hey everyone.

i've recently started getting into playing chords on bass. i've read many posts on playing chords: tapping, using upper octaves, double stops, etc. but my question involves actual note choice. i've been looking into inversions but i want to know if any of you have any interesting ways to play chords? like in open position for example. thanks in advance.

-jimbo

Try using harmonics in your chords. Also try playing a chord then tapping an extra note. The essence of the note you lose when tapping on that string remains plus the added effect of the note you tap. Um...if I think of more I'll post, but that's it off the top of my head.

Edit: An example would be play A - E - B then tap a C. You can even slide it on up to a D, you can do anything you want! :D Beautiful.

Jay,

Can you provide sample fingerings or, God forbid, TAB?

Originally posted by Jimbo
hey everyone.

i've recently started getting into playing chords on bass. i've read many posts on playing chords: tapping, using upper octaves, double stops, etc. but my question involves actual note choice. i've been looking into inversions but i want to know if any of you have any interesting ways to play chords? like in open position for example. thanks in advance.

-jimbo

Mike Dimin is the expert on this - you may want to go along to his section of "Ask the Pros" and put this question to him? (or just wait for him to turn up here! ;) )

Both Steve Lawson and Michael Manring also use chords a lot and also have a shared forum - Michael has some very interesting ways of playing open chords with his Hyperbass!! ;)

Heym,
I even wrote a book on the subject :D

Mike

I even wrote a book on the subject

Is that an advertisement? ;)

Chord voicings. Hmm, tricky one.

If you know your chord thoery. So, major, minor, dominant 7th, half-diminished, diminished, augmented, sus 4, sus 6 chords, plus common jazz extensions. Then you'd know the root, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, etc etc etc, plus inversions then you've got a whole shed load of voicings to play with!

So, it depends on how much chord theory you already know? Where abouts are you on this?

Originally posted by Howard K


Is that an advertisement? ;)



NO....

an advertisement would sound more like this:

Yes, for a limited time you too can own "The Chordal Approach" by "celebrity" Bass Player, Mike Dimin. Available for only $15.00 US from www.michaeldimin.com.


(BTW "celebrity" came from Bass Player Magazine's coverage of the Anaheim Bass Bash)

Mike

Originally posted by chardin
Jay,

Can you provide sample fingerings or, God forbid, TAB?

Ok. But I don't do TAB. ;)

A=12 A str
E=14 D str
B=16 G str

C=tap 17 G str (right hand tap)

I use this chord shape often too: hit the harmonic at the octave A string (A), use D str 10th fret (C), and the 9th fret G str (E).

My teacher is Trip Wamsley who studied under Michael Manring for awhile. I'm just a student though, the best guys for this are the aforementioned pros.

So, it depends on how much chord theory you already know? Where abouts are you on this?

i'm pretty solid with my chord theory. i'm working on jazz extensions but i have a pretty good foundation in it.

-jimbo

They say the most important notes of the chord are the root, the 3rd and the 7th, so I would think at the very least would have to be able to play those 3 notes or combinations of them to either effectively imply the chord or to voice it outright. A shell voicing which is the root and the seventh of a chord, was at one time a popular method of comping behind soloist.

Here's something that you can try that sounds really cool on Summertime in Am.

Open E, Open A followed by these played as double stops: (10 fret D string)C (11 fret G string)F# = Amin6, (12 fret D string)D (13th fret G string)G# = E7.

i'm pretty solid with my chord theory. i'm working on jazz extensions but i have a pretty good foundation in it.

Well that's the key then really.. all you need to do is spend time playing with the voicings of chords you already know and adding to them. No substitute for experimentation.

That said, I have a book I bought years ago, by Peter Pickov on bass chords - it's a gig bag book - you know a long thin one. It was about a tenner or something and has umpteen chords in it, with many differnt voicings for each one.

NO....

an advertisement would sound more like this:

Yes, for a limited time you too can own "The Chordal Approach" by "celebrity" Bass Player, Mike Dimin. Available for only $15.00 US from www.michaeldimin.com.

Aaah yes, my mistake...

Originally posted by Howard K


Well that's the key then really.. all you need to do is spend time playing with the voicings of chords you already know and adding to them. No substitute for experimentation.

That said, I have a book I bought years ago, by Peter Pickov on bass chords - it's a gig bag book - you know a long thin one. It was about a tenner or something and has umpteen chords in it, with many differnt voicings for each one.


I think bass, by its nature, means that certain voicings are going to work better than others - so widely-spaced intervals are going to sound less 'muddy' than a whole bunch of low notes close together!

And you can do a lot with two notes, rather than trying to always fill everything up....

Originally posted by Mike Dimin


NO....

an advertisement would sound more like this:

Yes, for a limited time you too can own "The Chordal Approach" by "celebrity" Bass Player, Mike Dimin. Available for only $15.00 US from www.michaeldimin.com.


(BTW "celebrity" came from Bass Player Magazine's coverage of the Anaheim Bass Bash)

Mike

Oh hell!! Only a limited time?!?!!

Mike I'm ordering one of your books now!!!

Michael, if you're going to refer to yourself as a celebrity bassist, at least have the decency to sign up under a psuedonym to do it! ;)

LOL

Steve
www.stevelawson.net

Originally posted by Steve Lawson
Michael, if you're going to refer to yourself as a celebrity bassist, at least have the decency to sign up under a psuedonym to do it! ;)

LOL

Steve
www.stevelawson.net

Don't make me move this thread to Bass humor!!;)

Chris A.:rolleyes: :bassist:

Originally posted by Steve Lawson
Michael, if you're going to refer to yourself as a celebrity bassist, at least have the decency to sign up under a psuedonym to do it! ;)

LOL

Steve
www.stevelawson.net

Steve,
Bad news - your a "celebrity bassist" as well.

Chris,
This is "humor" at its very worst

Mike,

Got your book today!! Looks very fun and informative!! Im gonna enjoy delving into it!!