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walking bass

American

[beys] / beɪs /

noun

(in jazz piano) a left-hand accompaniment consisting of a continuous rhythm of four beats to the measure, usually with a repetitive melodic pattern.

walking bass British

/ beɪs /

noun

jazz a simple accompaniment played by the double bass at medium tempo, usually consisting of ascending and descending tones or semitones, one to each beat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The instrument is mostly used in nonmelodic ways, either playing that jazzy walking bass motif, insistently hitting the same high note for a percussive effect or plunking discordant chords to convey darkness from the past.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 21, 2024

But that song where you meet Trevor and Craig, we wanted a walking bass, we wanted horns.

From Salon • Oct. 26, 2023

The driving groove and walking bass line keeps you locked in and wondering where it’s going to go.

From New York Times • Nov. 2, 2022

His instantly timeless songs traverse funk-soul brotherhood, with walking bass lines, jangly chords, percussive wallop and a vocal tone that drips with Cali cool.

From Washington Post • Oct. 16, 2022

Miss Love had started playing “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” with a strong marching beat and lots of walking bass.

From "Cold Sassy Tree" by Olive Ann Burns

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023