Bass WoodshedScales, modes and arpeggios for bass

Progression · 4-string · Walking bass

ii–V–I in C

Dm7G7Cmaj7
EADG0123456789101112131415161718192021222324♭35♭71♭35♭715♭75♭71♭351♭3♭71♭35♭715♭71♭35♭71♭31♭35→

Tab & notation

Walking bass · 4 bars, one chord each · quarter notes
Chord
Note
Deg
G
D
A
E
Fing
Dm7
D
1
5
1
F
♭3
8
4
A
5
7
3
A♭
→
4
1
G7
G
1
3
2
B
3
2
1
D
5
5
4
D♭
→
4
3
Cmaj7
C
1
3
2
E
3
2
1
G
5
5
4
D♭
→
4
3
Cmaj7
C
1
3
2
E
3
2
1
G
5
5
4
E♭
→
6
4

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
C · No sharps or flats
Chords
Dm7 (ii7), G7 (V7), Cmaj7 (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 C

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 C the chords are Dm7, G7 and Cmaj7.

The chords, bar by bar

BarChordNumeralChord tones
1Dm7ii7D F A C
2G7V7G B D F
3Cmaj7Imaj7C E G B
4Cmaj7Imaj7C E G B

Walking bass tab

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

  Dm7       G7        Cmaj7     Cmaj7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|-----7---|---------|---2-5---|---2-5---|
A|-5-8-----|---2-5-4-|-3-----4-|-3-----6-|
E|-------4-|-3-------|---------|---------|

Arpeggios tab

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

  Dm7               G7                Cmaj7             Cmaj7
G|-------5-7-5-----|-----------------|-------4-5-4-----|-------4-5-4-----|
D|-----7-------7---|-------3-5-3-----|---2-5-------5-2-|---2-5-------5-2-|
A|-5-8-----------8-|---2-5-------5-2-|-3---------------|-3---------------|
E|-----------------|-3---------------|-----------------|-----------------|

Root and fifth tab

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

  Dm7       G7        Cmaj7     Cmaj7
G|-----7---|---------|-----5---|-----5---|
D|---7---7-|-----5---|---5---5-|---5---5-|
A|-5-------|---5---5-|-3-------|-3-------|
E|---------|-3-------|---------|---------|

On a 5-string bass

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

  Dm7       G7        Cmaj7     Cmaj7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---------|---------|---2-5---|---2-5---|
A|---------|---2-5-4-|-3-----4-|-3-------|
E|-----5-4-|-3-------|---------|---------|
B|-3-6-----|---------|---------|-------4-|

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 C

Bass lines over chord progressions

Scales

Modes

Arpeggios

Your progress