Jazz Blues Part 1

Author: Justin Sandercoe

I had lots of requests for some lessons on walking bass, with the guitar coming along as you go. This is a great technique to get down, it sounds real cool when you get it swinging.

The fingering is written on the music and should be easy enough to follow. Try to memorize the way that chords connect with each other. Notice that landing on the root note of the chord on beat 1 is pretty consistent. This helps defines the harmony and is one of the keys to developing walking bass as an improvised skill. Notice also that the root note is nearly always approached from either a semitone above or a semitone below the root note.

Remember that the bass part is the most important, so if you cannot get the chords leave them off!! It will sound perfectly fine without them (better with them there, but it is more important to have the bass swinging like Austin Powers at a scene).

If you can, try to analyze the harmony, remember to look for the two-fives.

Download the sheet music for Jazz Blues 1 here.

You can view the other two Jazz Blues lessons at www.justinguitar.co.uk/Lessons.html.