Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise Walking Bass Line
Sigmund Romberg and Oscar Hammerstein II wrote Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise for the 1928 operetta The New Moon, where it was a tango. Jazz players turned it into a swinging minor tune that gets called often. It's 32 bars, AABA, in C minor, and the A sections run the same Cm7 to Dm7b5 G7b9 move again and again, so the job is keeping your line fresh. Below you'll find the changes bar by bar and a walking line in C minor.
Turn the bass off and it's your gig: the piano and drums keep going and you walk the line. The band counts you in with one bar of hi-hat.
Recorded upright bass, grand piano and a jazz drum kit play the line. Tab is for 4-string bass in standard tuning.
The changes
The bridge is where charts differ. We follow Jazzadvice: Ebmaj7 for two bars, C7b9 for two, then Fm7, F#dim7, Dm7b5 and G7b9. Learn Jazz Standards writes Edim7 where Jazzadvice has C7b9 (the same notes without the root), puts G7 in bar 23 and Dm7b5 G7b9 in bar 24, and ends the first and last A with Ab7 G7b9 instead of Dm7b5 G7b9. jazzguitar.be describes the same bridge: Ebmaj7, then Fm7 by way of C7b9, ending on G7b9.
How this line works
- The root lands on beat 1 of 33 of the 44 chord changes, so the harmony is clear. The rest start on the 3rd or 5th, which keeps the line from sounding like a list of roots.
- 43 of the 43 chord changes are approached by a half step or a whole step, so every new chord arrives smoothly instead of by a jump.
- Non-chord tones sit on the weak beats: 21 on beat 2 and 9 on beat 4. That's where passing and chromatic notes sound intentional instead of wrong.
- No note repeats back to back. A repeated note is the quickest way to make a walking line sound stiff.
What Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise teaches you
- One move, over and over: the A sections alternate Cm7 with a one-bar minor ii-V, Dm7b5 G7b9. You'll play that two-bar cycle 11 times in one chorus, so the real test is keeping your line from repeating itself.
- Two beats per chord in the ii-V bars: Dm7b5 is D, F, A-flat and C, and G7b9 is G, B, D and F with an A-flat on top. The B natural is the note that pulls you back to C.
- Into the bridge: the second A ends Fm7 Bb7, a ii-V that lands on Ebmaj7, the relative major, for the first two bars of the bridge.
- C7b9 to Fm7: C7b9 is the V of F minor, held for two bars. Its upper notes (E, G, B-flat, D-flat) are an Edim7, which is why some charts write Edim7 there.
- A diminished passing chord: F#dim7 sits between Fm7 and the Dm7b5 G7b9 that ends the bridge. Its notes, F-sharp, A, C and E-flat, are a D7b9 without the D, so it points at the G7b9 two bars later, and the bass can climb F to F-sharp through it.
How to practice it
- Hear the form first. Turn the bass off and play just the root of each chord along with the band until you never lose your place.
- Read the line slowly. Set the tempo around 80 and play the written line with the drums. Slow is the fast way here.
- Loop the hard spots. Turn on Loop, find the four bars that trip you up, and play them until they feel like the easy ones.
- Make it yours. Keep beat 1 of every bar, but change the approach note on beat 4. A half step above, a half step below, a whole step: each one changes the color of the arrival.
- Play it with the record. Put on one of the versions below and play along. That's where the time feel gets into your hands.
Want to build your own lines on these changes? Try the free Walking Line Builder and practice with the click on 2 and 4.
Recordings to hear
- Modern Jazz Quartet, Concorde (1955), with Percy Heath on bass.
- Sonny Rollins, A Night at the Village Vanguard (1958), with Wilbur Ware on bass.
- John Coltrane, "Live" at the Village Vanguard (1962), with Reggie Workman on bass.
Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise: questions
What key is Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise in?
C minor. That's the key on Learn Jazz Standards, Jazzadvice and standardrepertoire.com. jazzguitar.be notes that the original is in E minor, but C minor is the key you'll hear called.
What's the form of Softly, as in a Morning Sunrise?
It's 32 bars, AABA. The A sections go back and forth between Cm7 and a minor ii-V (Dm7b5 G7b9). The second A ends Fm7 Bb7 to lead into the bridge, which starts on Ebmaj7 and works its way back to G7b9.
How do I keep my walking line from sounding repetitive on this tune?
Change register and direction each time the two-bar cycle comes back. Start one Cm7 bar on the root and climb, start the next one high and fall, and use a different approach note into each Dm7b5. Keep chord tones on beats 1 and 3, and put the passing notes on 2 and 4.
Your next step
This page gives you one line to study. These courses teach you to build your own, on the bass you play.
The 7-Day Walking Bass Breakthrough
Cole DavisWalk through any jazz tune with lines that move, swing, and never repeat themselves.
- Walk through any ii-V-I, major or minor.
- Solve the two-bar problem on static modal tunes.
- Never repeat yourself two bars in a row.
Walking Basslines on Upright Bass from the Beginning
Cole DavisFive lessons from “my walking lines don't sound like the records” to professional-grade walking.
- The chord first: the 1-3-5-7, where every great bass line starts.
- The master move: changing the order of the notes, bar by bar, on an F blues.
- The three questions every bass line has to pass, then the whole method on Autumn Leaves.
Not sure which course fits? Answer a few questions and we'll point you to one.