Hey,

if you play a two note chord on a bass is that a double stop?

am i wrong in even referring to it as a chord?

and if it is a chord, how to you name it? i know most chords are named after the root note.

am i talking complete rubbish? sorry if i am!!!

Hey,

if you play a two note chord on a bass is that a double stop?

am i wrong in even referring to it as a chord?

and if it is a chord, how to you name it? i know most chords are named after the root note.

am i talking complete rubbish? sorry if i am!!!

A double stop is when you go "through" a string to play another note. So you pluck the D string and then the A with the same finger. A two note chord isn't really a chord, you need to stick at least one more in there.

I found this site the other day. They have a nice little online primer on bass chords.
http://www.wheatdesign.com/bassbook/chapter_select.php?chapter=015
It will give you some insight to playing chords on a bass. Me being fairly new to the bass, I found it a pretty decent resource. Good Luck!

much better one here (http://www.michaeldimin.com/lessons.htm)

dimin

That was the most subtle plug I've ever seen, Mike. By the way, I never got to say how much I enjoyed your set at the Detroit Bass Fest last October. The clinic was excellent as well.

-Eric.

A double stop is when you go "through" a string to play another note. So you pluck the D string and then the A with the same finger. A two note chord isn't really a chord, you need to stick at least one more in there.
...

What?

No. A double-stop is a two-note chord, plain and simple. The term comes from classical instruments, because on a stringed instrument like the cello or violin (or upright bass,) what a BG'er would call "fretting" a note, they would call "stopping" a note (because there are no frets -- dig?). A double-stop is simply stopping two notes at once.

That was the most subtle plug I've ever seen, Mike. By the way, I never got to say how much I enjoyed your set at the Detroit Bass Fest last October. The clinic was excellent as well.

-Eric.
Would I be guilty of breaking the commercial users policy. If so I am sorry

Mike

...

What?

No. A double-stop is a two-note chord, plain and simple. The term comes from classical instruments, because on a stringed instrument like the cello or violin (or upright bass,) what a BG'er would call "fretting" a note, they would call "stopping" a note (because there are no frets -- dig?). A double-stop is simply stopping two notes at once.

Feck! Than I think I was thinking of a rest stroke. I get those two confused. Sorry!

It's not actually a chord, since a chord requires three notes. It's just an interval.

Would I be guilty of breaking the commercial users policy. If so I am sorry

Mike
I think you would be guilty only if the click-through resulted in a conversion. ;)

Actually, I am really gald that this question was posted.

I picked up a copy of Mike Dimin's book and was not sure if Stops were another way to refer to Chords.

I'm uh, I'm not good.

Mike if you read this, P. 17, sentence 2 "The first one used triple stops", I am interpreting to mean a three-note chord.

Also, what is the syncopation for a jazz eighth (P. 19). I know the straight eighth is

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & , but what is the jazz eighth?

Sorry, I'm really trying to milk this post.

Actually, I am really gald that this question was posted.

I picked up a copy of Mike Dimin's book and was not sure if Stops were another way to refer to Chords.

I'm uh, I'm not good.

Mike if you read this, P. 17, sentence 2 "The first one used triple stops", I am interpreting to mean a three-note chord.

Also, what is the syncopation for a jazz eighth (P. 19). I know the straight eighth is

1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & , but what is the jazz eighth?

Sorry, I'm really trying to milk this post.


Yes, a triple stop is three notes played at the same time - you could consider it a chord. Since, historically bassists don't play "chords" - the term double stop or triple stop is often times more familiar.

The jazz eigth is played like a 3 eighth note triplets, where the first 2 are tied.

Finally, a double stop is technically not a chord. However, do to the phenomonan known as phsyco-acoustics the brain can often fill in missing notes of a double stop to make it sound like a chord - -especially within the context of the tune. This is how I, often times, arrange tunes for solo bass, I rely on the fact that your ear/brain will fill in the missing notes

Mike

Thanks Mike!

I am really enjoying the book by the way. Is there a second one available?

Thanks Mike!

I am really enjoying the book by the way. Is there a second one available?


Thanks. Mel Bay will be publishing "The Art of Solo Bass" in '06

Mike

Finally, a double stop is technically not a chord. However, do to the phenomonan known as phsyco-acoustics the brain can often fill in missing notes of a double stop to make it sound like a chord - -especially within the context of the tune. This is how I, often times, arrange tunes for solo bass, I rely on the fact that your ear/brain will fill in the missing notes.

This definitely bears repeating. A well-voiced double stop can imply a lot of larger chords -- play around with very, very wide intervals like 10ths and 12ths (you might need an extra string or two to pull a 12th off with one fretting hand.) A simple 10th with C as the root in a tune like Autumn Leaves can imply a larger chord (in this case, it'd be a Cmaj7.) You could play the entire tune like this if you wanted to (although it can get kind of boring for one instrument to play the same things over and over, so you'll need to make it nice and spicy -- in this context, don't forget the awesomeness of harmonic minor.)



Mike: When you're arrange for solo bass, do you ever use tapping? I haven't had the pleasure of being able to listen to your stuff yet (I've got a very long list of "to buy" for CDs after some gear I need to pick up) but I'm curious if you ever use tapping to be able to play larger chords that can be difficult to imply with smaller voicings like double-stops. From what I've gathered with talk around TB, you don't seem to be one of the guys that taps like his butt's on fire, but I've found that even on a four string, you can properly voice a lot of larger chords like a maj9 and whatnot with just a bit of tapping (even just one or two notes in the midst of a whole fingerstyle passage.) Sometimes I find it can be a bit difficult to imply these larger chords while remaining somewhat original and different from other songs and passages, and tapping a note here and there to actually spell the whole chord out can really distinguish that that was a dim7 chord, etc.


EDIT: I just noticed you actually did Autumn Leaves on Big Droppings -- maybe your CD needs to bumped up a bit higher on my "To Buy" list!

I usually tap ONLY when I cannot reach the note(s) in another way.

Here are 2 examples:
www.michaeldimin.com/rainbow_2.wmv

This is a windows media file about 2.5 mb. You'll need explorer to view it.

and

http://www.michaeldimin.com/spain.mov

a 30 sec clip - about 7.5 meg

Both have some tapping/chord melody and looping. It is a pretty good indication of what I do

Mike

I usually tap ONLY when I cannot reach the note(s) in another way.

Here are 2 examples:
www.michaeldimin.com/rainbow_2.wmv

This is a windows media file about 2.5 mb. You'll need explorer to view it.

and

http://www.michaeldimin.com/spain.mov

a 30 sec clip - about 7.5 meg

Both have some tapping/chord melody and looping. It is a pretty good indication of what I do

Mike
WOW! That's exactly what I'm talking about. Wow. That's awesome. I *was* gonna pick up Money Jungle, but I've been looking for a solo bassist with almost exactly your concept of solo playing for a while now, soooo...Easter's coming ;). Beautiful arrangement of Somewhere Over The Rainbow, dude. Absolutely phenomenal.