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More 12 Bar Blues Help...

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(@sullivandf)
Estimable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 66
Topic starter  

As background for those of you who didn't see my first post.....My teacher has me working on 12 bar blues this week in the key of A with an A7, D9, E9 chord progression. My question is about timing and a walking bass line....

If I'm playing in 4/4 time with an alternating chord/bass note strumming pattern, strumming the chord on the down beat and picking the bass note on the up beat like this: 1 and 2 and 3 and, etc. where the numbers are chord strums and the "ands" are bass notes, can I play a walking bass line starting on the 4th beat but for 3 beats? Like this:......2 and 3 and 4 and a 1 and 2.....

That probably made no sense....Let me know.

Thanks


   
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(@anonymous)
Illustrious Member
Joined: 17 years ago
Posts: 8184
 

no, you can't. you can play two notes of shorter duration, but at the same tempo, the extra beat's just going to sound like a mistake.


   
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(@sullivandf)
Estimable Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 66
Topic starter  

Thanks, that's what I thought. But if I add another beat to the 4th beat (making it a 16th note, I think) I'm OK, right? Like this: ......2 and 3 and 4 e and a 1 and 2...etc.


   
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(@kingpatzer)
Noble Member
Joined: 19 years ago
Posts: 2171
 

My favorite 2-bar walk with the turnaround (measures 11 and 12):

A7-G9-F#9-C7-B9-F7-E9-Bb7-A7

It's really easy to do .. start eith your A with the root at the 12th fret and just walk up to the A7 at the 5th fret.

It also makes a great lead in to any 12-bar in A, and is pretty easy to move to other keys.

"The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There's also a negative side." -- HST


   
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