Walking Bass Lines over ii–V–I
Play quarter-note walking lines over the ii–V–I progressions on the sheet. Each chord gets the root on beat 1; the other beats use chord tones, scale notes and a chromatic approach note on beat 4 leading into the next chord. Play with a metronome on 2 and 4, then write your own lines.
Walking bass on Dm7 – G7 – Cmaj7
Bars 1–3 follow the chords (root, chord tones and a chromatic approach note into the next root). Play quarter notes with the metronome on 2 and 4.
Goal
Learn how to build walking bass lines, the foundation of jazz bass, by combining chord tones with approach notes.
How to practise
- Beat 1: root of the chord.
- Beats 2–3: chord tones (3rd, 5th, 7th) or scale steps.
- Beat 4: an approach note a half step above or below the next root.
- Metronome at 80–100 BPM, clicking on beats 2 and 4 to feel the swing.
- Learn the lines on the sheet, then write one new line per day in a different key.
Self-check
Every chord change should be clearly audible from the bass line alone. Play a line without the chords: can you still hear the progression?
Next steps
Revise bass arpeggios, read chord progressions and diatonic harmony, and loop ii–V–I in different keys with the progression player.