This article is written by Toru Hoshino, a jazz bassist and instructor based in Japan who teaches online lessons to students worldwide. In this article, he shares 4 points worth checking when an improvised walking bass line just doesn’t feel right.
This one’s for anyone who’s thought, “I built a bass line, but something about it feels off.” Sometimes a walking bass line you’ve improvised on the spot just doesn’t sit right, and it’s not always obvious why. Here are some specific points worth checking when that happens.
Contents
4 Points Worth Reviewing
The examples below use the first 4 bars of the chord progression also found in “Autumn Leaves.”
When a walking bass line you’ve built feels off, it’s usually because the sound coming out doesn’t match the sound you were actually picturing in your head. Here are a few common culprits worth checking.
1. Is the Root Landing on Beat 1 of the Bar?
When building a walking bass line, it’s important for the root note to land right on the first beat of the bar.
Notice how the first version feels a little hard to follow? The second version, with the root anchored on beat 1, feels much more settled and clear.
There are advanced techniques for deliberately not landing the root on beat 1, but that’s a more advanced approach — until you’re comfortable with the basics, make a habit of anchoring the root on beat 1 of the bar.
2. Is the Last Note of a Bar Accidentally the Root of the Next Chord?
This is a little tricky to describe in words, but here’s the idea in practice:
If a note that strongly implies the next bar’s chord shows up before the bar actually changes, both the band and the listener can lose track of exactly where they are in the progression.
3. Are You Mixing Up the Major 3rd and the Minor 3rd?
The example above shows a major 3rd played over a minor chord (or a minor 3rd played over a major chord). It’s just a one-fret difference, but getting it wrong has a surprisingly big effect on how the line lands for everyone listening.
4. Too Much Chromatic Motion
Even if you’re playing the root, leaning too heavily on chromatic (half-step) motion like this can make the underlying harmony hard to feel, and the line can end up not sitting right:
Early on, focus on building your lines primarily around the root, 3rd, and 5th. If you do want to use chromatic motion, a good rule of thumb is: make the 4th note of the bar a half step above or below the root of the next chord — that’s a move that reliably gives a line a genuinely jazz-like feel.
If a bass line you’ve built isn’t sitting right, there’s usually a specific, identifiable reason. The above certainly isn’t a complete list, but hopefully it’s a useful starting point for troubleshooting your own lines.
Spotting exactly which of these four issues is throwing off your own bass line in real time is hard to do by ear alone — a teacher can usually pinpoint it in seconds.
Want Personalized Feedback on Your Playing?
This is exactly the kind of thing that’s hard to fix alone — and where having a teacher makes all the difference.
At Line on Bass, I offer an online lesson service where you send me a video of your playing, and I give you specific, detailed feedback — every single day if you want.
Students from around the world are using this to fix exactly these kinds of issues and steadily improve their jazz bass skills.