Two Feel Bass Line

The bass line that I just played over the 1625 can be referred to as a two feel bass line. This is because there are two beats on each note, and you are essentially playing in the pattern of:

• 2, 2
• 1, 2, 3, 4
• 1, 2, 3, 4

Fingering Techniques

Notice my fingering, it's really important to position your fingers correctly so you can reach all the notes without moving your hand:

• Second finger on C
• Fourth finger on A
• Thumb on D
• Little finger on G

If you have that fingering sorted, you won't even need to look at the left hand. This becomes particularly useful when you add elements in the right hand.

Right Hand Improvisation

For instance, a pentatonic scale improvisation would work well since all these chords are from the key of C. Therefore, we don't need to change what we do in the right hand. You can:

• Play horizontally on top.

Keep going in that fashion and try to get comfortable playing that bass line. The left hand really needs to be on autopilot so that you can focus on the right hand improv.

Shell Chords

Another style for the left hand, which is a little different from the two feel bass line but still involves playing two things in every bar, would be to play shells.

• By a shell, I mean the outside notes of a chord.
  • For example, if this is a C major 7 chord, you take the middle notes out. You get root and seventh, effectively leaving a "shell."

You could apply this to all four chords: C, A minor, D minor, G7.

Progression of Shell Chords

However, playing just the root and seventh of all four chords involves a lot of jumping around. A better approach would be to:

1. Start with root and third
2. Go to root and seventh
3. Return to root and third
4. Finally, to root and seventh

This way, the four chords flow much better.

Scale Loops

Before you play the tune, practice playing, for instance, a scale loop. Spend time getting used to playing scales and pentatonics in the right hand while using those left hand shells. The goal is to reach a point where you're not really thinking about the left hand, it should be on autopilot.

Once achieved, you'll be ready to play the melody and improvisation over Lester Leaps In.

Additional Resources

Don't forget, there are other examples you could try on the PDF. These include other loops and configurations that should prove to be beneficial!