Bass WoodshedScales, modes and arpeggios for bass

Progression · 4-string · Walking bass

Minor Blues in B♭ minor

B♭m7E♭m7G♭7F7
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Tab & notation

Walking bass · 12 bars, one chord each · quarter notes
Chord
Note
Deg
G
D
A
E
Fing
B♭m7
B♭
1
1
1
D♭
♭3
4
4
F
5
3
3
E
→
2
2
E♭m7
E♭
1
6
1
G♭
♭3
9
4
B♭
5
8
3
B
→
7
2
B♭m7
B♭
1
6
1
D♭
♭3
9
4
F
5
8
3
B
→
7
2
B♭m7
B♭
1
6
1
D♭
♭3
9
4
F
5
8
3
E
→
7
2
E♭m7
E♭
1
6
1
G♭
♭3
9
4
B♭
5
8
3
E
→
7
2
E♭m7
E♭
1
6
1
G♭
♭3
9
4
B♭
5
8
3
B
→
7
2
B♭m7
B♭
1
6
1
D♭
♭3
9
4
F
5
8
3
B
→
7
2
B♭m7
B♭
1
6
1
D♭
♭3
9
4
F
5
8
3
F
→
8
3
G♭7
F♯
1
9
2
A♯
3
8
1
C♯
5
11
4
G♭
→
9
2
F7
F
1
8
2
A
3
7
1
C
5
10
4
B
→
7
1
B♭m7
B♭
1
6
1
D♭
♭3
9
4
F
5
8
3
E
→
7
2
F7
F
1
8
2
A
3
7
1
C
5
10
4
B
→
7
1

How it's built

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

The 12-bar form in a minor key, with a ♭VI7 to V7 turnaround that slides down a half step.

Key
B♭ minor · 5 flats: B♭ D♭ E♭ G♭ A♭
Chords
B♭m7 (i7), E♭m7 (iv7), G♭7 (♭VI7), F7 (V7)
Bass line
Root, 3rd, 5th, then a half step into the next chord. Quarter notes.
Practice tip
In bars 9 and 10 the roots move down one fret. Make that half step the strongest move in your line.
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.

Minor Blues bass line in B♭ minor

The 12-bar form in a minor key, with a ♭VI7 to V7 turnaround that slides down a half step. In B♭ minor the chords are B♭m7, E♭m7, G♭7 and F7.

The chords, bar by bar

BarChordNumeralChord tones
1B♭m7i7B♭ D♭ F A♭
2E♭m7iv7E♭ G♭ B♭ D♭
3B♭m7i7B♭ D♭ F A♭
4B♭m7i7B♭ D♭ F A♭
5E♭m7iv7E♭ G♭ B♭ D♭
6E♭m7iv7E♭ G♭ B♭ D♭
7B♭m7i7B♭ D♭ F A♭
8B♭m7i7B♭ D♭ F A♭
9G♭7♭VI7G♭ B♭ D♭ F♭
10F7V7F A C E♭
11B♭m7i7B♭ D♭ F A♭
12F7V7F A C E♭

Walking bass tab

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

  B♭m7      E♭m7      B♭m7      B♭m7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|-----3-2-|-----8---|---------|---------|
A|-1-4-----|-6-9-----|-----8---|-----8-7-|
E|---------|-------7-|-6-9---7-|-6-9-----|

  E♭m7      E♭m7      B♭m7      B♭m7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|-----8---|-----8---|---------|---------|
A|-6-9---7-|-6-9-----|-----8---|-----8-8-|
E|---------|-------7-|-6-9---7-|-6-9-----|

  G♭7        F7         B♭m7      F7
G|----------|----------|---------|----------|
D|---8-11---|---7-10---|---------|---7-10---|
A|-9------9-|-8--------|-----8-7-|-8--------|
E|----------|--------7-|-6-9-----|--------7-|

Arpeggios tab

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

  B♭m7              E♭m7              B♭m7              B♭m7
G|-------1-3-1-----|-------6-8-6-----|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----3-------3---|-----8-------8---|-------6-8-6-----|-------6-8-6-----|
A|-1-4-----------4-|-6-9-----------9-|-----8-------8---|-----8-------8---|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-6-9-----------9-|-6-9-----------9-|

  E♭m7              E♭m7              B♭m7              B♭m7
G|-------6-8-6-----|-------6-8-6-----|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----8-------8---|-----8-------8---|-------6-8-6-----|-------6-8-6-----|
A|-6-9-----------9-|-6-9-----------9-|-----8-------8---|-----8-------8---|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-6-9-----------9-|-6-9-----------9-|

  G♭7                  F7                   B♭m7              F7
G|--------9-11-9------|--------8-10-8------|-----------------|--------8-10-8------|
D|---8-11--------11-8-|---7-10--------10-7-|-------6-8-6-----|---7-10--------10-7-|
A|-9------------------|-8------------------|-----8-------8---|-8------------------|
E|--------------------|--------------------|-6-9-----------9-|--------------------|

Root and fifth tab

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

  B♭m7      E♭m7      B♭m7      B♭m7
G|-----3---|-----8---|---------|---------|
D|---3---3-|---8---8-|-----8---|-----8---|
A|-1-------|-6-------|---8---8-|---8---8-|
E|---------|---------|-6-------|-6-------|

  E♭m7      E♭m7      B♭m7      B♭m7
G|-----8---|-----8---|---------|---------|
D|---8---8-|---8---8-|-----8---|-----8---|
A|-6-------|-6-------|---8---8-|---8---8-|
E|---------|---------|-6-------|-6-------|

  G♭7          F7           B♭m7      F7
G|------11----|------10----|---------|------10----|
D|---11----11-|---10----10-|-----8---|---10----10-|
A|-9----------|-8----------|---8---8-|-8----------|
E|------------|------------|-6-------|------------|

On a 5-string bass

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

  B♭m7      E♭m7      B♭m7      B♭m7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|-----3---|---------|---------|---------|
A|-1-4-----|---------|-----8---|-----8-7-|
E|-------0-|-----6-5-|-6-9---7-|-6-9-----|
B|---------|-4-7-----|---------|---------|

  E♭m7      E♭m7      B♭m7      B♭m7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|-----8---|-----8---|---------|---------|
A|-6-9---7-|-6-9-----|-----8---|-----8---|
E|---------|-------7-|-6-9---7-|-6-9-----|
B|---------|---------|---------|-------8-|

  G♭7       F7        B♭m7      F7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---------|---------|---------|---------|
A|---------|---------|-----8---|---------|
E|---6-9---|---5-8-7-|-6-9-----|---5-8-7-|
B|-7-----7-|-6-------|-------7-|-6-------|

How to practise it

In bars 9 and 10 the roots move down one fret. Make that half step the strongest move in your line. 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 Minor Blues in every key

More in B♭ minor

Bass lines over chord progressions

Scales

Modes

Arpeggios

Your progress