Honeysuckle Rose Bass Line
Honeysuckle Rose – Jazz Standard Overview & Bass Sheet Music
Honeysuckle Rose is a classic jazz standard written in 1929 by legendary pianist and composer Fats Waller for the Off-Broadway show Load of Coal. Since its debut, the tune has become a cornerstone of the jazz repertoire, frequently performed by vocalists and instrumentalists alike.
In this post, you’ll find a brief history of Honeysuckle Rose, listening recommendations, and bass sheet music designed for small jazz ensemble settings—perfect for players looking to understand both the form and the feel of the tune.
How to Listen to Honeysuckle Rose
When I teach jazz improvisation, I always encourage students to start by listening to definitive recordings. For this tune, I’ve linked three essential recordings:
Sarah Vaughan – Listen for the time feel and overall groove
Ella Fitzgerald – Listen for the tritone substitution in the second measure
Fats Waller – Notice how the melody differs from standard lead sheets
These recordings highlight how flexible jazz standards can be, even while staying rooted in a familiar form.
Form, Feel, and the Role of the Bass
Honeysuckle Rose follows a 32-bar AABA form. In many traditional performances, the tune is played with a two-beat feel in the A sections, similar to the Sarah Vaughan’s version.
For bass players, this typically means:
Half notes during the first 16 bars and the final 8 bars
Walking quarter notes during the bridge (the B section)
I’ve written this approach out clearly in the bass sheet music below for anyone who would benefit from seeing it on the page.
Sheet Music, Backing Track & Download
To download the PDF bass part, subscribe to the Improv Insight newsletter. You can also scroll down to view the notation directly on the page. A play-along backing track is linked below to help you practice locking in the feel and form.
This tune is a fantastic study in time feel, melodic interpretation, and classic jazz phrasing—especially for bass players learning how to support a swing groove with clarity and confidence.
