Okay I’m spending some time learning by ear. It’s quite fun.
Song Key: C#
First two measures: G#, C#
Rest of song chord progression: C#, G#, G#, C#
Each time through the progression, on the last chord of the progression (C#), it “walks”, but just back to C# since it is the first chord of the progression. The “walk” goes root, fifth, sixth, X, root.
I can’t tell if X is the 7th (C) or the flatted seventh (B). Both sound good when I play it. I’m worried I’ve got bad ears or maybe they are getting too old if I can’t figure this out even after listening to it a bunch.
Related question…. Is “walk” the right name for this little set of notes?
Yes, I think this could be called a “walk up” to the root. The strongest note wanting to resolve back to the root is the major seventh (also called leading tone). Here, this would be the “B#” (yes, it sounds like C, but technically in C# major, it’s the B#).
This is assuming the I chord is a major chord, which I think it is. (It could be a dominant chord, as often occurring in blues, but I doubt it is here).
I’m pretty sure it’s a major chord. I agree it makes most sense that the note is a seventh.
I guess the question I still have is if the bassist is playing the seventh in this particular song or not? Could they be playing a fretless upright and perhaps it’s somewhere between? (Not saying you in particular have to take the time to listen and answer, but maybe someone will, so I’m replying here)
It’s definitely the C to the Db in the walk up
(Or the B# to the C# - I just avoid those whenever possible!)
But - you also hit on the bass player secret.
Our lines (and particularly walking lines in jazz/country) are often so low note focused, so devoid of high-frequencies, that those teeny variations of “what note is this” can be almost impossible to pick out of recordings.
I feel your pain, and as someone who was in a honky tonk band for years and transcribed tons of these old country bass lines, sometimes you just make sure your tone knob is rolled off, and you play a big beefy bass note, and hope no one can tell that you don’t know what note it is.
One trick is to bring the audio file into a “slower-downer” app, such as Transcribe! or Capo etc; slow down the line AND transpose it an octave upwards - this often makes it easier to hear what note it is, as it’s no longer so rumbly and “ill-defined”
Perhaps someone else can chime in on that!?!