Walking bass on first 8 of "I'll Remember April" ?

[Jazz+]

I wondering what your favorite left hand walking bass lines are on the first 8 bars of the jazz standard " I'll Remember April " :

 

| G | G | G | G |

 

| Gm | Gm | Gm | Gm |

 

 

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[Dave Horne]

I've only played that tune a handful of times and I'm in my 50's. First, why limit yourself to the same harmony for four bars? Even a very modest reharmonization will instantly create a slightly more interesting bass line since you will be working with a new harmony every measure.

 

For example, a very simple reharmonization -

 

Gmaj7 ..., Am7 ..., Bbdim7 ..., Gmaj7/B ...,

 

Gm7 ..., C7 ..., Gm7 ..., C7 ..., etc.

 

By using more changes, you open up the possibility of more and more interesting bass lines, right?

 

I will probably get around to adding I Remember April to my own personal set of fake books and when I do, you can be sure I will not use the same changes in the 'Real Book'.

 

Even if you use the same harmony for four bars, you can still come up with a walking bass line to keep things interesting. I started out on B-3 and was forced to create walking bass lines with an occasional jump - it was just easier to play a scalar line with your foot.

 

I would first take that route, create a walking bass line using your initial choice of chords and then try using different chords and create a walking bass line over those new chords.

[jfhyde]

Well, the first 8 bars are played latin a lot, then going into swing (like Green Dolphin). In that case its more important where you place the notes rather than reharm (ie landing on the 4 with the root like a Latin motuno).

 

I've heard people do Gmaj7, G6, Gmaj7, G6, g-, g-raised 5th, g-6, g-raised 5th alot.

[Jazz+]

Thanks, I know all that.

The topic was about "what are your favorite left hand walking bass lines" for when a chord lasts for 4 measures without changing.

 

[marino]

Originally posted by Jazz+:

[QB] Thanks, I know all that.

The topic was about "what are your favorite left hand walking bass lines" for when a chord lasts for 4 measures without changing.

OK, OK, we got it!

But why not leave a bit more latitude for some side discussion... (in other words: Try not to be so nasty, we're trying to help )

 

Anyway:

 

|1 5 4 3 |8 7 6 5 | or

|1 2 #2 3 |5 8 1 5 | or

|1 5 b5 4 |3 8 7 8 |

 

etc.

 

As for me, I have my own vicious reharm of "April", but I often encourage students to play the beginning in a modal style, using quartal chords and pentatonics - a bit like Coltrane did on "The Night has a Thousand Eyes". It fits quite well in my view.

[Jazz+]

Thanks Marino and sorry to all if you thought I was being nasty, it wasn't my intention.

[Jazz+]

dbl post

[Dave Horne]

A typical walking bass line (or at least what is typical in my view), is playing the root of the chord, jumping down a diatonic 6th and walking your way back up to the root.

 

G, B, C, C#, D, E, F, F#, G ... repeat, lather and rinse

 

You can always 'force' a poor choice of notes through a progression if you have a clear starting point and and clear ending point. Sometimes just movement alone sounds OK and can get the job done.

[jfhyde]

I've started working on my LH walking bass. I think the all time master of this was Dave McKenna. His left hand was amazing in that it wasn't set, he would be responding do what his RH would be doing and the end result was what sounded like counterpoint. Some of the things I noticed listening to him is that his left hand is ever so slightly ahead of the beat, and he accents the 2 and 4. He also pings the note pretty good while still playing legato trying to sound like a strummed bass.

 

Here's an idea for the first 8 of April.

8,8,7,7,/6,6,5,5,/4,4,3,3,/2,2,5,5,/

1,2,3,4,/5,6,7,#7/853,1,2,3,/4,5,3,1,/course the numbers are off the chord scale, the 853 in the 7th measure is a triplet push. (But you know all that

 

John