line

Using the information below...

G7 = G B D F = 1 2" 2 3 4 5 6+ 7 8 9 9+
Am = A C E = 1+ 2+ 3" 4+ 5+ 6 7+ 8+ 10 10+
Bm = B D F# = 1 2' 3 4 7 8 9'+ 10'+
Bbm = Bb Db F = 1' 2" 3' 4' 5 9 10"+

These are the lines I like to play (one note per chord... two beats each)

Example #1 = 1 2+ 2' 2" (leads to 2+ in Bar 9)
Example #2 = 2 3" 3 3' (leads to 3" in Bar 9)
Example #3 = 3 4+ 4 4' (leads to 4+ in Bar 9)
Example #4 = 5 5+ 4 4' (leads to 4+ in Bar 9)
Example #5 = 6+ 6 7 9 (leads to 4+ in Bar 10) continue reading...

Crosscut Saw is one of the common examples of the rumba in the blues. The rumba bass line is fun to play on the harmonica and one of the rare bass lines we commonly play along with the bass player verbatim. Here's the bass line as played on the harmonica...

Basic Version
I = 2 3 4
IV = 1+ 2+ 3+ or 4+ 5+ 6+
V = 1 2' 3"

Version that the bass player plays in this song
I = 2 3 4 5+ 4
IV = 1+ 2+ 3+ 3" 3+ or 4+ 5+ 6+ 6 6+
V = 1 2' 3" 3 3"

You can also move licks down one octave to better understand their movement and note selections. Here's a Lee Oskar lick in its original form on the high end and then down one octave...

9+ 9 8, 8+ 8 7, 7+ 7 7 6 6+ (played in a triplet rhythm)

6+ 5 4, 5+ 4 3, 4+ 3 3" 3+

Note that the 6 turns into 3". If you have a lick that relies on the 3" in the lower octave, it may be a smart choice to play that lick one octave higher so its easy availability as a 6. In this case, the high end version of the lick is much more fluid, requiring less movement. continue reading...

It was obvious to me that the players that had the coolest IV licks (bars 5 and 6), V-IV-I licks (bars 9 and 10) and Turnaround licks (bars 11 and 12) had spent a lot of time studying bass lines.