Bass WoodshedScales, modes and arpeggios for bass

Progression · 4-string · Walking bass

12-Bar Blues in A

A7D7E7
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Tab & notation

Walking bass · 12 bars, one chord each · quarter notes
Chord
Note
Deg
G
D
A
E
Fing
A7
A
1
0
o
C♯
3
4
4
E
5
2
2
E♭
→
1
1
D7
D
1
5
2
F♯
3
4
1
A
5
7
4
B♭
→
6
3
A7
A
1
5
2
C♯
3
4
1
E
5
7
4
B♭
→
6
3
A7
A
1
5
2
C♯
3
4
1
E
5
7
4
E♭
→
6
3
D7
D
1
5
2
F♯
3
4
1
A
5
7
4
E♭
→
6
3
D7
D
1
5
2
F♯
3
4
1
A
5
7
4
B♭
→
6
3
A7
A
1
5
2
C♯
3
4
1
E
5
7
4
B♭
→
6
3
A7
A
1
5
2
C♯
3
4
1
E
5
7
4
D♯
→
6
3
E7
E
1
7
2
G♯
3
6
1
B
5
9
4
E♭
→
6
1
D7
D
1
5
2
F♯
3
4
1
A
5
7
4
B♭
→
6
3
A7
A
1
5
2
C♯
3
4
1
E
5
7
4
D♯
→
6
3
E7
E
1
7
2
G♯
3
6
1
B
5
9
4
B♭
→
6
1

How it's built

One chord per bar · pick a bar to see it on the neck

Twelve bars on three dominant 7th chords, I, IV and V. The most played form in blues, rock and roll and jazz.

Key
A · 3 sharps: C♯ F♯ G♯
Chords
A7 (I7), D7 (IV7), E7 (V7)
Bass line
Root, 3rd, 5th, then a half step into the next chord. Quarter notes.
Practice tip
Bar 2 jumps to the IV chord (a quick change). Hear it coming, then let bars 9 to 12 turn the form around back to the top.
Your best
Complete a loop to log a tempo for this progression.

Practice routine

Add BPM every loops, up to BPM
every loops
Cycling 4ths is how jazz players drill a shape in all twelve keys.

12-Bar Blues bass line in A

Twelve bars on three dominant 7th chords, I, IV and V. The most played form in blues, rock and roll and jazz. In A the chords are A7, D7 and E7.

The chords, bar by bar

BarChordNumeralChord tones
1A7I7A C♯ E G
2D7IV7D F♯ A C
3A7I7A C♯ E G
4A7I7A C♯ E G
5D7IV7D F♯ A C
6D7IV7D F♯ A C
7A7I7A C♯ E G
8A7I7A C♯ E G
9E7V7E G♯ B D
10D7IV7D F♯ A C
11A7I7A C♯ E G
12E7V7E G♯ B D

Walking bass tab

Root, 3rd, 5th, then a half step into the next chord. Quarter notes.

  A7        D7        A7        A7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|-----2-1-|---4-7---|---------|---------|
A|-0-4-----|-5-------|---4-7---|---4-7-6-|
E|---------|-------6-|-5-----6-|-5-------|

  D7        D7        A7        A7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---4-7---|---4-7---|---------|---------|
A|-5-----6-|-5-------|---4-7---|---4-7-6-|
E|---------|-------6-|-5-----6-|-5-------|

  E7        D7        A7        E7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---6-9---|---4-7---|---------|---6-9---|
A|-7-----6-|-5-------|---4-7-6-|-7-------|
E|---------|-------6-|-5-------|-------6-|

Arpeggios tab

Up and down the chord tones in the rhythm you choose.

  A7                D7                A7                A7
G|-------0-2-0-----|-------5-7-5-----|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----2-------2---|---4-7-------7-4-|-------5-7-5-----|-------5-7-5-----|
A|-0-4-----------4-|-5---------------|---4-7-------7-4-|---4-7-------7-4-|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-5---------------|-5---------------|

  D7                D7                A7                A7
G|-------5-7-5-----|-------5-7-5-----|-----------------|-----------------|
D|---4-7-------7-4-|---4-7-------7-4-|-------5-7-5-----|-------5-7-5-----|
A|-5---------------|-5---------------|---4-7-------7-4-|---4-7-------7-4-|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-5---------------|-5---------------|

  E7                D7                A7                E7
G|-------7-9-7-----|-------5-7-5-----|-----------------|-------7-9-7-----|
D|---6-9-------9-6-|---4-7-------7-4-|-------5-7-5-----|---6-9-------9-6-|
A|-7---------------|-5---------------|---4-7-------7-4-|-7---------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-5---------------|-----------------|

Root and fifth tab

Root, 5th, octave, 5th. The backbone of country, rock and pop lines.

  A7        D7        A7        A7
G|-----2---|-----7---|---------|---------|
D|---2---2-|---7---7-|-----7---|-----7---|
A|-0-------|-5-------|---7---7-|---7---7-|
E|---------|---------|-5-------|-5-------|

  D7        D7        A7        A7
G|-----7---|-----7---|---------|---------|
D|---7---7-|---7---7-|-----7---|-----7---|
A|-5-------|-5-------|---7---7-|---7---7-|
E|---------|---------|-5-------|-5-------|

  E7        D7        A7        E7
G|-----9---|-----7---|---------|-----9---|
D|---9---9-|---7---7-|-----7---|---9---9-|
A|-7-------|-5-------|---7---7-|-7-------|
E|---------|---------|-5-------|---------|

On a 5-string bass

The low B string lets you keep the line in one area of the neck.

  A7        D7        A7        A7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|-----2---|---------|---------|---------|
A|-0-4-----|---------|---4-7---|---4-7-6-|
E|---------|---2-5-4-|-5-----6-|-5-------|
B|-------4-|-3-------|---------|---------|

  D7        D7        A7        A7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---4-7---|---4-7---|---------|---------|
A|-5-----6-|-5-------|---4-7---|---4-7---|
E|---------|-------6-|-5-----6-|-5-------|
B|---------|---------|---------|-------6-|

  E7        D7        A7        E7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---------|---4-7---|---------|---------|
A|-------4-|-5-------|---4-7---|---------|
E|---4-7---|-------6-|-5-------|---4-7-6-|
B|-5-------|---------|-------6-|-5-------|

How to practise it

Bar 2 jumps to the IV chord (a quick change). Hear it coming, then let bars 9 to 12 turn the form around back to the top. Start at 70 BPM with the drums and chords on, and say each chord name as you reach beat one. Once it flows, switch on memory mode, then raise the tempo with the speed builder. Earn bronze for playing it through, silver at 120 BPM in quarter notes (2 notes a second), and gold at that pace from memory.

The 12-Bar Blues in every key

More in A

Bass lines over chord progressions

Scales

Modes

Arpeggios

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