Jazz Bass Lines
The Two Feel
By Cliff Engel
F7 B b7 F7 F7
? 44 ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
1
b˙ ˙
B b7 B b7
b˙
F7 Am7 D7
? b˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
5
˙ ˙
Gm7 C7 F7 D7 Gm7 C7
? ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
9
˙ ˙ ˙ ˙
?˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ
˙
13
˙ b˙ n˙ œ
? b˙ ˙ œ nœ ˙ œ œ
˙
17
b˙ ˙
?˙ ˙ ˙ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ œ œ
21
? œ. œ. ¿ . œ #œ œ œ
¿ ˙ bœ. ¿
J nœ.
¿ ˙ J œ
25
J J J œ
3
? bœ ‰ œ bœ œ œ ‰ œ œ
œ. ¿ œ œ ¿ ˙
29
J œ J œ œ J œ. J
? œ. ¿ ˙
œ. ¿ œ ¿ œ œ. ¿ œ. ¿ œ œ ¿
33
J J J J œ œ
© 2004 Cliff Engel
The two-feel is a common style of accompaniment most often utilized by bassists during the melody or
"head" of jazz compositions. Sometimes referred to as the "two-beat", the "broken two-feel", or the "skip
two-feel", this concept can also be frequently heard within the "A" sections of 32-bar AABA song forms
where the B section is played in a straight-ahead walking four style. Unlike a walking four line comprised
of a steady stream of quarter notes, the two-feel places the emphasis on the half note. In its most
fundamental form, the two-feel or two-beat consists of only two half notes per measure, generally with the
root of the chord played on the first beat followed by the fifth on the third beat. The harmonic tension of the
line may be heightened by placing a chromatic approach note on beat three. By integrating rhythmic
embellishments such as skips, ghost skips, and triplets, bassists can create a broken two-feel or skip
two-feel. Although rhythmic embellishments can be placed anywhere within the measure, they are most
frequently placed before points of harmonic shift and within turnarounds. With the broken two-feel, the
underlying sense of rhythmic tension and release is intensified, thus enhancing the forward flow of the line.
Be careful not to over embellish the half notes because the line may become too busy and defeat the purpose
of the two-feel.
In this lesson, you will find three choruses of the 12-bar blues, the most common set of chord changes
played in jazz and generally the first song form that jazz musicians learn to improvise over. Within these
changes, I have composed a number of walking bass lines in the style of the two-feel. In the first chorus, the
notated bass line consists of half notes comprised of root notes and fifths in the most basic two-feel style.
During the second chorus, you will notice the addition of quarter notes, eighth notes, and chromatic
approach notes which will increase the underlying sense of tension and release. In the final chorus,
rhythmic embellishments including ghost skips, triplets, and syncopated rhythms are added to demonstrate
the broken two-feel.
