Nathaniel School of Music

Walking Bass Piano: From Basics to Advanced

To play walking bass on piano, start with the chord roots in your left hand, keep a steady pulse under a swung right-hand melody, then connect each chord to the next with one scale note and one spicy chromatic approach note, coming from above or below.

Video lesson by Jason Zac · Intermediate · 20 min

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Key points

This lesson by Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music shows how to build walking or passing bass lines on the piano, taking inspiration from the double bass and bass guitar. It is for intermediate pianists who can already play simple chords and want to take on a one-person-ensemble style: melody and chord stabs in the right hand, a grooving walking bass in the left.

Walking bass matters because it lets the listener feel a journey from one chord to the next. It adds rhythm, and a good bass line can sometimes be even catchier than the melody.

The E hybrid minor sound

The piece is an original composition in E minor, which Jason Zac calls E hybrid minor because the sixth and seventh degrees keep changing. The core notes are E, F#, G, A and B (1, 2, b3, 4, 5). On top of that:

You don't play these as a scale. You simply draw on all of these notes while composing and improvising.

The chords

The harmony is simple, spiced up with extensions. Alongside the E minor home sound you will meet:

A short right-hand lick keeps returning and resolves onto these different chords. If stacking four notes in the right hand is too much, play single melody notes instead.

Step 1: Swing the right hand

The melody is swung, not straight. Instead of even eighth notes, it moves in a long-short, triplet-based feel. A good way to feel swing is to lean on beats two and four. Get the right hand, with its stacks and ornaments, comfortable on its own before bringing in the left.

Step 2: Left hand roots only

Start the left hand by simply holding the root of each chord with no rhythm, while the right hand plays the melody without harmony. The roots move around E, A and C, with a turnaround through C to B. Then add the right-hand stacks back in.

Step 3: Pulse versus hit points

Next, double up the roots to play a steady pulse. Your left hand can either strike together with the right-hand chord stabs (the hit points) or keep the pulse going. Following only the stabs sounds like a horn section waiting for a real bass player. As a solo pianist you need to be able to do both. The pulse is usually the harder part, so give it real effort. The two hands serve different roles and won't always line up.

You can swing harder than normal if you like, but the pulse must not change. Whatever the tempo, keep it steady throughout the piece.

Step 4: Walking between chords

Now fill the space between roots. Going from E to A, E G A works, but it gets more interesting when you add a non-diatonic note. Because it falls on the offbeat, it adds spice and texture. Moving towards C, try E D C or E B C.

How to practise

  1. Learn the swung right-hand melody alone.
  2. Play the left-hand bass line alone, slowly, and repeat it.
  3. Combine the hands slowly, keeping the pulse steady.
  4. Experiment with your own approach notes once the basic line feels secure.

To simplify, play just the roots, roots in a steady pulse, or roots toggling with the fifth.

Questions about this lesson

What is a hybrid minor scale?

It is a minor sound built on 1, 2, b3, 4 and 5, where the sixth can be flat or natural and the seventh can be flat or raised. In E, that mixes E Dorian, natural minor and harmonic minor colours.

Should my left hand follow the right-hand chord stabs or keep a pulse?

A solo pianist should be able to do both. Following only the stabs sounds like a horn section without a bass player, so practise keeping a steady pulse underneath, which is usually the harder skill.

How do I choose passing notes for a walking bass?

Aim for the next chord's root and approach it from above or below, using one normal scale note and one spicy non-diatonic note. If a note clashes with the next chord, such as a C natural before an A7 with its C#, use a chromatic approach note instead.

How can I simplify walking bass if it is too hard?

Play only the chord roots, repeat the roots as a steady pulse, or alternate the root with the fifth. Add walking notes once your hand independence improves.

Practise it

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