Simple Steps To Walking Bass – Chromatic Notes

Chromatic Notes Over A Chord

Chromatic notes are any notes that are out of key. Scales are made up of both chord tones and non chord tones but they are generally diatonic. We can have some scales that bring chromatic elements into play relative to the overall key but in this lesson we’ll be looking at chromatic notes as anything outside of our current chord scale.

Let’s take a look at some chromatic notes. By playing over a static Cmaj7 chord we can try adding the various chromatic notes to a C major scale as a way of hearing the effect and dissonance over the chord.

First we can try a simple C Major scale:

Practice Track:

Next we can try each chromatic note in turn (see video):

Chromatic Notes Over Different Chords

We can also try applying chromatic notes over some of our other chord qualities. Below we have two separate lines, one for the mixolydian mode over a Dominant 7 chord and another for the dorian mode over a minor 7 chord:

C7 Practice Track:

Mixolydian Scale with Chromatic Notes

Cm7 Practice Track:

Dorian Scale with Chromatic Notes

These examples of chromatic notes were all used in passing. They were passing notes. There are several different ways of using chromatic notes just as with diatonic non chord tones.

These melodic devices include things like approach notes, neighbour notes, enclosures and more and you’ll eventually start experimenting with them all as you progress.