Chapter 1: Beginners
Blues Bass

Objective: To learn the 12 bar blues form with roots and triads

It is absolutely necessary that every bassist learn the basic 12 bar blues form because no matter what style of music you ultimately wind up playing you'll eventually be using this form. Usually we refer to a song form that has been in place since the earliest rural blues started with the basic I-IV-V chord progression. These chords actually are from the three primary triads of the major scale (tonic, sub-dominant and dominant). In the Key of F these chords would be F (tonic), Bb (sub-dominant) and C (dominant). What really makes these sound more interesting is when we add the flat 7th scale degree to each chord. This gives the "bluesy" quality to the music and adds a little tension to the progressions.

If we look at Example #31-1 we will see the basic blues form which consist of the first four measures with the I chord (tonic), then two measures with the IV chord (sub-dominant) again followed by two measures of the I chord, followed by two measures of the V chord (dominant) and ending with two measures of the I chord. Play the bass part and notice that you are only playing the arpeggios of each chord. This twelve bar chord progression repeats itself over and over again and if you listen carefully the sound that the form produces will have a certain melodic quality to it that you can almost hum to yourself. After a while you should be able to sing this "form melody" in your head no matter where you are: driving a car, in the shower, riding a bicycle, etc. Once you can recall this form and hum it to yourself without losing your concentration at any time (no matter what you are currently engaged in) you are ready to progress to the next step. The ability to have the independence of having one theme repeating itself in your head while you are doing or playing something totally different and not getting lost in the song form is what our goal should be. A bassist that can always maintain the song form (or arrangement) with confidence while still supporting the music with improvisational skills is worth their weight on gold to any ensemble. It is this confidence that will allow the other musicians to feel free to express their ideas while knowing that they can depend on you to outline the song form at all times.

Another version of the blues form is accomplished by altering a few of the chord progressions as in Example #31-2. What we have done is made the song form a little more interesting by creating better harmonic interest by introducing the IV chord briefly in measure two then returning to the I chord. In the tenth measure the IV chord is reinstated after the V chord before returning to the I chord in the eleventh measure. Finally in measure twelve we create a turnaround with the V chord which sets up the form to be repeated again.

After you are comfortable with this alternative version try mixing the two by playing the first form from Example #31-1 and then playing the song form in Example #31-2. You should progress to the point where you can recall either of these song forms while doing or playing something else. Once you reach this point we can start walking through the chord progressions using different notes to begin certain (ex: measure #3, #6, #8, #10, #11) measures that don't lead to the next progression in the song form. A lot of bass players alter the root note of the next chord and unless everyone in the ensemble is comfortable with that, it will create a feeling of uncertainty and then it will sound like we are playing Jazz and not Blues.

The teacher should have each individual student play through the basic 12 Bar Blues form to determine where they are in their musical development in interpreting chord changes. Take special care to not let any musician just go through the motions of just playing a bunch of notes. It's very important that a bassist isn't conveying the message to the other musicians and the audience that they are treating the playing of music as if it was a daily job. They should always be ready to express the necessary emotions needed to communicate this music no matter how many times they must repeat the blues form. This is a very special role of providing the foundation that all of the other musicians will depend on so never take it for granted !!

Soloing over Blues Changes: I wanted to touch briefly on this subject because in the past the bass would normally just play a supportive role in this music. However, as the skills of many bassist have increased so has the opportunity to solo.

Let' s look at playing a solo like we would learning to speak a new language and so we will take the approach of repeating phrases over and over again until we get comfortable with them. By repeating the same rhythmic idea throughout a song, you learn how shapes and ideas can follow each other. The rhythm will become redundant, but it will challenge your ability to use your imagination and ear to develop ideas.

Start by repeating the rhythmic ideas in Example # 31-3 all the way through a 12 bar blues in the key of Bb. The note choices are up to you and if you find that you have to stop and figure out how to play an idea somewhere on the neck, then you are doing exactly what's required to become a fluent improviser (soloist). The teacher should have each student play through one chorus while they get use to developing their rhythmic idea. Eventually, as they become more fluent, they should be able to play more choruses without running out of ideas. By limiting ourselves to the same rhythmic phrase, it makes it easier to study how the harmony is developing without worrying about rhythmic development (we will cover this in a later lesson). This is the surest way to give your note choices purpose, and it also makes for some pretty predictable sounding practice. Try to remember that good solos are not usually not predictable as they make creative use of rhythm, as well as harmony (shapes), in the development of ideas. If you want to include different rhythms in your ideas, then it's better to begin with a small number of notes. Good luck and always remember to have fun!!

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