For this article a short brief how you can create Boogie Woogie style bass lines on the guitar. Boogie Woogie is a style of music which is associated with Blues, Jazz, Rock and Roll and Swing. The style is very diverse and sounds like fun. The best, well-known name today maybe Jools Holland but there are many, many other pianists such as Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Champion Dupree who played in a similar style.
Many beginners get at some point introduced to that typical Blues idea where you move bass notes about. That idea originates from Piano players who played in Barrelhouses in the 1920s and 1930s in the United States. Acoustic guitar players picked up on the idea and that is how it developed. By the time Chicago Blues was happening aournd the 1950s, the idea got more exciting and electrified.
The basic idea of a Boogie line is you play a particular idea over one chord and repeat this idea over the next two chords.
Here an example of a simple Boogie Bass Line based on a G6 chord
E ———————————————-
B ———————————————-
G ———————————————-
D ——————————2————–
A ———–2–2—-5—5———5—2—–
E —3–3————————————–
You can use this bass line over a G6 chord, the Root is on 3rd fret on low E string and the sixth of the chord is on the 2nd fret on the D string.
The next bass line for the C6 chord is exactly the same but it will start on the A string. Just move the whole thing down a set of strings and just play it is a similar way.
For your third chord, which is a D6 you move your whole C6 bass line up starting on 5th fret on the A string and then play the whole thing again.
As you can see, there is only one Bass line, and it is repeated over the next two chords, even the fingering remains the same as for the first chord.
The sequence is a 12 bar in G, and yes you can just play chords if you like, try using 6th chords which will give you a different sound compared to just a straight major chord.
Just experiment and play and have fun.
Hope to catch soon again for more.
If you are interested in learning more about Blues or any oher guitar style just give me call on 07796 808633 to find out how I can help you.
Thanks
Eddie