Overview and What is Walking Bass?

The Walking BASSics

Walking bass is a term that describes the leading tones used to get from one chord to another. They are played on the bass strings of a guitar. They are most often played in an even steady beat and move along the scale. In this unit we’ll use the song I’ll Fly Away as a vehicle to study several common walking bass lines in 3 different keys. Lastly we’ll use Amazing Grace to study how walking bass is used in ¾ (waltz time). We’ll have a basic arrangement which consists of A Boom Chuck rhythm and a few simple lines. There will also be substitution licks to show you even more walking bass options.

Before you get started it would be best if you knew your Basic chords in all these keys. Check out the learning paths for Basic rhythm guitar. Knowing the scales for each key will help as well, since all the walks are based out of the scales for the key we’ll play the song in

In the next lesson we jump right in. Let's go!