It’s smooth, it’s practical… and it’s fun!

By Jon Liebman
March 27, 2025

When you’re playing the bass, do you ever get a feeling of boldness and daring and find yourself venturing way up to the upper register of the instrument? 

I don’t mean during a solo; I mean when you’re holding down the groove, specifically, when you’re playing a walking line on the bass.

It’s okay to do that, sparingly, if it genuinely helps the music and adds something to the song. Just be careful not to overstay your welcome up there. As a bass player, you’re expected to take care of business in the lower register (most of the time, anyway).

So, suppose it’s one of those times when it’s acceptable — even beneficial — for you to make a brief appearance way up high. How do you get back down again? Do you walk your way down the same way you walked your way up, only backwards?

Well, that’s one way to do it. 

There’s also an awesome trick I discovered a long time ago that’ll get you back down to the “legal” part of the bass instantly. It’s done by using open strings, strategically selected to highlight certain chord tones. Obviously it’s not possible with every chord, but when it is, I like to take advantage of the opportunity, as long as it fits the music and helps the song.

I find it works especially well when the open string happens to be the third of the chord, either major or minor.

I explain it all in this week’s video, and provide a bunch of examples. You’ll even get a little music theory lesson to boot!

This is a technique I absolutely love. It’s smooth, it’s practical, it outlines the harmony… and it’s super fun!

Check out the video and let me know your takeaways. Then give it a try and tell me about your experience. I’d love to hear from you.

Let’s play bass!

Jon