Walking Chords

**Arnesto** · 10-24-2013, 11:05 AM

Hi, I´m trying to figure out how to comp with walking chords like the video.
Tips and examples anybody please?

thanks a lot! and enjoy

**ecj** · 10-24-2013, 02:54 PM

Jody Fisher has a section on doing stuff kind of like this (although not that harmonically adventurous) in his Complete Jazz Guitar series. I think it might be in book 3 or 4.

**randalljazz** · 10-24-2013, 06:17 PM

couple of tunes done this way in barry galbraith's comping book.

**nhsdpl** · 10-24-2013, 07:14 PM

This book has a chapter on "Walking" guitar, it seems to me a pretty good introduction to the basic ideas behind walking.

Walking Chords-9781883217662-jpg

Cheers.

**Eddie Lang** · 10-24-2013, 07:22 PM

Learn the different inversions of drop 3 chords (Maj 6, Maj 7, dom., min 7) with diminished chords as passing tones. Knowing the tritone subs helps too. From there, you will expand your chord vocabulary as you go along.

There are some good books out there to help you. A good place to start may be Charlton Johnson's book about four-to-the-bar Freddy Green style rhythm guitar, Randy Vincent's book about Drop 3, Barry Galbraith's book about comping. Matt Warnock has good lessons on his website. Also have a look at Ed Friedland's book to gain some insight about walking basslines from a bassist perspective.

This (the video) is cool stuff to do in a guitar duo, but if you play with a bassist, stick to the shell chords or you'll step on each other's toe and the overall sound may suffer. Of course, all of it will be the bass player's fault, as always.

**Eddie Lang** · 10-24-2013, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by nhsdpl

This book has a chapter on "Walking" guitar, it seems to me a pretty good introduction to the basic ideas behind walking.

Walking Chords-9781883217662-jpg

Cheers.

Yeah, when I wrote "Randy Vincent's book about Drop 3", I meant this one.

**Arnesto** · 10-24-2013, 10:15 PM

Thanks a Lot guys! You `re super mega helpfull
I`m currently playing in a guitar duo situation and I dot like my comping.
I´m already learn the inversions but i think I have problems with the bass movements specially at quarter note/ one chord per beat comping, I don`t know where should go
I`ll check those books

sorry for my english
Gracias!

**peejay** · 10-25-2013, 11:01 AM

Now that's what you call a minimal drum set. Cool!

**monk** · 10-25-2013, 12:40 PM

Pull up YouTube and search for:
Ted Greene-A Session with the Stars
Tim Lerch-Ted Greene's Blue in G, Ted Greene's Blues in Bb, Ted Greene's Walking Bass Jumpback Blues and Ted Greene-Ain't Misbehavin' Lesson

Session with the Stars is a teaching video that TG did in the late 70s-early 80s. He covers walking chords in a couple of sections as well as other important topics.

Tim Lerch, who posts here occasionally, demonstrates four of TG's lessons that can be found at the Ted Greene website.

I hope you find this helpful,
Jerome

**Gertrude Moser** · 10-25-2013, 03:18 PM

Just about everything you'd want to know will be found among these lessons:
http://www.freddiegreen.org/technique.html

**teok** · 10-25-2013, 04:38 PM

Originally Posted by randalljazz

couple of tunes done this way in barry galbraith's comping book.

That's a GREAT book!

Remind me never to let that percussionist sit at my dining room table.

**jtizzle** · 10-27-2013, 01:45 PM

Originally Posted by Eddie Lang

Learn the different inversions of drop 3 chords (Maj 6, Maj 7, dom., min 7) with diminished chords as passing tones. Knowing the tritone subs helps too. From there, you will expand your chord vocabulary as you go along.

This is exactly what you need. You need to expand your knowledge in harmony. It's all about how you approach a chord. I have a whole method I'm working on where I'm trying to find at least one way to approach a target chord from all other 11 chromatic scale degrees. Like if I'm trying to approach a G7 chord, I try to find a way to approach from a half step below, a half step above, then a whole step below and a whole step above, and so on. The tritone and diminished approach, which incidentally is the approach from a half step above and a half step below, respectively, gets old and it's been done plenty before. Find new hipper ways to do it. You should check how dominant chords relate to the diminished cycle, and it should give you many ways to approach different chords.

**TLerch** · 11-05-2013, 12:44 PM

Hi Guys,
here is a new video lesson on the subject of basslines and walking chords.
this is a link for the trailer, there are instructions on the video page to get the entire lesson.

thanks
Tim
www.timlerch.com

**pierre richard** · 11-05-2013, 12:58 PM

An older book called "Big Axe"...I think Jamie Aeberold has it in his site...by Jake Grassel I think...

I have it buried in my archives (closet) somewhere..I'll have to dig it out and see if I am right...

time on the instrument..

**Rick5** · 11-06-2013, 08:45 AM

Originally Posted by pierre richard

An older book called "Big Axe"...I think Jamie Aeberold has it in his site...by Jake Grassel I think...

I have it buried in my archives (closet) somewhere..I'll have to dig it out and see if I am right...

time on the instrument..

I have had several skype lessons with Jack and have another one coming up. He is an *amazing* teacher. I still can't believe how much I have learned in just a few lessons. Highly recommended.

**vhollund** · 12-06-2013, 09:54 PM

Hi Arnesto
It is a cool video and topic, and pretty good advices , you might also consider trying to copy/transcribe as much as possible to learn exactly what they are doing.

I recently fell over this transcription of Jim Hall playing walking chords over Funny Valentine
Though it is minor , not a jazz blues i think you'll find some interesting basic tricks and turnarounds there too. (If you have some basic reading skills of course, if not i'd concentrate on reproducing secund by secund what's in the video)

http://www.stevekhan.com/funnyvala.htm