Walking Bass Line Topics with Hamilton Pinheiro

This video is an overview of topics related to the walking bass line in jazz. Conducted in an informal interview format, it covers roughly 20 common topics related to the walking bass line, and includes transcription and written notation of over 500 measures of bass lines bass played in the video. The topic index below lists all topics covered and the start point of their discussion.

0:00 Title Screen
1:02 Video Overview
3:54 Duo Performance: On The Sunny Side Of The Street
8:08 Introduction
9:43 General characteristics of the jazz language
12:00 Rhythmic aspects of swing in jazz
13:27 Triplet feel in the jazz language
15:34 Role of the bass in jazz
16:30 “2 Feel” bass lines
18:11 Walking 4 notes to the bar
20:24 Clarity in line construction: Simple vs. Complex lines
23:28 Basic line construction for clarity
25:46 Diatonic vs. Chromatic approach notes
28:12 Why do chromatic approach tones work?
29:54 How to build a walking line from a 2 feel line
32:13 Chord connection formulas
35:14 How to practice: Practicing vs. Playing
38:10 Variation in the bass line
40:34 Playing example of varied line construction
42:10 The bass line as counterpoint (discussion and playing example)
45:10 Rhythmic ornamentation and variation in the line
47:22 Practice strategies for line building and time feel
51:04 Bass players and recordings to check out
53:38 On the importance of listening to live music
57:24 Conclusions/wrapping up
59:33 Duo Performance: Stella By Starlight