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Progression · 4-string · Walking bass

Minor Blues in G minor

Gm7Cm7E♭7D7
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Tab & notation

Walking bass · 12 bars, one chord each · quarter notes
Chord
Note
Deg
G
D
A
E
Fing
Gm7
G
1
3
1
B♭
♭3
6
4
D
5
5
3
D♭
→
4
2
Cm7
C
1
3
1
E♭
♭3
6
4
G
5
5
3
A♭
→
4
2
Gm7
G
1
3
1
B♭
♭3
6
4
D
5
5
3
A♭
→
4
2
Gm7
G
1
3
1
B♭
♭3
6
4
D
5
5
3
D♭
→
4
2
Cm7
C
1
3
1
E♭
♭3
6
4
G
5
5
3
D♭
→
4
2
Cm7
C
1
3
1
E♭
♭3
6
4
G
5
5
3
A♭
→
4
2
Gm7
G
1
3
1
B♭
♭3
6
4
D
5
5
3
A♭
→
4
2
Gm7
G
1
3
1
B♭
♭3
6
4
D
5
5
3
D
→
5
3
E♭7
E♭
1
6
2
G
3
5
1
B♭
5
8
4
E♭
→
6
2
D7
D
1
5
2
F♯
3
4
1
A
5
7
4
A♭
→
4
1
Gm7
G
1
3
1
B♭
♭3
6
4
D
5
5
3
C♯
→
4
2
D7
D
1
5
2
F♯
3
4
1
A
5
7
4
A♭
→
4
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
G minor · 2 flats: B♭ E♭
Chords
Gm7 (i7), Cm7 (iv7), E♭7 (♭VI7), D7 (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 G minor

The 12-bar form in a minor key, with a ♭VI7 to V7 turnaround that slides down a half step. In G minor the chords are Gm7, Cm7, E♭7 and D7.

The chords, bar by bar

BarChordNumeralChord tones
1Gm7i7G B♭ D F
2Cm7iv7C E♭ G B♭
3Gm7i7G B♭ D F
4Gm7i7G B♭ D F
5Cm7iv7C E♭ G B♭
6Cm7iv7C E♭ G B♭
7Gm7i7G B♭ D F
8Gm7i7G B♭ D F
9E♭7♭VI7E♭ G B♭ D♭
10D7V7D F♯ A C
11Gm7i7G B♭ D F
12D7V7D F♯ A C

Walking bass tab

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

  Gm7       Cm7       Gm7       Gm7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---------|-----5---|---------|---------|
A|-----5-4-|-3-6-----|-----5---|-----5-4-|
E|-3-6-----|-------4-|-3-6---4-|-3-6-----|

  Cm7       Cm7       Gm7       Gm7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|-----5---|-----5---|---------|---------|
A|-3-6---4-|-3-6-----|-----5---|-----5-5-|
E|---------|-------4-|-3-6---4-|-3-6-----|

  E♭7       D7        Gm7       D7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---5-8---|---4-7---|---------|---4-7---|
A|-6-----6-|-5-------|-----5-4-|-5-------|
E|---------|-------4-|-3-6-----|-------4-|

Arpeggios tab

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

  Gm7               Cm7               Gm7               Gm7
G|-----------------|-------3-5-3-----|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-------3-5-3-----|-----5-------5---|-------3-5-3-----|-------3-5-3-----|
A|-----5-------5---|-3-6-----------6-|-----5-------5---|-----5-------5---|
E|-3-6-----------6-|-----------------|-3-6-----------6-|-3-6-----------6-|

  Cm7               Cm7               Gm7               Gm7
G|-------3-5-3-----|-------3-5-3-----|-----------------|-----------------|
D|-----5-------5---|-----5-------5---|-------3-5-3-----|-------3-5-3-----|
A|-3-6-----------6-|-3-6-----------6-|-----5-------5---|-----5-------5---|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-3-6-----------6-|-3-6-----------6-|

  E♭7               D7                Gm7               D7
G|-------6-8-6-----|-------5-7-5-----|-----------------|-------5-7-5-----|
D|---5-8-------8-5-|---4-7-------7-4-|-------3-5-3-----|---4-7-------7-4-|
A|-6---------------|-5---------------|-----5-------5---|-5---------------|
E|-----------------|-----------------|-3-6-----------6-|-----------------|

Root and fifth tab

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

  Gm7       Cm7       Gm7       Gm7
G|---------|-----5---|---------|---------|
D|-----5---|---5---5-|-----5---|-----5---|
A|---5---5-|-3-------|---5---5-|---5---5-|
E|-3-------|---------|-3-------|-3-------|

  Cm7       Cm7       Gm7       Gm7
G|-----5---|-----5---|---------|---------|
D|---5---5-|---5---5-|-----5---|-----5---|
A|-3-------|-3-------|---5---5-|---5---5-|
E|---------|---------|-3-------|-3-------|

  E♭7       D7        Gm7       D7
G|-----8---|-----7---|---------|-----7---|
D|---8---8-|---7---7-|-----5---|---7---7-|
A|-6-------|-5-------|---5---5-|-5-------|
E|---------|---------|-3-------|---------|

On a 5-string bass

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

  Gm7       Cm7       Gm7       Gm7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---------|-----5---|---------|---------|
A|-----5-4-|-3-6-----|-----5---|-----5-4-|
E|-3-6-----|-------4-|-3-6---4-|-3-6-----|
B|---------|---------|---------|---------|

  Cm7       Cm7       Gm7       Gm7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|-----5---|-----5---|---------|---------|
A|-3-6---4-|-3-6-----|-----5---|-----5---|
E|---------|-------4-|-3-6---4-|-3-6-----|
B|---------|---------|---------|-------5-|

  E♭7       D7        Gm7       D7
G|---------|---------|---------|---------|
D|---------|---------|---------|---------|
A|---------|---------|-----5---|---------|
E|---3-6---|---2-5-4-|-3-6-----|---2-5-4-|
B|-4-----4-|-3-------|-------4-|-3-------|

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 G minor

Bass lines over chord progressions

Scales

Modes

Arpeggios

Your progress