The Jazz Woodshed for Beginning Bassists

Image via WikipediaThe Jazz Woodshed for Beginning Bassists is all about getting you to play walking bass lines as soon as possible. After all isn't that your inspiration for wanting to play jazz?

We will give you a simple walking bass line for you to play and play and play. And just enough theory that you may be able to start improvising.

We will also give you ideas for listening. The more you hear, the more you sing out loud, the more you can play. Really.

Go to the Woodshed and Play Jazz

What does "go to the woodshed" mean?

The woodshed is that literal and figurative place you take your axe (instrument) and play and play and play until you have learned what you went there to learn.

Simple Walking Bass Line for 12 Bar Blues

The blues progression is common in jazz playing. Start here:

1. Download the FREE Scorch Plug-In. Free, easy, safe and quick for PC or Mac.
   
2. Click here to download Simple Walking Bass Line for 12 Bar Blues. Transpose into your favourite key to get started.
   
3. Play over and over and over again.
   
4. Transpose and download in other keys as you wish.
   
5. Play over and over and over again.
6. Always have fun.
   

The walking bass lines we provide are written using Sibelius Software and are available FREE. You must first download the Scorch Plug-In, which is also free, easy, safe and quick to install.

Another Simple Walking Bass Line for 12 Bar Blues #2

Click here to download another walking bass line for another variation of the 12 bar blues.

The walking bass lines we provide are written using Sibelius Software and are available FREE. You must first download the Scorch Plug-In, which is also free, easy, safe and quick to install.

Another Simple Walking Bass Line for 12 Bar Blues

There is more than one way to play a basic 12 bar blues. Click here to download and play an alternate chord progression for the blues.

The walking bass lines we provide are written using Sibelius Software and are available FREE. You must first download the Scorch Plug-In, which is also free, easy, safe and quick to install.

Simple Walking Bass Lines in TAB on ActiveBass.com

ActiveBass.com is a great site for lessons in TAB as opposed to standard notation. Check this out...Bass Lesson #19611 at ActiveBass: 12 Bar Blues Ideas by Mike Berg

Ear Training Important for Developing Walking Bass Lines

Believe it or not, you should practice listening and singing to help your instrument chops. It is important to be able to recognize the intervals of a scale by ear and to be able to sing them. Then you should be able to get that great bass line you hear in your head out onto your instrument.

Try this FREE ear training practice at www.good-ear.com You will need to do some theory homework first to get the most from this site. For a start, be able to sing a major scale and stay in key.

Walking Bass Lines: A Matter of Scales

Image via WikipediaWalking bass lines are essentially scales and you choose notes to add and leave out. Know your scales and you can already play a walking bass line.

Check out this FREE resource from Jamie Aebersold Jazz. Download the bass clef scales...and learn to play them from memory!!

Overwhelmed? Start with the major, dominant seventh and minor scales in all 12 keys.



Book Recommendation: Improvising Jazz by Jerry Coker

Improvising Jazz by Jerry Coker is a great companion for the beginning jazz improviser. Coker is a well known and respected educator who will provide you with a basic understanding of improvisation and the roles of different players in any jazz ensemble. As a bassist, play particle attention to the rhythm section.