Rhythm Section 101:

How to Build a Bass Line

Part 3: Leading Tones

Part 3 of our “How to Build a Bass Line” explores an important step in creating a fun and musical bass line - LEADING TONES. In this video lesson, we describe how to approach each new chord in the 12-bar blues with a leading tone - a note a half-step or whole-step directly below or above the root of the next chord.

Tips:

• Practice playing roots of each chord for three beats, then on beat four, play a note directly above or below the next chord change.

• The playalongs and .pdf attachments demonstrate two choruses of blues in the keys of B-Flat and F, with the first chorus consisting of a half step BELOW, and the second chorus a half step ABOVE. After you practice these, you can begin to mix and match half-steps and/or whole-steps either above or below on beat four.

• Generally speaking, the root of a new chord should be played on the downbeat, so help your students think of leading tones as a preparation for a new chord, making sure that the leading tone occurs on beat 4, followed by the root of the new chord on beat 1.

Want to send this video to your students? Use this link: https://youtu.be/ih5gtF5FGp0