Acoustic Lesson of the week

Lessons written by: Jeff Fiorentino

Lesson title: Moving Bass notes of chords on acoustic.

TUNING FOR THIS LESSON: Standard

ALL GUITARS TUNE TO: E, A, D, G, B, E.

Lesson Features

The song track

The Jam along track

The Video Guitar Lesson

N/A

Tabs & Lesson

Original score by: Jeff Fiorentino

Transcription by: Jeff Fiorentino

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This Lesson's difficulty level 1-10 scale

Main Lesson

Key of: A

What I mean by this lesson title walking a bass line is moving the bass note of the chord or chords you are on as you are playing thus creating an effect that give the audience the allusion of a bass player being there. This is a common practice on acoustic guitar and it involves usually playing with your fingers. Its very similar to playing Piano on guitar. On Piano one hand does the bass register generally and one hand handles the higher register. Well with guitar we only have one fretting hand and one picking hand. But if we play with our fingers we can create a moving bass line that follows a chord pattern or makes a simple chord pattern more interested.

The real trick to this is know the scale of the key you are in and understanding how the notes relate to the chords. Like if the chord is an A and you are using a G# as you bass note or low note in the chord its good to know that the G# is the major 7th of that A chord.

Aside from the theory involved with doing it the rest is technique. The thumb usually handles the low bass notes and the fingers either pluck or single out individual notes of the chord or one finger may strum the chord while the thumb handles the bass notes. This is the most simple way to do it.

We will look at some examples below. Our key is A. Our scale is, A, B, C#, D, E, F#, G#.

On the video we will explore technique. And I will demo the examples. This is a great way to play if its you all by yourself. Tip: If you are making up a pattern like this, think of the bass line first, then apply chords around it and piece it together. Its much easier for most people to do it this way.

Example 1: Simple walking line with chord strum. Thumb on bass notes and index finger strums chord

A A maj 7 A 6 A maj 7

E__________________________________________________
B____2______2______2_____2_________________________
G____2______2______2_____2_________________________
D____2______2______2_____2_________________________
A_0________________________________________________
E________4______2_____4____________________________

E__________________________________________________
B____2______2______2_____2_________________________
G____2______2______2_____2_________________________
D____2______2______2_____2_________________________
A_0________________________________________________
E________4______2_____4____________________________

E__________________________________________________
B____2______2______2_____2_________________________
G____2______2______2_____2_________________________
D____2______2______2_____2_________________________
A_0________________________________________________
E________4______2_____4____________________________

E__________________________________________________
B____2______2______2_____2_________________________
G____2______2______2_____2_________________________
D____2______2______2_____2_________________________
A_0_____________0__________________________________
E________4____________4____________________________

E__________________________________________________
B_____3_______3______3______3______________________
G_____2_______2______2______2______________________
D__0__________0___0______4_________________________
A_________4_______________________________________
E_________________________________________________

E__________________________________________________
B_____3_______3______3______3______________________
G_____2_______2______2______2______________________
D__0__________0___0______4_________________________
A_________4_______________________________________
E_________________________________________________

E______________________________________________________
B_____3_______3______3______3____3____3_____3____3_____
G_____2_______2______2______2____2____2_____2____2_____
D__0__________0___0______4_____2____0_______0____0_____
A_________4______________________________4_____2_______
E______________________________________________________

E_____________________________5_____________________
B____2______2______2_____2____5_____________________
G____2______2______2_____2____2_____________________
D____2______2______2_____2____2_____________________
A_0___________________________0_____________________
E________4______2_____4_______0_____________________

Now a more complex example is below, using the same sort of chords. Its more complex because the chord forms are plucked this time. Also the feel changes throughout.

Its a take off on an Old Old, Crosby Stills Nash and young song. Its called Our house. And its a great example of using this sort of moving bass note pattern. Its taken from Piano and put to guitar. See video for help and the feel.

Example 2: With your fingers. No Pick. I have simplified the tab slightly to make it easier to understand. Feel free to embellish at will. Open 1st string in italic is optional. It depends on your style of playing. Ideally it should be there.

E_0______________________2___________________________
B_2____2_____2____2______3____2____3____3__3_________
G_2____2_____2____2______2____2____2____2__2_________
D_2____2_____2____2______0____2_________4__2_________
A_0___________________________4____2_________________
E______4_____2____0__________________________________

Main kick in the feel is sort of a. 1_ 2 3 4 2 __2 3 4 etc.

E______0____________________________________________________
B______2_2_2______2_2_2________2_2_2______2_2_2_____________
G______2_2_2______2_2_2________2_2_2______2_2_2_____________
D______2_2_2______2_2_2________2_2_2______2_2_2_____________
A__0________________________________________________________
E______________4___________2___________0____________________

E____2_2_2______0_0_0________________________________
B____3_3_3______2_2_2________________________________
G____2_2_2______2_2_2_______________________________
D_0_________________________________________________
A____________4______________________________________
E___________________________________________________

Double time feel

E____2______2_____2_____2______2______2_____2______2____
B____3______3_____3_____3______3______3_____3______3____
G____2______2_____2_____2______2______2_____2______2____
D______________2_________________________2______________
A_2______4___________4______2______4____________4_______
E_______________________________________________________

Back to main kick in feel

E______0____________________________________________________
B______2_2_2______2_2_2________2_2_2______2_2_2_____________
G______2_2_2______2_2_2________2_2_2______2_2_2_____________
D______2_2_2______2_2_2________2_2_2______2_2_2_____________
A__0________________________________________________________
E______________4___________2___________0____________________

E_____2_2_2_______1_1_1________________________________________
B_____3_3_3_______1_1_1________________________________________
G_____2_2_2_______2_2_2________________________________________
D__0________________________back to main kick in section for chorus___
A_____________3________________________________________________
E______________________________________________________________