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Gospel Instruments => Organ Room => Topic started by: rjthakid on April 10, 2006, 03:03:11 PM

Title: Walking Basslines
Post by: rjthakid on April 10, 2006, 03:03:11 PM
Is there any theory behind doing walking basslines?  It's something I'd LOVE to learn how to do, but nobody can explain it.
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: rjthakid on April 10, 2006, 04:53:13 PM
Don't just view people

RESPOND!!!
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: rjthakid on April 11, 2006, 09:53:03 AM
This is a shame.    :'(
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: Muziqmann on April 11, 2006, 10:32:23 AM
Don't be discouraged.  The theory behind walking basslines is difficult for me to explain.  I'll to some research and get back to you as soon as I can. 
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: diverse379 on April 11, 2006, 03:25:15 PM
I thought I had answered this but I guress I did not
mystery man is right walking is a concept that you can get pretty deep about

but to give you the basics

the first thing you want to do is

is layout your chords in measures meaning

a measure is a amount oif time that has four beats if you are in common time
and three beats in 3/4 time

if you are dealing with common time

then each measure will have four beats

now your chord progression will fit into these measures in different ways you have to count to see how long they last

but lets look at a simple song and se if we cant create a walk ing bass line

Rule 1
for the one chord and the four chord play
root 3 5 6

for the five chord play
root b7 5 b7 5

notice each chord has four notes one note per bar

for minor chords play
Root 2 b3 3

If you use these notes and combine them with
the following ideas you may be able to get strarted

10 tips

play the root on beat one of the bar frequently the fifth can work too in the porper context and sometimes the b7
think ahead know where you are going
play primarily chord tones or diatonic tones on the strong beats
repeat notes especially the root
add occasional 8th notes
thing of the bass line as a second melody
sing a bass line then play it
you should seek to approach your chord target by either a half step or scale step
vary your lines by rocking octaves


here are some patterns for
the numbers are all in the key of whatever the one is so when you see the four chord the numbers still are referrin to the scale of the one chord  na mean?
your chords good luck

1 going to four
1 b7 6 5 4
1 3 5 b5 4
1 2 b3 3 4
1 b7 5 b5 4
1 2 3 5 4

These methods will get you from the one to the four chord

what about if you want to go back to the one from the four?

4 b3 2 b2 1
4 6 b7 7 1


what about you hanging out on one for a while

1 3 5 6 b7 6 5 3 1

1 1 4 #4 5 6 b7 7 1


what about
2 5 1

II           V           I
2 3 4 #4 5 6 b7 7 1

2 1 7 6 5 4 3 2 1


These patterns will get you started

my suggestion is either buy a bass book and practice out of it

or pick up bl;ues keyboard intermdiate and beginner by alfred press they have lots of ideas on walking

but the bass book is your best bet   it is a longer route but hey youy already have several patterns to keep you busy invest your time now in understanding how to think like a bass player

na mean?

Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: rjthakid on April 11, 2006, 04:42:42 PM
I thought I had answered this but I guress I did not
mystery man is right walking is a concept that you can get pretty deep about

but to give you the basics

the first thing you want to do is

is layout your chords in measures meaning

a measure is a amount oif time that has four beats if you are in common time
and three beats in 3/4 time

if you are dealing with common time

then each measure will have four beats

now your chord progression will fit into these measures in different ways you have to count to see how long they last

but lets look at a simple song and se if we cant create a walk ing bass line

Rule 1
for the one chord and the four chord play
root 3 5 6

for the five chord play
root b7 5 b7 5

notice each chord has four notes one note per bar

for minor chords play
Root 2 b3 3

If you use these notes and combine them with
the following ideas you may be able to get strarted

10 tips

play the root on beat one of the bar frequently the fifth can work too in the porper context and sometimes the b7
think ahead know where you are going
play primarily chord tones or diatonic tones on the strong beats
repeat notes especially the root
add occasional 8th notes
thing of the bass line as a second melody
sing a bass line then play it
you should seek to approach your chord target by either a half step or scale step
vary your lines by rocking octaves


here are some patterns for
the numbers are all in the key of whatever the one is so when you see the four chord the numbers still are referrin to the scale of the one chord  na mean?
your chords good luck

1 going to four
1 b7 6 5 4
1 3 5 b5 4
1 2 b3 3 4
1 b7 5 b5 4
1 2 3 5 4

These methods will get you from the one to the four chord

what about if you want to go back to the one from the four?

4 b3 2 b2 1
4 6 b7 7 1


what about you hanging out on one for a while

1 3 5 6 b7 6 5 3 1

1 1 4 #4 5 6 b7 7 1


what about
2 5 1

II           V           I
2 3 4 #4 5 6 b7 7 1

2 1 7 6 5 4 3 2 1


These patterns will get you started

my suggestion is either buy a bass book and practice out of it

or pick up bl;ues keyboard intermdiate and beginner by alfred press they have lots of ideas on walking

but the bass book is your best bet   it is a longer route but hey youy already have several patterns to keep you busy invest your time now in understanding how to think like a bass player

na mean?

Thanks alot D.  I gotta come up to the Bronx to hear you play.  You must be a monster.   ;D  ;D  ;D
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: diverse379 on April 11, 2006, 04:46:48 PM
Monster???
yeah Elmo maybe

 I m just learning like you im just a little further down the road
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: rjthakid on April 11, 2006, 04:58:40 PM
Monster???
yeah Elmo maybe

 :D  :D  :D
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: 4hisglory on April 11, 2006, 05:02:55 PM
Walkikng bass lines are all about knowing w"where" you are going and how you are going to get there in the correct timing (which I can't do by the way :) ).

Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: lorenz_j on April 12, 2006, 05:34:39 PM
1.  Here's a simple definition:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walking_bass

2.  Do a search on "Milt Hinton" and "Walking bass".  Many credit bass musician, Hinton with making 'walking the bass' popular.

Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: trenton16 on May 23, 2006, 06:02:02 PM
here r the scale degrees that i learn how to walk a bass. it works for me when i'm playin by ear or by notes... 1 3 4 41/2 5 6 61/2 7
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: jomo7 on May 24, 2006, 12:46:58 AM
 ;D
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: HustleMan on November 13, 2006, 01:48:58 PM
diverse379's post was so good I had to bump this one up.
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: fretai03 on November 13, 2006, 02:47:20 PM
I learned to do it by learning & combining the circle of 5ths & each mode. Well that's the theory side of things...

As for putting it into an actual song!? ::)  I'm getting there...
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: Cherri on November 13, 2006, 05:12:11 PM
I know the feeling...
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: diverse379 on November 14, 2006, 01:26:40 PM
wow a blast from the past

it was good seeing those ideas again

i need to revisit those concepts
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: HustleMan on November 14, 2006, 01:35:16 PM
wow a blast from the past

it was good seeing those ideas again

i need to revisit those concepts

Don't see you in the Organ room too much these days.

(I don't see ANYBODY in the Organ room too much these days.  lol)
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: diverse379 on November 15, 2006, 04:35:15 AM
I dont know what it is about the organists on this site they dont share a lot.

the organ room seems to be a running commentary on who is the favorite organists or what town has the baddest runs

or did anybody see kim burrell in chicago


there does not seem to be a lot of teaching and when I do teach what little i know no body really chimes in to add or refute or have a dialogue

so i tend to post more in the keyboard room

some of the advanced cats probably dont have the time to post or their stuff is way to intricate to articulate.

I know key wiz does some amazing chord posts

and I am sure others do from time to time but my posts are slowing up because I am now in school and I am doing a lot of classical stuff so I dont really have much to offer now but when the inspiration hits I will definitely share.

Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: HustleMan on November 15, 2006, 10:06:01 AM
It's odd.

The Organ is one of the most complex instruments to play, and one of the most beautiful....Yet the Organ Room is one of the most DEAD Instrument Rooms.

There are some many different techniques to be played on the Organ it's STAGGERING....Yet the posting here is so sparse.

 :'(
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: mt_spiffy on November 15, 2006, 01:06:42 PM
While it's geared towards jazz organ, and not gospel, this is a very good site about learning to play walking bass:

http://organfreak.tripod.com/bass.html
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: HustleMan on November 15, 2006, 02:02:57 PM
While it's geared towards jazz organ, and not gospel, this is a very good site about learning to play walking bass:

[url]http://organfreak.tripod.com/bass.html[/url]


Excellent, Excellent stuff.  Thank you.
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: Cherri on November 15, 2006, 03:33:23 PM
It's odd.

The Organ is one of the most complex instruments to play, and one of the most beautiful....Yet the Organ Room is one of the most DEAD Instrument Rooms.

There are some many different techniques to be played on the Organ it's STAGGERING....Yet the posting here is so sparse.

 :'(

I concur...
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: diverse379 on November 16, 2006, 12:32:45 PM
hey cherri you dont check to see if a brother is breating?

anyway back to the subject

I will say that you will find several clips of organists doing their thing and to be honest a lot of what organists do you really hae to have both the visual and auditory because it is so very improvisational and unless you really understand how to pull off the techniques you will find it difficult to play whaty you are reading on this site there is no tempo markings no way to illustrate syncopation and speeding up of a phrase. 

basically if you are good enough you can take some simple posts of songs and adapt them to organ./

trust me I know the frustration you feel but as I get better on the organ I am realizing it is not so easy to really teach it without being able to use writen music and rhythyms
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: Cherri on November 16, 2006, 12:47:45 PM
hey cherri you dont check to see if a brother is breating?

anyway back to the subject

I will say that you will find several clips of organists doing their thing and to be honest a lot of what organists do you really hae to have both the visual and auditory because it is so very improvisational and unless you really understand how to pull off the techniques you will find it difficult to play whaty you are reading on this site there is no tempo markings no way to illustrate syncopation and speeding up of a phrase. 

basically if you are good enough you can take some simple posts of songs and adapt them to organ./

trust me I know the frustration you feel but as I get better on the organ I am realizing it is not so easy to really teach it without being able to use writen music and rhythyms

Just make a sister feel bad, why don't ya! Apologizes... Apologizes...

Understanding rhythm/time does make things a littler less confusing...
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: HustleMan on November 16, 2006, 12:57:31 PM
there is no tempo markings no way to illustrate syncopation and speeding up of a phrase. 

Very true.  Chorded songs help for worship music, but playing a devotional?   :D  :D  :D

I've even seen people try to put little explanations in the songs they post, but it JUST ISN'T THE SAME.

Hey diverse379, do you have the Eddie Howard DVD?  If not GET IT.  It's off the charts.   :o  :o  :o
Title: Re: Walking Basslines
Post by: diverse379 on November 16, 2006, 02:10:53 PM
Very true.  Chorded songs help for worship music, but playing a devotional?   :D  :D  :D

I've even seen people try to put little explanations in the songs they post, but it JUST ISN'T THE SAME.

Hey diverse379, do you have the Eddie Howard DVD?  If not GET IT.  It's off the charts.   :o  :o  :o

Lol You know I have it I have everything Wheatworks put out trust me i am also on the waiting list for the new jermaine griegs dvd

I even bought a new notebook and the only thing that is going in it are chords and songs from the dvd's I own  I am writing them in staff paper to further develop my reading and notating skiills

the eddie howard dvd is probably the best product sebastian (wheatworks) put out

but to be honest i find that there is some definite relation ship between what roger jean taught in brooklyn organ roger broke down the basics so once you get through that you can tackle eddie howard with no problem.
to be honest i believe that if you really want to be the best you can be

you should have the pj morgan and the roger jean and master everything on both of those dvds  the eddie howard will round out your devotional traditional playing and you will be a beast

i just finished the roger jean right hand stuff and it is definitely tight.  I have been playing around with eddie howard too but i am focusing more on roger jean

check out the clips from hear and play's new organ dvd there is some definite hotness their

by the way how long have you been playing whats your pedigree what have you studied who do you study

what is your style