Chords on a Bass?

[Bass_Guardian]

Does anyone ever use improv chords on a bass eg

G- 9
D- 9
A- 7
E- 0

To me is an E chord on a bass which i sometimes use strummed with my fingers sometimes thumb for a smoother sound.

I know this is probably not new and might already be a thread about this but does anyone else do chords on bass?

[Doddy]

I use them quite a bit. I'll occasionally do the 'power chords' like you mentioned,but I much prefer to play
'fuller' chords in the upper register.

[Mr Fudge]

Yes on slower stuff when the 2 guitards play their keyboards. I usually play the 4 bass strings as the first 4 strings of a guitar chord. Played in different places it can be effective. Sometimes throw in a bit of flanger or wah to give a bit of sustain/drone.

If it sounds good I'll do it, if not I don't.

[Spike Vincent]

Chords occasionally,diads frequently.

[Bass_Guardian]

Yeh, ive had a few comments from other 'musicians' saying chords ARE NOT for bass.

They are only meant for acoustics, electrics etc

[bartelby]

In my old band I played chords all the time, in my new band I'll chuck the odd one or two in.

[Spike Vincent]

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1011379' date='Nov 3 2010, 09:32 PM']Yeh, ive had a few comments from other 'musicians' saying chords ARE NOT for bass.

They are only meant for acoustics, electrics etc[/quote]


Pah!

[Bass_Guardian]

[quote name='Spike Vincent' post='1011381' date='Nov 3 2010, 09:34 PM']Pah![/quote]
Exactly mate

[Dood]

Ahhhh I LOVE chords on bass! There's something about the tone of them which is so pleasing to the ear! Especially with nice new strings. I use 6 & 7 string basses B_G; the extra strings allow me (like many others) to play bass lines and chords at the same time. As you say, nothing new - but iI find that anyone who says that you *shouldn't* do something on an instrument is close minded and blinkered! I'll play drums on my bass if I damn well want to! he he (as long as I think it sounds good ha!)

[Bass_Guardian]

[quote name='dood' post='1011390' date='Nov 3 2010, 09:39 PM']Ahhhh I LOVE chords on bass! There's something about the tone of them which is so pleasing to the ear! Especially with nice new strings. I use 6 & 7 string basses B_G; the extra strings allow me (like many others) to play bass lines and chords at the same time. As you say, nothing new - but iI find that anyone who says that you *shouldn't* do something on an instrument is close minded and blinkered! I'll play drums on my bass if I damn well want to! he he (as long as I think it sounds good ha!)[/quote]


Personally i would love to learn more advanced chords on a bass as i love the sound too. The ones i do sometimes are just pretty much octaves.

Very amateur as i am

[thisnameistaken]

I don't usually have enough treble to my bass tone to make a chord sound like anything but mush. I do use double-stops sometimes though.

[Gunsfreddy2003]

I have seen people doing this but never done it myself - could you give us the positions that you like to use and the chord name so that we can learn something new.

[quote name='Doddy' post='1011376' date='Nov 3 2010, 09:30 PM']I use them quite a bit. I'll occasionally do the 'power chords' like you mentioned,but I much prefer to play
'fuller' chords in the upper register.[/quote]

[Dood]

[quote name='Bass_Guardian' post='1011393' date='Nov 3 2010, 09:41 PM']

Personally i would love to learn more advanced chords on a bass as i love the sound too. The ones i do sometimes are just pretty much octaves.

Very amateur as i am [/quote]


Ahh! See if you can find 'Chord Basics' by Jonas Hellborg - it's a great little book to throw in your case that features tons of chords that you can refer to at rehearsals etc.

Also check out this great resource [url="http://www.davegrossman.net/guitar-and-bass/"]http://www.davegrossman.net/guitar-and-bass/[/url] for tons of information about scales and chords on Bass too!

[Bass_Guardian]

[quote name='dood' post='1011406' date='Nov 3 2010, 09:50 PM']Ahh! See if you can find 'Chord Basics' by Jonas Hellborg - it's a great little book to throw in your case that features tons of chords that you can refer to at rehearsals etc.

Also check out this great resource [url="http://www.davegrossman.net/guitar-and-bass/"]http://www.davegrossman.net/guitar-and-bass/[/url] for tons of information about scales and chords on Bass too![/quote]
Brilliant mate thats great

Now all i need is a 5 string or 6 then thats me sorted.

A 5 string jazz probably.

[Stag]

I quite like throwing a third on top of a root (fairly up the neck) - that can really define the whole sound with another chord instrument playing along to get the whole register

[thisnameistaken]

TBH though as bass players we're usually putting the finishing touches to someone else's chord, so we rarely need to play more than one note, just the right one.

Unless you're tooling around in your bedroom to put a performance together for Youtube or something, which it seems a lot of bass players do full-time now.

[essexbasscat]

Try having a look at Jeff Berlin playing Dixie for a bass chord or two. Then pick your lower jaw up off the floor.

T

[Doddy]

[quote name='Gunsfreddy2003' post='1011396' date='Nov 3 2010, 09:46 PM']I have seen people doing this but never done it myself - could you give us the positions that you like to use and the chord name so that we can learn something new.[/quote]

Yeah no problem......

Try a couple of 3 note chords up the neck for starters...... if you play a C,E Bb,you'll get a C7 chord (without the 5th). Now from there,if you
flatten the E you'll get C minor 7 (C,Eb,Bb),or if you raise the Bb to a B you'll get a C major 7 (C,E,. All these chords are based round using
the chord tones 1,3,7 (you can get away with omitting the fifth). Once you get comfortable with the shape,you can easily move them about.
However if you drop down to,say,G,you would be better off raising the 3rd up an octave,as I find it gives it more clarity-so for a G7 you'd play
G,F,B (1,7,10).

Obviously you can get much deeper into it,but try these for starters. Then,it just becomes a matter of understanding chord structures and applying
it to instrument.

[Dood]

[quote name='thisnameistaken' post='1011413' date='Nov 3 2010, 09:57 PM']TBH though as bass players we're usually putting the finishing touches to someone else's chord, so we rarely need to play more than one note, just the right one. [/quote]

That's very true. As an example, I've played a fair amount of stuff where a listener has complimented the 7 string guitarist's girth to his tone - but I then had to explain that it was a standard tuned 6 string guitar but we worked closely to voice the chords between the guitar and my bass to give the illusion of a drop tuned guitar. Most of the time he played chords with a 5th on the bottom and I would make up the rest of the voicing with root, maybe a third and the fifth to meet in the same octave.

I think most of it was also working on the bass and guitar tones so they 'melded' together, instead of being so fussy and precious about each other's personal taste in tone! lol

[leschirons]

I may use a few chords if I'm on a 6 string, played fairly high up the register. I tend to put them into intros if there's enough space before the full band kicks in otherwise it all gets lost in the general racket. I only do it if it's going to fit the number. Great fun.

[ironside1966]

Yes I also play chords using harmonics.

[Dood]

[quote name='ironside1966' post='1011557' date='Nov 4 2010, 01:40 AM']Yes I also play chords using harmonics.[/quote]

Another sound I really love! - in stereo, with a tastey bit of dimension, ping pong delay and a 'real' reverb!

[bobbass4k]

Very effective in "post-rock", the guitars are generally noodling around in a highish register, bass chords can really help thicken out the tone.

Best use of Bass Chords i can think of ATM:



Bass Chords enter at 3:48, when they do it live it makes one of them jump.

[Stingray5]

Yep, love bass chords. With and without harmonics.
Nice on the 6-string for the extended range though obviously work well on 4's and 5's too. (Not to mention 7+'s, of course! ).

[bartelby]

[quote name='bobbass4k' post='1011564' date='Nov 4 2010, 02:04 AM']Best use of Bass Chords i can think of ATM:[/quote]


In a similarly simple but effective way: