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 an easier way to remember the 3rd and 5th chord tones — by their visual shape on the fretboard, rather than by counting.
When it comes to memorizing chord tones like the 3rd and 5th on bass, a lot of players end up thinking something like: “Okay, the 5th of D is… counting up five notes from D… D, E, F♯, G, A… wait, did A have a sharp on it or not?”
Rather than working it out in your head like that every single time, it’s much easier to learn the shape these intervals make on the fretboard relative to the root. This article is for:
✅️ Anyone just starting to learn bass theory
✅️ Anyone who’s heard of the 3rd and 5th but isn’t sure what to actually do with them
Let’s start with the 5th, since it’s the easier of the two to learn.
The Root-to-5th Relationship
Here’s the position of C and its 5th, G:
And D and its 5th, A:
And F and its 5th, C:
Notice the pattern: relative to the root, the 5th is consistently either two strings over (toward the thinner strings) and two frets up, or the same fret on the neighboring thicker string.
Unfortunately, there’s no shortcut for memorizing the handful of irregular fretboard spots shown above — but learning to see the 5th this way, as a consistent shape, makes building a bass line noticeably easier.
The Root-to-3rd Relationship
The 3rd comes in two flavors: a major 3rd and a minor 3rd.
About the Major 3rd
For a C chord, you can use the major 3rd whenever you see something like “6,” “7,” or “△7” written to the right of the letter C.
About the Minor 3rd
For a C chord, you can use the minor 3rd whenever you see something like “m7,” “m6,” “m7♭5,” or “dim” written to the right of the letter C.
Root-to-Major-3rd Shape
C and its major 3rd:
D and its major 3rd:
F and its major 3rd:
Seeing the major 3rd this way, as a consistent shape relative to the root, makes it much easier to remember:
Root-to-Minor-3rd Shape
C and its minor 3rd:
D and its minor 3rd:
F and its minor 3rd:
Same idea — seeing the minor 3rd as a consistent shape relative to the root makes it much easier to recall on the fly:
As with the 5th, there’s unfortunately no shortcut for the irregular spots — but being able to instantly picture where the root, major 3rd, and minor 3rd sit relative to each other on the fretboard makes building a bass line considerably easier.
Recognizing these shapes by sight is one thing — actually hearing whether you’re reaching for the right one in real time, under tempo, is exactly what a teacher’s ear can confirm.
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.
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.
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.
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 cool jazz recordings where the bass takes the melody.
Here are some recordings where the bass itself carries the melody on a jazz standard, rather than just backing up another instrument.
Donna Lee (Jaco Pastorius)
A lot of people already know this one. Personally, this is one of the most jaw-dropping recordings I’ve ever heard. Right from track 1, it’s just percussion and fretless bass covering Charlie Parker’s “Donna Lee” — no other instruments at all. Even at that blistering tempo, every single note comes through clean and well-defined, with slides, multiphonics, and harmonics unique to the fretless bass on full display throughout.
You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To (Paul Chambers)
A genuinely stunning recording — over three minutes straight of pure improvising right from the theme. The sheer tension of wondering “how much longer can this bass solo possibly keep going?” is thrilling. “Donna Lee” above is one of the most jaw-dropping electric bass performances I know — this one is, without question, one of the most jaw-dropping upright bass performances I know.
Samba De Orfeu (Ron Carter)
I tend to feel like a bass-carried melody fits brighter, major-key material less naturally — that bright major tunes like “Samba De Orfeu” are a tougher fit for a bass melody. But hearing Ron Carter casually nail a bright, breezy melody down in the bass’s low register, making it look effortless, is exactly what you’d expect from one of the greats.
Bye Bye Blackbird (Ray Brown with John Clayton & Christian McBride)
An ensemble of three of the world’s greatest bass players, and nothing else. Listen closely to this all-bass ensemble and you’ll hear not just incredible individual playing, but genuinely deep musical conversation between all three players.
These are all performances that really expand what the bass is capable of — hopefully you find something here to enjoy.
Hearing how these legends shape a melody is one thing — actually getting your own bass-led melody to sing with that same clarity and intention is exactly where a teacher’s feedback helps the most.
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.
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 shows how to notate a bass ghost note in MuseScore.
A ghost note is the muted “×”-marked note used in slap playing and plenty of other phrases. It’s quick to set up in MuseScore, so it’s well worth adding to your notation toolkit.
A ghost note, shown with an × notehead.
Note: these steps are based on MuseScore 3.
How to Notate a Ghost Note
1. Enter Any Note
Start by entering whatever note you want to mark as a ghost note.
2. Find “Noteheads” → “Cross” in the Palette
In the palette on the left, find the Noteheads section, and within it, the Cross notehead.
3. Drag and Drop the Cross Notehead
Drag the Cross notehead onto the note you want to mark as a ghost note.
4. Done
That’s it — your ghost note notation is complete.
Note that the ghost note will still play back at its actual written pitch in audio playback — this only changes how it’s displayed on the page, not how MuseScore plays it back.
Ghost notes come up often enough that this is well worth keeping in your back pocket.
Notating the technique is one thing — actually nailing the muted, percussive feel of a real ghost note on the instrument is exactly the kind of nuance a teacher can fine-tune by ear.
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.
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 5 things he keeps in mind for stage banter, for anyone who finds talking to the crowd between songs nerve-wracking.
This one’s for anyone who loves performing live but dreads the between-song talking. Even if you’re not confident at it, there are plenty of situations where you simply have to do it — and since people came out to see you, you naturally want that talking to be enjoyable too, not just the music. I actively perform live and handle between-song talking myself, and here are 5 things I’ve come to prioritize from years of doing it.
Don’t Script Out Every Single Word
If everything you say follows a rigid script — “Thank you all so much for coming out tonight. Seeing so many of you here makes all that practice feel worth it. Our next song is called…” — it loses all spontaneity and gets boring fast.
That said, jotting down rough talking points and keeping them on your music stand is something I did myself until I got more comfortable — bullet points like “song 2: mention the city this song is associated with,” “song 3 (original): mention where the melody came to me,” “song 4: mention a memory from a past gig where we played this.”
Don’t Try to Be Funny
If you’re not confident in your stage talking, don’t go for laughs. I’ve had the experience of going for a laugh and getting dead silence instead — that “oh no, what do I do now” look on my face spreads through the room instantly and kills the energy (trust me, I’ve been there). Landing a laugh on purpose takes a performer who’s genuinely comfortable both on stage and with talking. You don’t need laughs or applause — just aim to say what you actually want to say, clearly and directly.
Explain the Tune in a Way Anyone Can Follow
I do a lot of talking as a live jazz performer, and with jazz in particular, plenty of people in the audience are just enjoying it as background music over drinks and conversation. When I introduce a tune, I try to add a bit of context — who wrote it, the story behind it, what the title means — rather than just naming it.
So instead of just “Our next song is ‘Days of Wine and Roses,'” I’ll add something like, “Our next song is ‘Days of Wine and Roses’ — it actually won the Oscar for Best Original Song back in the ’60s.” A little extra context like that gets a lot more people nodding along, recognizing it, or just feeling more connected to what they’re hearing.
Remember There’s a Wide Range of People in the Room
When I first started playing jazz, I didn’t even know standards like “Autumn Leaves” or “Fly Me to the Moon” myself. Early on, I once heard a band introduce “Autumn Leaves” with “you all probably know this one already” — and since I genuinely didn’t, it stung a little, like I was the only person in the room who didn’t know it.
To someone who’s been listening to jazz for decades, saying “this next one’s called ‘My Favorite Things'” might earn you an “obviously, I know that” — but it’s worth remembering that all kinds of people, at all kinds of familiarity levels, are out there listening.
If You’re Going to Plug Yourself, Commit to It
Depending on the venue, self-promotion may not even be appropriate — playing background music in a hotel lounge, for example. But if it is appropriate for the setting, commit to doing it properly when you do.
I went on a tour overseas last year, and weaving a story from that trip into my self-introduction got people genuinely interested. It’s easy to think “I don’t want to repeat myself” and skip this kind of thing, especially across back-to-back shows — but remember, most of the people in the room are hearing it from you for the very first time.
At the end of the day, the main event is always the music itself. But I’m constantly thinking about how good stage banter can help even more people connect with and enjoy a performance — these are the things I personally keep in mind, based on years of doing this.
Reading a room and adjusting your stage presence on the fly is a skill that’s hard to build through self-reflection alone — feedback from an outside perspective speeds it up considerably.
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.
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 explains the church modes — a set of scales genuinely useful for improvising — with as little jargon as possible.
This article is useful for:
Anyone unsure how to structure an improvised solo
Anyone wanting to learn some music theory
Anyone looking for fresh ideas for their solos
Anyone just getting started with jazz bass
What Is a Scale, Really?
If you play bass, you’ve definitely heard the word “scale” thrown around. But even players experienced enough to improvise often don’t fully understand what it actually means, so let’s start from the very basics.
A scale is just a set of pitches arranged in a fixed, repeating pattern. Take the familiar major scale, do-re-mi-fa-sol-la-ti-do: going from C on the 3rd fret of the 3rd string up to the C an octave higher, you’re moving through a fixed sequence of “whole steps” (a 2-fret gap) and “half steps” (an adjacent-fret gap).
It’s easiest to picture on a piano. The pattern looks like this:
A scale built on that specific pattern is called a major scale, or an Ionian scale. We’ll use the name “Ionian” going forward.
Scales You Can Use for Improvising
There are countless types of scales out there, but here’s an especially useful set for improvising.
The C-to-C major scale we just covered — whole, whole, half, whole, whole, whole, half — starts on C. But what if you start that same set of seven white-key notes somewhere else?
Starting on D instead and going D-E-F-G-A-B-C-D gives you the pattern:
This one, starting on E, is called the Phrygian scale.
Following the same logic:
Starting on F gives the Lydian scale
Starting on G gives the Mixolydian scale
Starting on A gives the Aeolian scale
Starting on B gives the Locrian scale
These scales give you a set of usable notes for each of the seven diatonic chords built in the key of C.
The Church Modes — and a Mnemonic to Remember Them
— are known as the church modes. A common way English-speaking musicians remember the order is the mnemonic sentence “I Don’t Particularly Like Modes A Lot” — the first letter of each word matches the first letter of each mode, in order.
Each chord in a major diatonic progression lines up with one of these church modes, and approaching your improvising through this lens opens up a lot more melodic variety than sticking to just a 3-note triad or a 5-note pentatonic scale. These are terms worth holding onto, since they’ll come up again in future lessons on improvising.
A Real Example
Take the first 4 bars of “Fly Me to the Moon” as an example for improvising. Based on the theory above, here’s how the church modes map onto those bars.
That said, just running straight up a mode from the bottom like that doesn’t actually sound very musical on its own — getting these church modes to sound genuinely “jazz” and melodic is something I’ll cover in a future lesson on improvising.
This may have gotten a little theory-heavy, but the main thing to take away is simply this: when soloing over diatonic chords, thinking in terms of church modes is one valid approach. These scale names will come up again in future lessons, so if you ever find yourself thinking “wait, what’s Dorian again?” or “what was Phrygian?”, feel free to come back and check.
Knowing the seven modes in theory is one thing — actually hearing which one to reach for in a given moment, and making it sound musical rather than just “correct,” is exactly the kind of judgment a teacher sharpens fastest.
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.
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 three classic recordings featuring a genuinely cool “walking bass solo” — best heard at high volume.
If you’re not familiar with the term, a “walking bass solo” needs a quick explanation first. In jazz, when a horn or piano player takes a solo, the bassist typically backs them up with a “walking bass line” — a quarter-note-driven accompaniment pattern.
But when it becomes the bassist’s own turn to solo, most players switch things up, bringing in eighth notes, triplets, and often some genuinely virtuosic technique. A “walking bass solo” is the distinctive alternative approach where the bassist keeps that same quarter-note-driven pattern going even during their own solo, rather than breaking from it.
The first time I heard one, I actually thought, “wait, did they just miss their cue to really solo?” But these are legendary players we’re talking about — that’s obviously not what’s happening. It’s a different kind of cool from a flashy, technical solo, but it’s seriously cool in its own right. Here are three classic recordings featuring a great walking bass solo.
3 Tunes With a Great Walking Bass Solo
1. “Candy”
Album: Candy (1958) — Bassist: Doug Watkins — Walking bass solo at 4:48
Personally, I think this is the most famous walking bass solo out there. It comes up often at jam sessions too, so it’s well worth a listen.
2. “Airegin”
Album: The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery (1960) — Bassist: Percy Heath — Walking bass solo at 2:58
A blisteringly fast walking bass solo — and what’s especially cool is how rock-steady and even it stays even at that speed.
3. “Oleo”
Album: Everybody Digs Bill Evans (1959) — Bassist: Sam Jones — Walking bass solo at 2:28
Once the walking bass solo kicks in, the rest of the band drops out almost entirely, which really lets the bass’s tone and nuance come through. Crank the volume and feel the tension for yourself.
Hopefully this is a fun way to get introduced to some genuinely cool music.
Getting your own walking bass solos to feel this composed and intentional takes real practice — that’s exactly the kind of playing a teacher can help you build toward.
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.
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 a few quick basic drills for players who are self-taught and short on practice time.
A complaint I hear constantly from students is “I just can’t find the time to practice.” If you’re taking lessons, I can suggest something tailored to your specific situation — but if you’re teaching yourself, staying motivated when time is tight is genuinely tough. Here are a handful of short, focused drills worth keeping in your back pocket for exactly those days — especially useful if you’ve been playing less than a year.
Left-Hand Warm-Up (4 Minutes)
A drill that touches every part of the fretboard, from the lowest positions up to the highest. Great as a pre-practice warm-up, and it also helps build a wider stretch in your left hand over time.
Right-Hand Warm-Up (5 Minutes)
A drill that runs from slow to fast tempos, helping you check that your picking hand is making solid, consistent contact with the strings rather than getting tangled up.
A Drill for Keeping Your Pinky From Popping Up (3 Minutes)
It’s extremely common for the left-hand pinky to pop straight up awkwardly — especially early on. This drill gradually trains your pinky to stay relaxed and “lying down” instead.
Scale Practice (5 Minutes)
A drill that works on fretboard note names, rhythm, and fretting accuracy all at once — a great all-around way to build your fundamentals.
A Drill for Memorizing Fretboard Note Names
A drill where you play specified notes evenly across all four strings. If you’re struggling to memorize where each note name lives on the fretboard, this one’s worth working into your routine.
Putting in even a small amount of practice every day means that when you do find a big chunk of free time, you’ll be able to dive into deeper practice that much more smoothly.
Hopefully these are useful additions to your daily routine.
Short daily drills like these build the fundamentals — but knowing whether your specific habits and form are actually solid is exactly the kind of thing a teacher can confirm fast.
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.
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 breaks down, note by note, a full chorus of a 4-beat walking bass line over “Autumn Leaves.”
Who this is for:
Anyone who wants to learn a bass line for “Autumn Leaves”
Anyone just getting started with walking bass
Anyone who struggles to build a bass line on the spot just by reading chord symbols
This article walks through every single note of a written-out bass line, so it runs long — you may want to bookmark it and come back when you have time to go through it carefully.
A 4-Beat Bass Line for “Autumn Leaves”
Here’s a performance video of the line covered in this article:
What This Bass Line Is Going For
This line is built with a simple concept in mind: straightforward quarter notes with no ghost notes or high-fret jumps, and everything built within the first 3 frets plus open strings — in other words, something simple enough for a beginner to actually play. We’ll go through the A section first, one note at a time.
Note: the chord progression mostly follows a standard, widely used version of “Autumn Leaves,” with a few small personal tweaks along the way.
The Overall Structure
The form goes: A section (8 bars) played twice → B section → C section.
The full bass line covered in this breakdown, bar by bar.
A Section (Bars 1–8)
Bar 1 — Cm7
1st note: C (root)
2nd note: D (2nd)
3rd note: E♭ (m3rd)
4th note: E (a chromatic passing tone leading into the next bar’s F)
That 4th note, E, isn’t actually a chord tone of Cm7 — since the chord is minor, using the major 3rd (E) would normally clash with a minor sound. But here it’s working purely as a chromatic passing tone, bridging smoothly into the F that opens the next bar. Chromatic passing tones like this are something you’ll use constantly in walking bass — it’s well worth getting comfortable using them deliberately.
Bar 2 — F7
1st note: F (root)
2nd note: E♭ (♭7th)
3rd note: D (6th)
4th note: C (5th)
Root → ♭7th → 6th → 5th — a line that descends step by step. It’s comfortable under the fingers and gives the listener a smooth, connected feel.
Bar 3 — B♭△7
1st note: B♭ (root)
2nd note: D (3rd)
3rd note: F (5th)
4th note: E (a chromatic passing tone leading into the next bar’s E♭)
Another chromatic passing tone on the 4th beat, working the same way as in bar 1.
Bar 4 — E♭△7
1st note: E♭ (root)
2nd note: D (7th)
3rd note: C (6th)
4th note: B♭ (5th)
Again, root → 7th → 6th → 5th, descending in order — comfortable to play and smooth to the ear.
Bar 5 — Am7♭5
1st note: A (root)
2nd note: B♭ (♭2nd)
3rd note: C (m3rd)
4th note: E♭ (♭5th)
Am7♭5 is read “A minor seven flat five.” The symbol means “flatten the 5th,” so instead of the regular 5th of A minor (E), it uses E♭.
Bar 6 — D7
1st note: D (root)
2nd note: C (♭7th)
3rd note: B♭ (6th)
4th note: F♯ (3rd)
Bar 7 — Gm6
1st note: G (root)
2nd note: B♭ (m3rd)
3rd note: D (5th)
4th note: F (♭7th)
Bar 8 — Gm
1st note: G (root)
2nd note: F (♭7th)
3rd note: D (5th)
4th note: B♭ (m3rd)
Built Entirely Within 3 Frets
Every position used up through this point was built using only the open string through the 3rd fret.
A 4-beat walking bass line usually changes notes on every single quarter note, so I try to keep position shifts to a minimum wherever I can. On top of that, this line uses a consistent fingering — index finger on the 1st fret, middle finger on the 2nd fret, pinky on the 3rd fret of every string — so no position shifting is needed at all. Keeping movement this minimal makes for a smoother, easier bass line to actually play, so hopefully this is a useful reference for your own fingering choices.
A Section, Second Time (Bars 9–16)
These 8 bars use exactly the same notes as the first time through the A section (bars 1–8), so I’ll skip the detailed breakdown here.
A question I get a lot is whether it’s okay to repeat the same pattern this many times in a row — and especially when you’re starting out, that’s completely fine. In fact, if you force yourself to play something different every single time too early on, your thinking and your hands can’t keep up, and you end up rushing or dragging the time instead.
The goal of this particular bass line is for players who find it hard to build a line on the spot just from chord symbols — to first get comfortable just playing something that’s already written out, and get a feel for “oh, this is what a walking bass line is like.” So whether it’s repetitive or one-pattern, what matters most is keeping a steady, reliable time that the rest of the band can play comfortably against.
B Section (Bars 17–24)
Bars 1–2
Am7♭5: A (root), B♭ (2nd), C (m3rd), E♭ (♭5th) D7: D (root), C (♭7th), B♭ (♭6th), F♯ (3rd)
These opening two bars of the B section reuse the exact same line as bars 5–6 of the A section. As mentioned above, when the same kind of chord progression repeats, it’s perfectly fine to reuse a pattern you’ve already used elsewhere rather than forcing something new every time — especially while you’re still getting comfortable with swing feel and playing in an ensemble.
Bars 3–4 (Gm Held for Two Bars)
A common question: what do you do when the same chord (here, Gm) holds for two full bars? Treat the two bars as one connected unit rather than two separate ones.
1st note: G (root)
2nd note: G (root)
3rd note: A (2nd)
4th note: A (2nd)
5th note: B♭ (m3rd)
6th note: B♭ (m3rd)
7th note: B (chromatic passing tone into the next bar’s C)
8th note: B (chromatic passing tone into the next bar’s C)
That gives two chromatic passing tones in a row, but since the line is climbing steadily by half steps from the root, it stays comfortable to play and doesn’t sound out of place.
Note that the root isn’t played on the first beat of bar 8 of the B section here — instead, the line is built with bar 3’s Gm root (G) connecting smoothly up toward bar 5’s Cm7 root (C).
Bars 5–8
These 4 bars use exactly the same notes as bars 1–4 of the A section.
Bar 5 — Cm7: C (root), D (2nd), E♭ (m3rd), E (chromatic passing tone into F)
Bar 6 — F7: F (root), E♭ (♭7th), D (6th), C (5th)
Bar 7 — B♭△7: B♭ (root), D (3rd), F (5th), E (chromatic passing tone into E♭)
B♭△7 → E♭△7: E♭ (root), D (7th), C (6th), B♭ (5th)
C Section (Bars 25–32)
Bars 1–2
Am7♭5: A (root), B♭ (2nd), C (m3rd), E♭ (♭5th) D7: D (root), C (♭7th), B♭ (6th), F♯ (3rd)
Same line used in bars 5–6 of the A section, reused here once again.
Bars 3–4 (Two Chords Per Bar)
Progression: Gm7 → G♭7 → Fm7 → E7.
A common question: when a single bar has two different chords in it, how do you approach that? Here, I deliberately kept things simple and just played the root of every chord, without much movement.
You absolutely could move around more here if you wanted to — but this tune cycles through a lot of similar-sounding chord movement throughout, which makes it easy to get “lost” (lose track of exactly where you are in the progression). In a spot like this, deliberately staying still on the roots and leaning into that half-step motion actually helps everyone in the band hear, “ah, we’re in the C section now.” Walking bass doesn’t always have to be in constant motion — sticking to the roots isn’t a weakness, it’s just one more legitimate approach in your toolkit.
Bar 5
E♭7: A (♯4th), B♭ (5th), C (6th), E♭ (technically the root, but functioning here as a chromatic passing tone leading into the next chord’s root, D)
The first note here starts on A, the ♯4th of E♭7, rather than the root. The reason: this E♭7 is functioning as a tritone substitution for Am7♭5 — without getting into the full theory behind tritone substitutions here, the point is that this bar reuses the same note choices as the Am7♭5 → D7 movement found in bars 5–6 of the A section and bars 1–2 of the B section.
Bar 29 of “Autumn Leaves” sometimes moves as Am7♭5 → D7, and other times as E♭7 → D7, depending on the chart. This version follows a widely used jazz fake book’s version of the progression.
Bars 6–8
D7: D (root), C (♭7th), B♭ (6th), F♯ (3rd) Gm: G (root), G (root, octave up), F (♭7th), E♭ (♭6th) Gm: D (5th), C (4th), B♭ (m3rd), B (chromatic passing tone leading back to the top of the form’s Cm7 root, C)
Take your time working through the notation alongside this breakdown to really absorb how the line is constructed.
That covers the full, note-by-note breakdown of this bass line.
Working through a fully notated line like this is a great way to build a feel for what walking bass actually sounds like — and once you’re comfortable with it, getting feedback on building your own original lines from scratch is the natural next step.
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.
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 five great bass-and-piano duo albums he’s enjoyed, along with a few favorite tracks from each.
Here are five bass-and-piano duo albums I’ve enjoyed listening to, along with some thoughts on a few favorite tracks from each. (Note: these impressions date back to around 2017 — purely my own personal take.)
5 Great Bass-and-Piano Duo Albums
Ballads & Blues
Recorded 1978 — Tommy Flanagan (piano), George Mraz (bass)
This album introduced me to “They Say It’s Spring,” and I fell for it instantly — such a beautiful melody. It shifts partway through into a medium 4-beat feel, and the legendary George Mraz’s rock-steady time and pitch on that 4-beat groove is something to marvel at.
Come Sunday
Recorded 2010 — Hank Jones (piano), Charlie Haden (bass)
The title track, “Come Sunday,” is one I’ve performed live a number of times myself. It’s a quiet, understated tune, but there’s a bluesy quality running underneath it that fits the somewhat fleeting, poignant impression I have of Charlie Haden’s playing.
Intuition
Recorded 1975 — Bill Evans (piano), Eddie Gomez (bass)
From the beauty of “Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo” (the theme from the film “Lili”) to Eddie Gomez’s passionate solo right from the top of the notoriously tricky standard “Falling Grace,” this album covers a lot of different moods. I love everything Bill Evans recorded, but this one’s a particular favorite of mine.
Conversations With Christian
Released 2011 — Christian McBride (bass)
Not every track on this one is a piano duo, but it’s a favorite of mine among his duo recordings. Track 1, “Afrika,” featuring Angelique Kidjo, is a duo of just bass and vocals. Christian McBride’s time feel is honestly something else.
DUO 2
Released 2011 — Niels-Henning Ørsted Pedersen (bass), Kenny Drew (piano)
Track 8, “A Child Is Born,” is a favorite of mine — the legendary NHØP takes the melody on bass. Hearing him play a graceful, gentle 3/4 ballad like this, after all those dazzling, lightning-fast solos he’s known for, makes me wonder what his expression must have looked like in the studio.
The Bass-and-Piano Duo: No Drums in Sight
With just bass and piano sounding, both instruments have to mesh well together while still creating moments that stand out. Stick to just roots and a steady 4-beat feel, and it gets monotonous fast — but move around too much, and it stops being a real ensemble. And yet, in the hands of musicians at this level, every single moment becomes a highlight.
Even with just two instruments, jazz can be genuinely exciting. And the fact that two different pairings of the same instrumentation can sound completely different in character is one of the things that makes this music so interesting.
Picking up the kind of interplay these duos build takes more than just listening — having a teacher point out specifically what’s happening between the bass and the rest of the band is where it really starts to click.
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.
