Nat Cole, Harry Connick, Jr., Alicia Keys, George Benson, Dianna Krall, Chet Baker, just to name a few.

chas

Hi Mark,

I mess around with walking bass too. I haven't gotten good enough to want to do so in a performance situation but I do enjoy practicing LH bass/ RH chords and improve.

Here are a few things that have helped me:

1. Come up with some "stock/ go to" bass lines that you know cold and can play them in any key. 12 bar blues with turn arounds, ii V 1, I vi ii V. rhythm changes.... Have some walking lines that you can do on "auto pilot"


One you have some walking bass lines following effortlessly, start throughing in RH chords. Rootless chords work great for this since your LH is providing roots already.

Once you feel comfortable playing LH walking bass lines with RH chord comping you can go move on to RH melodic improve over LH bass lines.

Start very, very simple! For example is your playing blues, limit your RH to just maybe two notes from the blues scale. Just mess around with different rhythmic phases with those limited note choice in the RH, but make sure your bass is steady on 'auto pilot"

Also try outlining the chords tones in the RH while your LH is walking. Try experimenting and make RH improvisations that only use certain chord tunes such as the 3rd and 7th. I saw a great jazz pianist/educator named Andy LeVerne demonstrate soloing using very limited note choices and he could make his solos swing real nicely.

Don't get frustrated! Take baby steps. Even the greats like Oscar Peterson had to put in some serious practice before they became great!

If you need some ideas for walking bass lines, this book my help.


https://www.amazon.com/Playing-Keyboard-...es+john+valerio

Here's a short article, which goes step by step to form simple walking bass lines:

https://cocktailpianolessons.com/how-to-play-walking-bass-lines-at-the-piano/

Mark,

Do you have VCR access? If so, I have a great Berkeley professor tape - really good

I had a rough week or two when, as a bass player in a jazz band, I also became the vocalist.

The left hand will just "click" one day. Listen to Esmeralda Spaulding. Scary stuff!

Listen to Joey do "I Love You More Today Than Yesterday" or "Never Can Say Goodby".

WHAT FUN!

Hang in there. Us "lefties" have to hang together.


Russ "Lefty" Lsy

I thought I’d wait a couple of weeks to make sure I’m “back on track” before saying thanks to everyone who contributed to my post here.

Well it’s almost two weeks now and I AM “back on track”…..practicing every day again on “walking bass.”

The way it went was…..on Saturday June 30, I decided I “had enough.” Six months and I’m still working at it with little results. That thought lasted TWO HOURS during my afternoon practice session. Then I referred back to this post and got “re-inspired” from you guys, and your advice (muscle memory, etc). I made the decision to keep at it based on your advice, suggestions, and encouragement. So it’s two weeks later and I’m pretty sure I’m back in the practicing groove…..been at it every day again. Possible I’m a slow learner, but…….I’ll keep at it!

I’m glad you all got me back into this, because…….without realizing it, EVERYTHING else in my playing improved, particularly my pitch recognition, chord construction and voicing, fingering technique, and (what I call) “floating bass lines”….NOT so much just using chord “roots” and broken chords on my left hand.

This is the best I’ve ever played and the best sound I ever had on the piano. I only wish I started practicing “walking bass” years ago.

BTW, since I started again with all you guys rooting for me to continue, I actually somewhat broke the barrier. I read, studied, absorbed, everything you all wrote and realized I’m going about this thing “intellectually” and not “emotionally.” When I kind of let it “hang loose” and got my mind out of the way, it all started to flow better. It’s only two weeks now, and my “walking bass” has improved dramatically to the point where I’m optimistic I’ll get it eventually.

So……here’s hoping I can stick to the regimen this time!

Mark

Sort of like people driving and talking on the phone ?