Walking Bass Lines

VegasGeorge

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How do you guys handle walking bass lines like you often hear in guitar playing? I find it possible with a Low G tuning, but very difficult with reentrant tuning. I'm thinking mostly about country and blues tunes, but I suppose any style of music might have them.

So, walking bass in reentrant tuning, how to do it?
 
Play through an effects pedal that will drop the tone a few octaves. ;)

But really, on an acoustic 4-string tuned gCEa, ya just don't get no-bass no-how. Assuming you mean boogie bass, the best possible is probably just hitting the C and walking up the E and a. Or start on the g and walk up the C and E while humming low and loud. Y'know, for distraction.

I solve that on one mandolin with 'Irish' detuned three half-steps to EBf#b so I can do blues in E with a nice thump.

My 6-, 8-, and 10-string tenors (that last is really a tiple) all have low-G either single or doubled so no hu-hu. My 6-string has a low-G on the bottom and a low-A in the top course, rather like a Venezuelan cuatro, so I can even double the bass line. But a standard 4-string is just rather limited.
 
Agree. I play guitar for pronounced walking bass. But I play linear uke because I like lower notes. I wouldn't call them bass, but it's as close as you get on a (concert) uke. I'm happy with that, but it sure isn't walking bass. More like the alto part in a female a capella group. :) I love the reentrant uke sound, but it doesn't suit my playing/songwriting style. Found low G and never looked back.
 
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