Essential Jazz Instructional Materials

Walking Basics – Ed Fuqua – Sher Music Company – 2007 – $22 for book and CD. II. MS/HS. III. Walking bass lines. IV. Play-along. VI. Individual.

Walking Basics is a knockout publication dealing with the fundamentals of jazz bass playing in learning how to create swinging, supportive walking bass lines. To get the most out of this book, you use the companion CD listening to a track while watching the transcription being played. Then work up to the tempo of the recording, trying to play along with the CD. When you have accomplished this, you should try turning off the bass channel and playing along with the piano and drums yourself. First using the written notes and then making up your own lines. The content of the book focuses in on three essential ingredients. First, harmonic propulsion with forward motion moving from one chord into the next one in the harmonic progression.Second, harmonic definition of playing the correct chords as well as defining the chords. Third, melodicism in creating bass lines with both accompaniment (walking) aspect and soloing using sequence, motivic development, scalar movement, arpeggiation, interval leaps in building walking bass lines. There are 15 tracks on the companion CD with transcriptions of bass lines to listen, transcribe and perform with. The text is organized in four chapters covering the foundation techniques, making good note choices, additional techniques for bass line construction and time feel tips plus a chapter on suggested listening and transcriptions of all 15 CD tracks. Book’s layout is easy to use. Highly recommended for aspiring bassists in learning the fundamentals of jazz bass playing in a structured manner hat is clear and simple to teach with.

Address: P.O. Box 445,
Petaluma, CA 94953
Web: www.shermusic.com. 46 pp