Bass WoodshedScales, modes and arpeggios for bass

Progression · 4-string · Walking bass

Minor Blues in F minor

Fm7B♭m7D♭7C7
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Tab & notation

Walking bass · 12 bars, one chord each · quarter notes
Chord
Note
Deg
G
D
A
E
Fing
Fm7
F
1
1
1
A♭
♭3
4
4
C
5
3
3
B
→
2
2
B♭m7
B♭
1
1
1
D♭
♭3
4
4
F
5
3
3
G♭
→
2
2
Fm7
F
1
1
1
A♭
♭3
4
4
C
5
3
3
G♭
→
2
2
Fm7
F
1
1
1
A♭
♭3
4
4
C
5
3
3
B
→
2
2
B♭m7
B♭
1
1
1
D♭
♭3
4
4
F
5
3
3
B
→
2
2
B♭m7
B♭
1
1
1
D♭
♭3
4
4
F
5
3
3
G♭
→
2
2
Fm7
F
1
1
1
A♭
♭3
4
4
C
5
3
3
G♭
→
2
2
Fm7
F
1
1
1
A♭
♭3
4
4
C
5
3
3
C
→
3
3
D♭7
D♭
1
4
2
F
3
3
1
A♭
5
6
4
D♭
→
4
2
C7
C
1
3
2
E
3
2
1
G
5
5
4
G♭
→
2
1
Fm7
F
1
1
1
A♭
♭3
4
4
C
5
3
3
B
→
2
2
C7
C
1
3
2
E
3
2
1
G
5
5
4
G♭
→
2
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
F minor · 4 flats: A♭ B♭ D♭ E♭
Chords
Fm7 (i7), B♭m7 (iv7), D♭7 (♭VI7), C7 (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 F minor

The 12-bar form in a minor key, with a ♭VI7 to V7 turnaround that slides down a half step. In F minor the chords are Fm7, B♭m7, D♭7 and C7.

The chords, bar by bar

BarChordNumeralChord tones
1Fm7i7F A♭ C E♭
2B♭m7iv7B♭ D♭ F A♭
3Fm7i7F A♭ C E♭
4Fm7i7F A♭ C E♭
5B♭m7iv7B♭ D♭ F A♭
6B♭m7iv7B♭ D♭ F A♭
7Fm7i7F A♭ C E♭
8Fm7i7F A♭ C E♭
9D♭7♭VI7D♭ F A♭ C♭
10C7V7C E G B♭
11Fm7i7F A♭ C E♭
12C7V7C E G B♭

Walking bass tab

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

  Fm7       B♭m7      Fm7       Fm7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---------|-----3---|---------|---------|
A|-----3-2-|-1-4-----|-----3---|-----3-2-|
E|-1-4-----|-------2-|-1-4---2-|-1-4-----|

  B♭m7      B♭m7      Fm7       Fm7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|-----3---|-----3---|---------|---------|
A|-1-4---2-|-1-4-----|-----3---|-----3-3-|
E|---------|-------2-|-1-4---2-|-1-4-----|

  D♭7       C7        Fm7       C7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---3-6---|---2-5---|---------|---2-5---|
A|-4-----4-|-3-------|-----3-2-|-3-------|
E|---------|-------2-|-1-4-----|-------2-|

Arpeggios tab

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

  Fm7               B♭m7              Fm7               Fm7
G|-----------------|-------1-3-1-----|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-------1-3-1-----|-----3-------3---|-------1-3-1-----|-------1-3-1-----|
A|-----3-------3---|-1-4-----------4-|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
E|-1-4-----------4-|-----------------|-1-4-----------4-|-1-4-----------4-|

  B♭m7              B♭m7              Fm7               Fm7
G|-------1-3-1-----|-------1-3-1-----|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|-------1-3-1-----|-------1-3-1-----|
A|-1-4-----------4-|-1-4-----------4-|-----3-------3---|-----3-------3---|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1-4-----------4-|-1-4-----------4-|

  D♭7               C7                Fm7               C7
G|-------4-6-4-----|-------3-5-3-----|-----------------|-------3-5-3-----|
D|---3-6-------6-3-|---2-5-------5-2-|-------1-3-1-----|---2-5-------5-2-|
A|-4---------------|-3---------------|-----3-------3---|-3---------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-1-4-----------4-|-----------------|

Root and fifth tab

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

  Fm7       B♭m7      Fm7       Fm7
G|---------|-----3---|---------|---------|
D|-----3---|---3---3-|-----3---|-----3---|
A|---3---3-|-1-------|---3---3-|---3---3-|
E|-1-------|---------|-1-------|-1-------|

  B♭m7      B♭m7      Fm7       Fm7
G|-----3---|-----3---|---------|---------|
D|---3---3-|---3---3-|-----3---|-----3---|
A|-1-------|-1-------|---3---3-|---3---3-|
E|---------|---------|-1-------|-1-------|

  D♭7       C7        Fm7       C7
G|-----6---|-----5---|---------|-----5---|
D|---6---6-|---5---5-|-----3---|---5---5-|
A|-4-------|-3-------|---3---3-|-3-------|
E|---------|---------|-1-------|---------|

On a 5-string bass

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

  Fm7       B♭m7      Fm7       Fm7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---------|-----3---|---------|---------|
A|-----3-2-|-1-4-----|-----3---|-----3-2-|
E|-1-4-----|-------2-|-1-4---2-|-1-4-----|
B|---------|---------|---------|---------|

  B♭m7      B♭m7      Fm7       Fm7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|-----3---|-----3---|---------|---------|
A|-1-4---2-|-1-4-----|-----3---|-----3---|
E|---------|-------2-|-1-4---2-|-1-4-----|
B|---------|---------|---------|-------3-|

  D♭7       C7        Fm7       C7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---------|---------|---------|---------|
A|---------|---------|-----3---|---------|
E|---1-4---|---0-3-2-|-1-4-----|---0-3-2-|
B|-2-----2-|-1-------|-------2-|-1-------|

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 F minor

Bass lines over chord progressions

Scales

Modes

Arpeggios

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