A walking bass outlines the harmony by passing through chord tones and chromatic approach notes between roots

A walking bass (bassline-walk) is a moving bass that outlines the harmony rather than just holding the root: it passes through chord tones and chromatic approach notes on its way between the roots of successive chords. This produces continuous melodic motion in the low register that both states the harmony and drives the groove forward — heard in funk, garage, and jazzy house. It contrasts with the static root-locked bass by adding melodic content between chord changes, and relies on landing on strong chord tones at the chord boundaries so the harmony still reads clearly.

Examples

Between Am and Dm, a walking line: note('a1 c2 e2 d2') — root, then chord tones, then a step into the next root (D).

Assessment

How does a walking bass differ from a root-locked bass? What kinds of notes does it use between chord roots, and which notes must it land on at the chord changes for the harmony to stay clear?