Anybody play chords on the bass....

[thepurpleblob]

This is another Bass Guitar Mag spurred question. I was reading the article about playing chords. I've spent the last hour or so bending my fingers into all sorts of contortions and am nowhere near being able to physically play a chord on the bass. I see now why he didn't cover this in the article.

What am I missing, or is it, yet again, just bloody difficult?

[YouMa]

Yeah i have even worked out how to construct them but i cant seem to use them for anything apart from minor7ths,when noodling.It would be nice if there was some good tab for bass chords,i have always wanted to play pure imagination the song that gene wilder sings in willy wonka and the chocolate factory.

Edited October 4, 2009 by YouMa

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='YouMa' post='616959' date='Oct 4 2009, 10:44 PM']Yeah i have even worked out how to construct them but i cant seem to use them for anything apart from minor7ths,when noodling.It would be nice if there was some good tab for bass chords,i have always wanted to play pure imagination the song that gene wilder sings in willy wonka and the chocolate factory.[/quote]

In my case it's because I don't play anything else and it would be handy just to play a chord (or a progression) to see what it sounds like - something like that.

[velvetkevorkian]

What chords are you trying to play?

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='616962' date='Oct 4 2009, 10:46 PM']What chords are you trying to play?[/quote]

Any! What about a major chord - all three notes of it.

[Cat Burrito]

Practice. Having started on the double bass recently chords on a bass guitar are now like a walk in the park. When I first started on the double bass I couldn't play for more than a song and a half without getting major hand cramps. I got a powerball and practiced every day. Job done. My chords used to sound rubbish now they are really smooth. Not that I use them that much.

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='616963' date='Oct 4 2009, 10:47 PM']Any! What about a major chord - all three notes of it.[/quote]
If you know your scales (and so the 1st, 3rd, and 5th) you should be able to 'see' the chord shapes on the fingerboard.

[velvetkevorkian]

[quote name='thepurpleblob' post='616963' date='Oct 4 2009, 10:47 PM']Any! What about a major chord - all three notes of it.[/quote]
How high is your action?

It may just be a matter of repetition- it took me ages to get guitar chord shapes down but one day it just clicked.

[EssentialTension]

Those are all Cmajor triad (C-E-G) in different inversions.

Bass chords generally sound much better higher up the neck.

Try starting with double stops rather than three or four note chords.

[purpleblob]

Love 'em - ofcourse it's not so easy to use them when you have a full band playing in front of you, i.e. the chords just get a little lost in the mix. 1st, 3rd and 7th work well and are generally easy to play and give a nice sound (i.e Major7th, Minor7th & 7th). If you start with those then go for the more convoluted ones later

EDIT: Just found the following on google books (Bass Chords By William Bay)

[url="http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=BKdtZrXCEgUC&dq=bass+chords&printsec=frontcover&source=bl&ots=PnjNfLq9sn&sig=1MC89lvS8s89ZBByUAAQihG3dSo&hl=en&ei=QhvJSsOfL6SNjAep3Jw3&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=10#v=onepage&q=&f=false"]http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=BKdtZrX...;q=&f=false[/url]

admittely not the full book but might be of use ?

Edited October 4, 2009 by purpleblob

[EssentialTension]

Am I confused or am I seeing two purple blobs?

[velvetkevorkian]

There are indeed two purple blobs.

Its easy to tell them apart- one can play chords and one can't

Edited October 4, 2009 by velvetkevorkian

[EssentialTension]

[quote name='velvetkevorkian' post='617006' date='Oct 4 2009, 11:24 PM']There are indeed two purple blobs.

Its easy to tell them apart- one can play chords and one can't [/quote]

[The Funk]

I can play some chords on the bass - but I can't really transition well from chords to single notes so I don't use them in songs.

I do use a tritone double stop semi-tone slide fairly regularly though - it's one of those things I just picked up from somewhere that sounds cool even if I don't understand how or why it works.

[wulf]

I make quite extensive use of chording. The two "secrets" are:

1. You don't have to include all the notes from a chord spelling to make it work - the harmony can often be implied by just a couple of notes. Eg. C-9 (Cm9) suggests C Eb G Bb and D. You could just put C and D (above the octave) together and it would probably work, perhaps spiced up with an Eb or Bb.

2. That helps because playing notes that are too close together sounds muddy, especially at the lower end of the range. The higher you go, the sweeter the sound but, if you can also add in a low note you get real space and beauty in the sound.

The easiest place to start though is probably learning a few double stop patterns - for example, root and third, root and fifth, fifth and octave and so on. Any other chord you want to play later will probably include one or more of those simple patterns.

Wulf

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='616996' date='Oct 4 2009, 11:11 PM']Am I confused or am I seeing two purple blobs?[/quote]

WHAT!! This means war.....



Maybe I wasn't clear. I know my chords and where to find them on the fretboard BUT I just can't get three fingers down in those places and it not make nasty noises. My action is girly-low and I'm playing up the end where the frets get close together. Just doesn't work. Grrrrr.....

[mcgraham]

From what you've said it sounds like it may be a technique issue rather than a physical problem with the bass. Can you play guitar? I find that the crossover between the two is immensely helpful and helping me to progress and use new ideas (chords and otherwise).

Mark

[alexclaber]

Yes, I play them loads. It just takes practice - start with double-stops and work up from there. I'm using double-stops against pedal tones in the verse on this song and then in the second (skanking) section I'm playing power chords on the unison riffs.



(Excuse the awful vocals and pre-song prattling...)

Because bass guitar notes are so big (they contain lots of lower overtones) chords are best thinned out to their essential colour tones - fifths often cause mud in triads or extended chords.

Alex

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='mcgraham' post='617152' date='Oct 5 2009, 10:07 AM']From what you've said it sounds like it may be a technique issue rather than a physical problem with the bass. Can you play guitar? I find that the crossover between the two is immensely helpful and helping me to progress and use new ideas (chords and otherwise).

Mark[/quote]


I think that is what I said

What's a guitar? Yeh - it's pretty much why I am interested - I think it would help my playing.

Edited October 5, 2009 by thepurpleblob

[Ray]

When I play chords, it's pretty much always above the 12th fret.

I usually play the root with my thumb (curled round the back of the neck) on the E string, the 7th with my middle finger on the D string and the 3rd with my ring finger on the G string.

With my right hand I pluck the strings simultaneously with the thumb, index and middle fingers.

Edited October 5, 2009 by Ray

[purpleblob]

[quote name='EssentialTension' post='616996' date='Oct 4 2009, 11:11 PM']Am I confused or am I seeing two purple blobs?[/quote]

Yes I'm afraid there appears to be two of us. I only discovered this after I'd already registered on the site. Not sure I can change my user id now without starting over again

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='purpleblob' post='617198' date='Oct 5 2009, 11:06 AM']Yes I'm afraid there appears to be two of us. I only discovered this after I'd already registered on the site. Not sure I can change my user id now without starting over again [/quote]

You are forgiven.... congratulations on membership of an exclusive club

[GreeneKing]

I play root, 5th chords in one song. I should have asked this question years ago but what exactly is a 'double stop'?

There's always one and it's usually me.

Peter

[thepurpleblob]

[quote name='GreeneKing' post='617239' date='Oct 5 2009, 11:43 AM']I play root, 5th chords in one song. I should have asked this question years ago but what exactly is a 'double stop'?

There's always one and it's usually me.

Peter[/quote]

What you are doing I think. Fretting two notes at the same time. .....actually it's usually me

Edited October 5, 2009 by thepurpleblob

[GreeneKing]

Aha then that's good, I think