Bass WoodshedScales, modes and arpeggios for bass

Progression · 4-string · Walking bass

ii–V–I in A

Bm7E7Amaj7
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Tab & notation

Walking bass · 4 bars, one chord each · quarter notes
Chord
Note
Deg
G
D
A
E
Fing
Bm7
B
1
2
2
D
♭3
0
o
F♯
5
4
4
F
→
1
1
E7
E
1
0
o
G♯
3
4
4
B
5
2
2
B♭
→
1
1
Amaj7
A
1
0
o
C♯
3
4
4
E
5
2
2
B♭
→
1
1
Amaj7
A
1
0
o
C♯
3
4
4
E
5
2
2
C
→
3
3

How it's built

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

The cadence at the heart of jazz harmony: a minor 7th, a dominant 7th and the major 7th it resolves to. Each root is a 4th above the last.

Key
A · 3 sharps: C♯ F♯ G♯
Chords
Bm7 (ii7), E7 (V7), Amaj7 (Imaj7)
Bass line
Root, 3rd, 5th, then a half step into the next chord. Quarter notes.
Practice tip
Cycle the key in 4ths with the routine panel. That is how jazz players drill ii–V–I through all twelve keys.
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.

ii–V–I bass line in A

The cadence at the heart of jazz harmony: a minor 7th, a dominant 7th and the major 7th it resolves to. Each root is a 4th above the last. In A the chords are Bm7, E7 and Amaj7.

The chords, bar by bar

BarChordNumeralChord tones
1Bm7ii7B D F♯ A
2E7V7E G♯ B D
3Amaj7Imaj7A C♯ E G♯
4Amaj7Imaj7A C♯ E G♯

Walking bass tab

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

  Bm7       E7        Amaj7     Amaj7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---0-4---|---------|-----2---|-----2---|
A|-2-------|-----2-1-|-0-4---1-|-0-4---3-|
E|-------1-|-0-4-----|---------|---------|

Arpeggios tab

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

  Bm7               E7                Amaj7             Amaj7
G|-------2-4-2-----|-----------------|-------1-2-1-----|-------1-2-1-----|
D|---0-4-------4-0-|-------0-2-0-----|-----2-------2---|-----2-------2---|
A|-2---------------|-----2-------2---|-0-4-----------4-|-0-4-----------4-|
E|-----------------|-0-4-----------4-|-----------------|-----------------|

Root and fifth tab

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

  Bm7       E7        Amaj7     Amaj7
G|-----4---|---------|-----2---|-----2---|
D|---4---4-|-----2---|---2---2-|---2---2-|
A|-2-------|---2---2-|-0-------|-0-------|
E|---------|-0-------|---------|---------|

On a 5-string bass

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

  Bm7       E7        Amaj7     Amaj7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---------|---------|-----2---|-----2---|
A|---------|-----2-1-|-0-4---1-|-0-4-----|
E|-----2-1-|-0-4-----|---------|---------|
B|-0-3-----|---------|---------|-------1-|

How to practise it

Cycle the key in 4ths with the routine panel. That is how jazz players drill ii–V–I through all twelve keys. 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 ii–V–I in every key

More in A

Bass lines over chord progressions

Scales

Modes

Arpeggios

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