It’s great to be able to play guide tones as a stripped down approach to comping, and it’s awesome to be able to play bass lines when a bass instrument isn’t covering the low end. Combining the two techniques yields a great way to comp in a setting devoid of another bass and chord instrument, such as a duo or trio without bass, piano, tuba, harp, accordion, or any other bass and/or chord instrument. The most basic way to do this is by playing a bass line and inserting guide tone stabs at certain points.
Ex.1: All The Things You Are
Here is the chord progression from “All The Things You Are” played as a walking bass line with guide tones on the and of one, right in the beginning of the measure, to establish the tonality (when there are two chords in one measure, I hit the guide tones on the and of one and the and of three).
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