- not technically a walking bassline - but the little decending line from 0:21 - 0:27 is a walk.
The walking bassline can be identified in the wild by its 3 most recognizable features:
1.) There is a bass note on every pulse.
2.) It almost always accompanies a jazz rhythm section with a swing feel.
3.) The line will have few repeats, few repeated notes, and will move and develop all over the bass spectrum.
The walking bassline is a living, breathing, improvised organism designed to propel the rhythm, define the pulse, outline the harmony, and react to the dynamics of the other players all spontaneously. It is a wonderful and majestic beast to behold.
Here’s a fine example:
