich's "Live at Buddy's Place" (1974) - I think you'll enjoy it. It's an absolute masterclass. All the best and keep up the great work. (P.S. those NS2 Spectors are great basses )
Vous êtes super dommage que ce n’est pas soutiré en français.
Your bass needs to be louder. When u speak u can't hear the bass
What are you watching on @Schaun Drab?
Great lesson. Subscribed
what kind of bass do you play ? i really like the look keep up the good work'
In this video I’m playing a Spector. I don’t know the exact model, but it’s a great bass!
frankeevee its a Spector...it is simular to my Euro 4 but this looks to be a higher tier model.
I believe it to be a Spector Euro4 LX 4-String bass.
sweeet
I love ur 5 plug and play walking patterns lesson. U are a great player/teacher. Thx for all u doo.
dUg-Montesano, WA/USA
Hey everybody is super good here all fine no really nothing is good who can hear the bass all we hear is u talk the bass is why an body would click on the video wow turn the bass up.
Let me guess - you're watching on your phone or tablet?
I dont want to judge, first of this video is great but, often you play open strings in jazz (like a not on the fifth freat)
This is a thing that upright players do a lot because it gives the opportunity to shift positions (plus they'll always be in tune) but those things aren't AS important when playing electric. Prioritizing open strings will, in a lot of cases, 'break' the shape that these formulas are made from, and tons of electric players deliberately avoid open strings because the tone is different from all the other regular fretted notes.
When it comes down to it, neither is 'correct' or 'incorrect', and you're more than welcome to do either.
Классно Люк! С меня подписка! 👍 👍 👍Эх, ещё бы субтитры на русском!
I love this tutorial but I can't stand that the bass sounds kinda out of tune. Even that, great work. Thanks.
Thanku.... Your azom.. Cheers
Very helpful! Fanx a lot :)
Wow, wish I had seen this before. Hands down the best walking bass lesson I've seen on UA-cam. Other lessons seem to meander quite a bit and talk about all the theory before even playing a single thing, making it hard to really see how it applies. Or they'd play way too much at once, etc. So handy that you broke it into bite size pieces so we handle it as we go along. Also using the charts on screen, such an overlooked and extremely useful trick. Thanks so much, I felt so lost on walking lines until I saw this, for real!
Thanks so much for the comment friend. I'm glad you like my approach and find everything useful. I'll keep making videos like this in the future for sure.
First he says you don’t need to learn all the scales and arpeggios. Then he says if you want to do it properly then you do! Truth is you have to know them. No short cuts, do the work and learn to read music. Study harmony. Otherwise you’re always going to be behind the curve even if you have good ears and time.
Do you need to learn all the scales and arpeggios from the very start? No - you can just use the formulas in the video. If you really want to get good at walking though, then learning all that stuff is going to be essential. If you just want to scrape by on a single tune though, going hard with all the theory/modes/everything else would probably be overkill.
@@BecomeABassist Yes, I take the point. It’s a good start.
I found backing tracks to be extremely helpful. I've started gaining speed using long backing tracks and once I hear the melody I've got it.
What the hell I can walk on bass now
Fantastic!! Thanks Luke!
Am so appreciate for ur lesson
Nice bass walk at the end