Taking the Band for a Walk

The bass player’s job is to lock down the roots of the chords. You provide a foundation for the rest of the band to sit on, not just harmonically, but rhythmically too. But only playing one note over and over for the length of each chord is not the most exciting thing in the world. For a long time, I struggled figuring out what other notes to play. You always hear about fifths and octaves, which can be a great way to spice up certain sections, but one of the most interesting ways to take this a step further comes from the jazz tradition.

Walking bass lines have existed for as long as bass has been used in popular music. Basically, you use a scale, arpeggio, or series of chromatic tones to “walk” from one root to another. Typically, every note of your walking line is the same length, usually quarter notes or eighth notes. This is an amazing way to outline a chord progression while making sure the rhythmic feel stays in tact. 

Every time I bring this idea up with someone, they inevitably end up saying “but I don’t play jazz!” But that’s not an issue! Yes, walking bass is very common in jazz music, but there are tons of popular songs that utilize walking bass. Some prominent examples include “Eight Days a Week” by the Beatles, “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” by Queen, and “Pride and Joy” by Stevie Ray Vaughn. I have heard some arguments that these lines aren’t “true walking bass” because they use repeated sections and walking bass is typically improvised, but the concept is used to create some amazing lines! 

Speaking of improvisation, that’s actually one of my favorite parts of walking: the fact that I never have to play the same thing twice. If you’re someone who plays lots of shows or enjoys mixing things up, walking is perfect. You already know the first note of each bar, it’s the root of the chord, and the rhythm you’re going to play. This frees up your brain so that you can think about what notes would really make the other instruments pop. 

Of course, there are tons of classic bass riffs that are not walking. There are tons of bass lines I love that I would absolutely not classify as walking lines, but if you practice walking, it lets you create bigger contrast between different sections of the music. For example, if you have one riff you play during the verse and another during the chorus, change it up and walk for the solo section. Or maybe there’s an instrumental outro to the song and you want a different feel. 

At the end of the day, the biggest advantage to practicing walking is that you always know how to get from one note to the next so you never feel stuck. If you’re sitting in on a gig, you can fill empty spots with quick walking lines. If you’re working on a new project and can’t quite figure out what to play, walking gives you a way to get through the piece in an interesting way. It doesn’t matter what genre of music you play, walking bass is definitely something you should add to your arsenal.