How to play walking bass lines (in less than *5 minutes!)

► Grab Your FREE Walking Bass Backing Track Here: bit.ly/350Y41o
Playing a walking bassline is one of the coolest things EVER! And lucky for us, once you have some basic rules down, it’s not all that difficult. In fact, in today’s lesson I’m going to teach you how to create your own walking bassline in less than 5 minutes!
In this lesson you’re going to learn:
- Why it’s a good idea to always start with the root note.
- How to use (and apply) different chord tones to navigate the fingerboard.
- Why chromatic approach notes can be super important.
- How to give your basslines more melodic direction.
- And much more!
As always, see you in the shed…
Scott :)
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[@devinebass]

Dudes... just noticed that two chords from the 4th bar are missing (as in, I play them, but they're not written in above the TAB)... so just for clarity, the first 4 bars (with the missing chords added in) are: F7 | Bb7 | F7 | Cm7 F7 || Again, thanks SO much for the support - it's because of you guys I keep getting to make the content for this channel. You ROCK! xoxox

[@TheMahaffeymg]

Scott's Bass Lessons just came to the comments to clarify! Good stuff!

[@pastoo25]

@@TheMahaffeymg Lol, he broke the fifth wall.

[@spencerblackman5862]

Thanks this is great! Is the chart/tab available to download/print?

[@ixa-3140]

Scott I love you man your fantastic. You are officially the bass genie always coming in on time. Your the teacher of a whole generation. No exaggeration your a huge influence. It's my first year of playing and you taught me so much. Definitely will be taking the online course later on. Thank you for your hard work man. My gratefulness is beyond words. Also thanks for showing us the tape wounds😉😂

[@MikeJamesMusic]

One major concept Scott is missing in this video is that in 4/4 time most chord changes happen on beats 1 and 3. Because, this is where we hear harmonic changes, beats 1 & 3 are harmonically strong. Beats 2 and 4 are likewise weak beats. Beats 2 & 4 are where you should place chromatic notes as a general rule.

[@vassili87]

I watched his intro (where he basically said he could play any note of the chord) and I went on to pick my bass. I noticed what you said when I started play unconsciously chromatic notes.

[@danrose4024]

I have been playing bass since I was 12. I’m 40. I feel like I learn something from every video I watch. Thank you Scott for everything you do for the bassists among us. I appreciate your channel.

[@cptncanela]

No one else can explain this more clear than Scott.

[@indianumberonecountry]

If you like clear explanations of bass and music in general i suggest you check out Rick Beato if you havent. Learned so much from him and scott

[@gfj06]

Eric blackmon

[@gregdude92]

Yeah i definitely agree!

[@renwickbethea2899]

I've been a Bass player for 30 years and learned so much from this guy it's crazy! Thank you bro 👊

Best walking bass tuition I have ever seen on line. Exactly the way I teach my students. Thank you Scott.

[@patrickmckinney5974]

This reminds me of the Ed friedland building walking bass lines book I had many many years ago. That was a solid 5 minute intro to walking bass lines.

[@Bass.Player]

Jazz Blues is what got me started in Bass and I still love it...

[@maxthub]

Great explanation. This has always been a weak point in my skill set. This makes so much sense now. Thanks.

[@josephalaguna]

Brilliant discussion breaking this down. I love how you build up the process.

[@LauraBurchellNASA]

This is great, and really breaks it apart nicely. Walking basslines always seemed really mysterious to me, but not anymore! I'll have to go check out this lesson! Thanks! -Laura

[@XavierD62]

Amazing Scott, remember when you started doing this lesson videos, old-scott-school vibe

[@Trey-jl9ru]

By far the best bass teacher on the internet! Thanks for everything you do scott

[@Dadunito]

Dear Scott, thank you very much for a great video! Walking bass was always one of the most interesting ways of harmonizing the melody for me personally. But the only issue I have with the video is that here you have only illustrated what you're playing by tabs, and it makes it very difficult for me to understand instantly what you're playing. I have a classical education, currently I am studying early music, we learn harmony and theory very deeply, and my relationship with bass started not many years ago, the only people who were helping me to practice and to understand the way of thinking of jazz and pop musicians were the students here, my friends. After taking many lessons and practicing I've started playing with people, but till now, the biggest difficulty I am experiencing is that my ear is very much used to a classical harmony and counterpoint, and I'm not thinking shapes, but maybe I should. I have no problem sight-reading music, or understanding the chord structure, but I am still searching for the most efficient way of creating walking bass lines. When you've played these examples, were you thinking counterpoint, how the voices interact with each other? Or do you have more efficient, instant ways of harmonizing the chords, by bypassing the stage of thinking? Are the musical figures that you're playing, these typical micromelodies an outcome of just playing the right counterpoint? Or have you learned dozens of ways of harmonizing the individual chords by heart? Thank you so much!

[@konstantindecken2141]

Thank you for uploading such great content

[@sp1midholm]

Fantastic lesson Scott - many thanks for this one!

[@AntonMadness]

what this lesson does good, is the quickly getting to the point and letting out all other shait. Thus creating a clear few for boons like me :) Thanks man!

[@fanwtn5124]

I feel like I learned a lot from Scott, my progress is going up fast, and my knowledge is flying high. I’ve picked up the bass guitar since I was early16, and now I’m 16 almost 17 xD

[@marcomosca6486]

You are a graet bass teacher...thanks for your amazing work!!!!

[@mariomelgar2836]

I am glad I saw, this, - to the point, crisp, practical - well done.

[@bassdaze]

havent checked your channel in years... i subd LONG ago you had hardly any subscribers... LOOK AT YOU NOW !! AWESOME

[@kenshiloh]

Excellent. I have been curious about this for ages. Thanks!

[@manny75586]

Great video, Scott. I learned with the Ed Friesland book (and a teacher guiding me through it) and I couldn’t highly recommend that book enough. That said, I think they should put a link to this video in the next edition’s front cover as it really shows all of the techniques in that book quickly and clearly. It’s so helpful to be able to see and hear someone else doing it like this.

[@blues61]

Thanks Scott. Speaking of walking bass lines, I'm thoroughly enjoying Ed Friedland's SBL course on the subject. A great investment of my money and time.

[@lickbass]

A good teacher Scott. Good lesson.

[@ivanmicallef5962]

This is THE MOST IMPORTANT lesson for bass player tks

[@ThunnusAlbacares]

I thank you so much for this, It will be my practice for weeks to come.

[@geneciccone4196]

Thanks Scott... another awesome vid!

[@EJPlays_.]

Thank you very much for this Scott... It really answered some questions

[@luquann]

Scott's the mann, very educative. He has helped in a lot of areas if my playing💯. I'm a bassist youtuber and I'd love to grow my platform. You're support is greatly appreciated 🙏🙏

[@lawrencematovu4291]

I love your lessons they are so detailed

[@woolted4133]

Thanks a lot! Clear and simple

[@rickrobie4]

This is awesome thank you sooo much!

[@Mickamo]

This is an excellent lesson, easy to follow and understand I hate lessons that don’t explain the reasoning behind things this was perfect 👌

[@connoriquada5429]

Jeez, this was fun to fuck around with thanks scott!

[@camoswald6752]

Love your guy's videos. They're so helpful

[@devinebass]

Cam Oswald cheers, Cam 🙌

[@briankrueger1142]

Very helpful. Thanks!

[@johngreenwood3540]

Bloody 'ell! That is a brilliant explanation. Massive, massive thumbs-up. 👍🏻

[@simonspibey]

Approach notes have opened my eyes to Arpeggios and made them so much more interesting.

[@ricardofreitas7505]

Thank you Scott.

[@brandonanderson2066]

Well done! This is helpful.

[@WormholeDreams]

Awesome Scott!

[@nguyenbass078]

Thanks you! That's good to me !

[@Logicsimple]

I love your video classes! (Oh and btw your accent is so cool!)

[@leegibbs5317]

I smashed the like button and broke my monitor! Great video Scott.

[@eric3532]

I have a fairly beginner bass student. I’m going to save this one for later. Thanks

[@elducko1951]

Scott! Thanks for the tools! Even if I AM rather a cheapskate and haven't purchased your course. I really enjoy the vids and your approach. I find your enthusiasm very refreshing. Have a great week ahead

[@devinebass]

Tom Susala thanks for watching, Tom! 🙌

[@thatbee4923]

thats the case for me too!

[@regimiro4888]

You can get a two week free trial if you're interested

[@Red0991]

Honestly by the time you get to chromatic notes, it feels a lot like “you know what, just play what you want” 😂 love this lesson, this is something I completely skipped over learning as a punk/rock bass player.

[@mustafaalpcigman4110]

Great job Scott. As a subscriber of SBL I love what you do and keep learning from you. Ciao! P.S. Rubber meets the road is exactly what my problem still is, but working on it ;)

[@devinebass]

Mustafa Neuktura keep grooving man! :)

[@carlosabarca6200]

Thank you very much.

[@Tracer9GTRider8]

Great video!

[@konstantindecken2141]

love your channel

[@charlesmcgehee3227]

Scott, you never end emonstrating things a bassist should learn. But now I don't know how to walk bass properly.

[@MrPrincebass99]

Man, you are so fluid in your movements around the fingerboard. It also appears that you are plucking very lightly. Your action must be quite low.

[@thatbee4923]

thanks a lot this is very helpful

[@alexraulcastellvi4118]

Hi Scott, greetings from Argentina!!!! Sadly , because of the money currency it's too expensive for us to take any of your courses. However I follow you as much I can .

[@AvishekKun]

your lessons are really good

[@devinebass]

Avisek H ahhhh cheers! 🙌

[@666siccc]

Man, you‘re great. I‘m a beginner, started late with 45 years and everytime I‘m so impressed by your bass skills and your capability to explain all the coherencies. Thank you very much and greetings from germany.

[@diegovargas70]

The rubber meet the road concept is awesome 😁

[@wilfredoriverajr.]

solid gold!

[@MrGRUVES]

Smashed the like! This is a great addition to the Beginning Jazz Survival guide! Great way to condense this information down into 5 minutes.

[@erhanertetik]

amazing!!!

[@hram6886]

coooool stuff ^^

[@johnviolette5511]

Scott, you make me want to Chuck my Taylor six string and focus on bass... Which I have a nice old made in Japan fender squier jazz bass that I play on Sundays.

[@konstantindecken2141]

great video

[@EllasBass]

"a chromatic approach note is where you approach a note chromatically" Wow really Scott never would've guessed that... like John Myung who has a bass solo in metropolis where he plays a bass solo... Great video, very informative, better explained than my teacher at college did

[@dowaliby1]

This is stellar, Scott. I am a long-time guitarist who is excitedly stepping over to the "other side." My Fender Player Series Precision Bass (in Sea Foam Green) is arriving from Sweetwater today!

[@devinebass]

Awesome dude! Enjoy the journey 🤘🏻

[@dowaliby1]

Thank you! BTW, I got the bass and it is STELLAR!

[@ralfspitaler8921]

Genius ✌🏻👍🏻

[@drawebajo1750]

I like that MOULONDER BASS!!!

[@devinebass]

Drawe Bajo 😜🔥

[@juanzerda9721]

¡Gracias!

[@jetboyracing]

Thanks for this. The best thing I ever did for my Bass playing was joining SBL. The 2nd best thing was taking your 26-week course. Keep up the great work.

[@WhispyWoods.]

I slapped the like button.

[@devinebass]

Whispy Woods 😜

[@mpettymusic]

as a jazz sax player, walking bass lines actually seem to be the best thing to work on to learn how to improvise in a way that covers the harmony correctly. I'm sure it mainly because it's so similar to arpeggio exercises for songs, but the chromatic approaches help a lot make it sounds more like an improv exercise than a wasteland of arps.

[@onsesejoo2605]

Very much in the feel of Jethro Tull's Buré. :)

[@Saphedon]

I want that bass!

[@johndobson1899]

yep . you're good at this

[@joninawhitecoat]

That sounds so much like Duck Dunn. Now I want to watch the Blues Brothers. "They broke my watch!"

[@LouBass09]

The hardest part about playing walking bass lines for me personally is that I always tend to play the root note on the 1. I gotta get a bit more confident to get out of that.

[@konstantindecken2141]

This helped me alot

[@devinebass]

Konstantin von der Decken 👍

[@konstantindecken2141]

@@devinebass Thanks for noticing my comment , I'm twelve and I'm from Austria. I got my first bass three days ago and I love the Instrument

[@ethanlocke3604]

Do you have any advice for adding in some runs or spicier rhythms in walking lines, ray brown style?

[@Alexander-xe9pi]

bomb bass

[@jeremiahmbuyambadinanga7947]

i will work on it

[@Cysubtor_8vb]

Any chance of a vid specifically on 3rds and going between major and minor within your bassline?

[@curroylucia]

you are genial!!!!

[@ljgarrison6910]

Brilliant video; I love youtube :)

[@abualhasanalgamal2869]

Hi, I think my left index finger has some sort of injury. I've been playing for about a year now and have calloused fingers. It start to hurt for about twenty minutes of playing (I usually play for two hours which is why it's weird). After watching your videos, I'm thinking of getting a glove for my fretting hand temporarily (can't go see a doctor due to movement restriction). What gloves do you use? What material are they? I'm currently using disposable latex which is helping but I'm not used to it.

[@Smauli]

MAN that p bass sounds great with those nylon tapewounds!

[@devinebass]

Smauli these are flatwounds on this one - still, I love tape wounds too 🙌

[@Smauli]

@@devinebass Ah, I see

[@edembass9701]

Good lesson but I think it's important to add that the 5th is in a different position when we have a half diminished or diminished chord.

[@GLCxGLA]

1:42 "Tool" Sounded like Minecraft Steve death oouuw

[@jamesi.1636]

Hey, Scott. Do you have any recommendations/exercises for somebody like me who has an unusable nub for a ring finger on my fret hand? I just started playing during this quarantine thing and seem to be getting along alright. I've been working on some Tool, 311, Michael Jackson, Weezer, etc.

[@MadeOfStones]

Love that bass... I'll give some fashion advice for it. Loose the hats and scarves! 😂

[@caddelworth]

Clearly you've never _been_ to Yorkshire LOL!

[@MarioAtheonio]

Please no.

[@M2Mil7er]

He's not your dress-up dolly. Let the man dress how he likes.

[@patricksweeney8914]

This video is excellent. Is the regular guitar laid out in such a way that I could find the 5th, 3rd and 7th notes by moving across a couple of frets?

[@tonyuttilla3308]

I Scott! Thanks for this video. Could you PLS explain me the chords progression used and what's the rules applied? Thanks so much

[@wolfwarren6376]

Hey Scott, I’m curious: what’s that bass? It looks like you stuck a Moolon neck on your custom shop ‘59 body.

[@cameosundo4404]

Please show your whole desktop. I want to see if it is as chaotic as mine. Also great video!

[@splegle]

2:59 nice

[@tkbadgirl]

That bass looks like a good, long-time friend.

[@alexrivera-alwayslearning2396]

What is the best app for drum and guitar or piano accompaniment while I play the bass line?

[@Richard.Hybels]

I'm taking my first lesson in a week and it seems like it is more complex than rocket science . Chromatic , root notes blah blah. I don't even know what a chord is. Oh well I'm 76 and somebody said "You better start playing while you are still young." So I guess he is right

[@simoncooper8272]

Hey Scott, Just been watching an old video of yours about effects pedals And here was I thinking your a slap or jazz bassist! I've been playing reggae n dub for many years, I use keyboards for some bass lines to get the tone and effects I want, I never got into pedals on my bass except for a flanger, due to ignorance more than anything else I guess, I would love to know what you think would be best option on effects for me, I like the idea to punch in and out of maybe an overdrive or Fazer, I often tune down E to a D, on my four string and would love to be able to produce the drive I want on pure deep tones, I have just purchased a zoom R24 I think I need the right tool to get the sounds and effects I want to record, also loving working with the dubstep, having always been a dancehall dub man myself, due to many years experiencing the dub scene with Jah Shaka in the 80s! I look forward to your response,