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Progression · 4-string · Walking bass

I–vi–ii–V Turnaround in D

Dmaj7Bm7Em7A7
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Tab & notation

Walking bass · 4 bars, one chord each · quarter notes
Chord
Note
Deg
G
D
A
E
Fing
Dmaj7
D
1
5
2
F♯
3
4
1
A
5
7
4
C
→
8
4
Bm7
B
1
7
1
D
♭3
10
4
F♯
5
9
3
F
→
8
2
Em7
E
1
7
1
G
♭3
10
4
B
5
9
3
B♭
→
6
1
A7
A
1
5
2
C♯
3
4
1
E
5
7
4
E♭
→
6
3

How it's built

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

The turnaround behind countless standards and the A section of rhythm changes. Every root falls a 5th to the next.

Key
D · 2 sharps: F♯ C♯
Chords
Dmaj7 (Imaj7), Bm7 (vi7), Em7 (ii7), A7 (V7)
Bass line
Root, 3rd, 5th, then a half step into the next chord. Quarter notes.
Practice tip
Walk it slowly with the drone off and listen for each new root landing on beat one.
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.

I–vi–ii–V Turnaround bass line in D

The turnaround behind countless standards and the A section of rhythm changes. Every root falls a 5th to the next. In D the chords are Dmaj7, Bm7, Em7 and A7.

The chords, bar by bar

BarChordNumeralChord tones
1Dmaj7Imaj7D F♯ A C♯
2Bm7vi7B D F♯ A
3Em7ii7E G B D
4A7V7A C♯ E G

Walking bass tab

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

  Dmaj7     Bm7        Em7        A7
G|---------|----------|----------|---------|
D|---4-7---|----------|------9---|---------|
A|-5-------|------9-8-|-7-10-----|---4-7-6-|
E|-------8-|-7-10-----|--------6-|-5-------|

Arpeggios tab

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

  Dmaj7             Bm7                 Em7                 A7
G|-------6-7-6-----|-------------------|--------7-9-7------|-----------------|
D|---4-7-------7-4-|--------7-9-7------|------9-------9----|-------5-7-5-----|
A|-5---------------|------9-------9----|-7-10-----------10-|---4-7-------7-4-|
E|-----------------|-7-10-----------10-|-------------------|-5---------------|

Root and fifth tab

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

  Dmaj7     Bm7       Em7       A7
G|-----7---|---------|-----9---|---------|
D|---7---7-|-----9---|---9---9-|-----7---|
A|-5-------|---9---9-|-7-------|---7---7-|
E|---------|-7-------|---------|-5-------|

On a 5-string bass

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

  Dmaj7     Bm7       Em7       A7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---------|---0-4---|---------|-----2---|
A|---------|-2-------|-----2-1-|-0-4-----|
E|---2-5-6-|-------1-|-0-3-----|---------|
B|-3-------|---------|---------|-------4-|

How to practise it

Walk it slowly with the drone off and listen for each new root landing on beat one. 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 I–vi–ii–V Turnaround in every key

More in D

Bass lines over chord progressions

Scales

Modes

Arpeggios

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