Root, root, root, root, root. That’s what most bass lines on “Giant Steps” sound like. If that’s what yours sounds like, you’re far from alone.
It’s not interesting. We do it because the changes are so hard that we’re afraid to play anything interesting. Then you hear Peter Washington walk Giant Steps, and it doesn’t just sound like Giant Steps. It sounds like a really interesting, melodic bass line. So how is he making it so much more interesting than the average Giant Steps bass line? Let’s look at what he’s doing, and what you can take into your own walking.
Most Giant Steps bass lines get stuck on one note choice
Here’s what usually happens. When we play Giant Steps, we pick one thing and do it over and over. Third, third, third, third. Or fifth, fifth, fifth, fifth, fifth. Or, God forbid, root, root, root, root, root, which is what most bass lines on Giant Steps sound like.
None of those sound like a very interesting bass line. The problem is there’s no variety, and that’s what makes it boring.
Peter’s line is the opposite. In the very first bar, he plays the third, then a fifth. That’s it. And it’s already more interesting than third, third, third, third.
The truth is you can be as interesting as you want, and one way to be interesting is to play a variety of different things.
Cole Davis
Every bar of Peter Washington’s line has something different
Keep following the line and you’ll see the variety doesn’t stop after bar one. He’s got his thirds, then he’s got his fourths and fifths, then some chromaticism. He’s using a variety of different things to build this bass line. It’s not just one thing. Each bar has something different, and that’s something he’s probably doing on purpose, because great bass players always know how to keep it interesting.
So if your bass line isn’t interesting, add some variety. Ask yourself what’s wrong. Are you playing too many fifths? Are you playing too many roots? Then maybe in the next four bars, get away from the root. Play the third on beat one. Play the fifth on beat one.
Giant Steps is really just two-fives, so use chromaticism
The other thing Peter’s doing is using a lot of chromaticism. And here’s the thing: we don’t often use chromaticism on Giant Steps, because we’re scared of how hard the chords are. But they’re really just two-fives.
Think about the tunes you already walk. When you play two-fives over “Autumn Leaves,” chances are you’re using a lot of chromaticism. Peter is taking that same logic and applying it to Giant Steps.
I have students who come to me and ask what to do about how their bass lines sound. That’s a great question, and the answer is always to use chromaticism, because chromaticism is the thing that makes the bass line move forward.
Check out the two-five-one into G major. On the D7, Peter starts on the E. Technically that’s the ninth. He’s probably not thinking about starting on the ninth. Maybe he is. But I certainly don’t think that way. I’m trying to think in terms of movement, which is probably what he’s doing too, and what most great bass players are doing. It’s a great bass line on a two-five-one, and you can play it in any key. We just don’t usually do it over Giant Steps, because we’re afraid of the changes.
Treat Giant Steps like a normal tune
Now check out the A minor 7 to D7. What Peter plays there sounds like a great melody. It’s amazing. And really, all he’s doing is treating it like a normal tune. On the D7, he starts on the seventh and works his way into the fifth. That’s a great bass line lick, and it’s the kind of thing you’d play over “It Could Happen to You.”
That’s the big lesson in this line. The changes scare us into playing it safe. Peter walks it with the same tools you’d bring to any standard. Then in the last four bars, he goes back to the chromaticism, and then he brings it home. And his second chorus is brilliant, and well worth studying too.
A Giant Steps walking drill you can start today
To get Peter’s variety into your hands, practice your own bass line over Giant Steps that alternates thirds and fifths. It’s a simple idea, and it’s exactly what makes his first bar interesting.
- Thirds on beat one. Go through the form and play the third of every chord on beat one. Get away from the root completely.
- Fifths on beat one. Do it again, but land on the fifth of every chord.
- Alternate them. Now play third, fifth, third, fifth. That’s the version that sounds interesting, and it’s what Peter does in his first bar.
- Add chromaticism. Once those landing notes feel comfortable, connect them with chromaticism, the way you’d play the two-fives in Autumn Leaves. Think in terms of movement, not note names.
You can play that over and over again, and it stays interesting, because you keep changing it up. If you’re struggling on this tune, or on hard tunes like it, that’s where I’d start.
When you’re ready to learn Peter’s actual line, it’s in Peter Washington: Giant Steps. There’s also a separate video breakdown called Peter Washington “Giant Steps” (Walking Line Vault).
If you want to keep going with jazz walking beyond this one tune, have a look at The Complete Jazz Bassist System. In the meantime, pick one chorus of Giant Steps tonight and don’t let yourself play the root on beat one even once.
