Walking bass line
A moving bass line played on the guitar under a chord progression, with one note per beat.
Walking bass on guitar uses the lowest strings to outline each chord and step into the next, so the listener hears both harmony and rhythm. Typical lines mix the root, fifth and third of the current chord with chromatic approach notes that lead into the following one. The technique is common in jazz accompaniment and in solo fingerstyle arrangements, where the thumb provides the line while the fingers play chords, giving the illusion of a bass player and a guitarist together.
Example: A solo fingerstyle arrangement in which the thumb steps through the chord roots on every beat while the fingers play the melody uses a walking bass line.
See also
Related
- PageComping
- PageFingerstyle
- PageBass guitar
- PageAccent
- PageAction height
- PageAlternate picking
- PageAaron Dessner
- PageAce Frehley