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  #1  
Old 01-29-2009, 07:33 PM
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Getting into Music Theory/ Chord charts

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Hi,

I just joined a local church band, which uses Chord charts and some music notation for paying music.

-I wanted to know some suggestions on how to work with chords to build bass lines. Mostly, I can handle majors, but what can i do when i run into chords like Dsus and those types of chords. I know to play the root note of the chord, but how can i build a bass line based upon those type of chords.

Are there any books you suggest that go over this in detail?

Thank you,
Adam
  #2  
Old 01-30-2009, 05:19 AM
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Major chords are the beginning. You also have minor, diminished, augmented , major 7th, dominant 7th, minor 7th, half diminished, and diminished 7. Sus chords usually refer to the sus 4 but there of course are other sus chords. In the context you are playing, don't go too crazy trying to play chord extensions if you see any such as 9,11, and 13. Although you probably won't see them in the kind of music you are playing. You would really also only be playing the sus 4 of a chord for a certain effect. The band or ensemble would prefer you play the root to the sus 4 of the chord played by the harmonic instrument has an effect.

For example, if the bass does not play the D on a D sus chord, the G does not give the suspended sound against the root. There isn't too much detail to get into to play over such chords. (mixolydian mode for diatonic passing tones and chromatic passing tones if you're going crazy). If you want more info on playiong over chords with tensions such as b9, 9, #9, 11, #11, b13, 13 etc... my book The Total Jazz Bassist digs into that sort of info.

Best,
Dave
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Old 01-29-2010, 11:30 PM
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Say whaaat? I as well play for my church as one of their bassist. I'm completely new to playing the bass and I don't get ANY of the chord/major/minor scale stuff at all. I've been talked to about it by other musicians and read a little on various site and "self teach" bass books but I still can't get it. What I would like to learn is how to "fill" in the gaps in some of the songs that we play but I don't know how because I don't know my scales...I just can't get it.

For some reason my mind won't grasp it. :/
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Old 01-29-2010, 11:31 PM
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Say whaaat? I as well play for my church as one of their bassist. I'm completely new to playing the bass and I don't get ANY of the chord/major/minor scale stuff at all. I've been talked to about it by other musicians and read a little on various site and "self teach" bass books but I still can't get it. What I would like to learn is how to "fill" in the gaps in some of the songs that we play but I don't know how because I don't know my scales...I just can't get it.

For some reason my mind won't grasp it. :/
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  #5  
Old 02-01-2010, 02:57 PM
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I have the same problem with scales/chords etc
I have a cool teacher that's putting together some backing tracks with various progressions, and helping me learn to improvise over them... we will be going over that in our next lesson

Have you got a teacher that could do the same for you?
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  #6  
Old 02-01-2010, 03:13 PM
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If you have a resource such as my Total jazz Bassist book or Intermediate Complete Electric Bassist, or any other well written resource it might help if you have a private teacher help you to navigate the book and help explain things. Learning of what scales are available to play over what chords (this allows you to use scale tones for fills) is very helpful. Without doing learning these things you might be at a disadvantage in that if you think of chords and scales as musical vocabulary, the more vocabulary you know the more you can speak the language and the more you have to say musically.

The only other way to go about realizing what you can play for fills is to be around someone who can play and imitate their licks. Get it in your ears! If you have the time to be around great players to learn from hours a day all the power to you.

If not, I recommend both, the written resource, understanding chords and scales and being around good players. Try to practice bass lines with fills over a recording of the chord progressions of tunes you are playing. This will allow your ear to help guide you hopefully play good fills through the trial and error process.

Good luck.
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Old 02-01-2010, 03:15 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Evil Undead View Post
I have the same problem with scales/chords etc
I have a cool teacher that's putting together some backing tracks with various progressions, and helping me learn to improvise over them... we will be going over that in our next lesson

Have you got a teacher that could do the same for you?
No, I'll talk to him about it though. Thanks for the suggestion
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