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Walking The Bass

By Music examples by Tom Brislin and Michael Gallant | December, 2006

How many bass players does it take to change a light bulb? None, because the keyboard player can use her left hand! Har, har, har, very funny. Let the record show that I love bass players, and you should too: The bass is a vital element of most popular styles of music and, sometimes, we get called on to perform the role of the bass player, whether it’s playing solo or with a band. And if you do find yourself in a situation where you’re handling the low end, it’s incredibly helpful to have a feel for what a good bass player does for the music.

Why should a keyboard player learn to play bass lines? There are plenty of reasons. For starters, if you’re playing solo, it keeps the music interesting, and if you’re going to learn jazz, it can give your solo playing that familiar “walking” feel. Good bassists aren’t always available, so you may find yourself doing double-duty in a group as well. When the Hammond organ came on the scene, the jazz world adopted it and a new group format was born: the organ trio. Not a trio of organs, the classic organ trio format consists of organ, guitar, and drums. The organist plays bass lines with either the left hand or the feet, or a combination of both. The right hand plays melodies and sometimes chords, as does the guitarist. The result is a sleek but full-sounding ensemble. The legendary Jimmy Smith created the definitive albums in the organ trio format and we feature his rendition of the classic “Jingle Bells” as this month’s transcription. On “Jingle Bells,” use your right-hand to cover the melody and solo, both of which are peppered with chords. Play the bass line with your left hand (or with your feet, if that’s your interest). For now, let’s take a look from the left-hand perspective.

Play Audio and MIDI

These audio and MIDI files correspond to the lessons and Full Song transcription beginning on page 44 of the December 2006 issue of Keyboard. All files performed by Michael Gallant.