#1 Tip for Walking Bass Lines - Christian McBride | 2 Minute Jazz

Open Studio artist Christian McBride discusses some tips for keeping your bass lines tight.

Christian McBride is a six-time GRAMMY® Award-winning bassist/composer who, since the early ‘90s, has recorded over 300 dates as a sideman and released albums as a leader since ’95. Aside from various stints with Sting, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Roy Haynes, John McLaughlin, and George Duke, among others, McBride has been artist-in-residence and artistic director with organizations such as Jazz Aspen, Los Angeles Philharmonic, The Jazz Museum in Harlem, Jazz House Kids, and NJPAC (New Jersey Performing Arts Center - Newark).
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One of the keys to putting together a good bass line is making sure they’re linear - meaning that they don’t jump around and skip around a lot.

You don’t want to put together a walking bass line where you kind of like

— [whack, non-linear bass lines] —

I’ve actually heard some bass players do that. I really have. It’s not good.

Keep you lines so they go just like this – up and down hill, up and down hill.

If you want to break it up a little bit, make sure there’s a pattern inside of what you’re doing so it makes some sense.

-- [non-whack, nice bass line} --

I’ll break it up a little bit.

-- [more nice walking lines] --

Even when I’m making the jump, I keep it linear from there.

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[cartervames]

The metronome practices with Christian McBride to get better at keeping time

[icecreamforcrowhurst]

If Christian McBride says something is not good, you better believe it. Guy’s an absolute phenomenon on that bass.

[audimaster]

Story: Many years ago McBride had just finished playing a gig out in LA. Outside the club he was loading up and there were two people going at each other getting ready to fight.
McBride has that kind of bigger than life presence where all it took was him to say “yo yo yo! chill!”. That’s all it took to deescalate the situation. Thanks

[pizzarolls]

even the bad example sounds pretty okay

[jpwjr]

Man, I love these snippets. I don't play bass at all, but this man's like E.F. Hutton. When he talks, I listen.

[pmichael]

As one of the best bassists in the world, when he gives you advice...you listen, and you take it! Lol

[crow]

Thanks for the tips, it's a good way to visualize what you need to do to maintain a good walking line

[UnoUrong]

Thanks great advice!!! I feel it's like telling a story... Gotta be able to hum the lines as they make some sense to the listener and other players.

[Polynesie]

True, true, true.👍
The majority of musicians believe it would be convincing if they made things complicated and difficult.
That is unbelievable nonsense.
The best songs are kept simple and catchy.

[justinmolanick]

Thank yoou bro!!! That put EVERYTHING together for me God bless maan

[rdpatterson]

Doesn't matter if Christian jumps around he still makes it sound good! What intonation!

[tehwinnerz]

His playing on Reflections from the Lovano vanguard record is probably the best swing playing I’ve ever heard.

[robertotoledo]

It depends on which school though @Christian (assuming he would even read the comments here).


For instance Scott La Faro wasn't that linear, and even a genius like Ron Carter (my favourite player) jumped around quite a bit depending on what the rest of the rhythm section was doing (i.e. "Dont Mean a thing" on Tommy Flanagan's master trio)


I believe you are a lot more Ron Carter, so the linear description is pretty spot on

[ImpulseGenerator]

Wooaa, those last bars are so tasty and fresh.

[joepalooka]

Love that sound of that bass. What make is it? Looks like a real vintage masterpiece worth big bucks.

[MidnightJazzer]

Thats wat I'm talk'en about!

[nordicsoundchannel]

It’s funny how these principles are essentially Palestrina’s same principles in melody writing. 500 years and worlds of music styles apart…

[Thouveninpascal]

I picked up centuries of Eddie Jones' walkings, I wouldn't surprised that Mr McBride knows him well..

[WillieFavero]

It's nice listening to you play, even when it's just a lesson.

BTW, what are the straps around your bass for?

[captronmusic]

Great lesson. What is that wrapped around the bass?