Chords

[ChildoftheKorn]

hey guys i need any tips or help playing chords on a bass when ever i sucssessfull play them they sound like **** lol and help would be awesome.

[Coypu]

How do you mean sounds like ****? If it sounds to muddy or not clear enough then try to play it higher up on the bass. If it sounds dissonant then play chords that are nicer to the ear.

try this one :
|-24-|
|-21-|
|----|
|-22-|

It should sound nice on bass, if it doesn't then tune your bass or check your tecnique.

[BassZen]

The thing about chords on bass is it is hard to play bar chords or triads. what I have found are the the best are two note chords. If you are in the higher resisters any interval sounds good, but if you are in the lower register I would suggest using only intervals above a fifth to avoid muddyness. Bass chords give a very interesting felling to the music. They can also be fun because people are not expecting them. Anyway the string spacing, the size of the strings, and the low frequency, make it almost impossible to do chords as though we were guitarists, but two note chords add very cool harmonic texture.

[Howard K]

What BassZen said points to an important point... if you're playing a chord on bass you need to choose the notes carefully, as too many notes any where on the fretboard will get muddy.

Pick out the chords tones that give the chord it's flavour - usually the root, 3rd and 7th and drop the 5th. The sound of the perfect 5th in a most chords just adds to the muddyness and doesnt actually give the chord any stronger or more unique sound.

I wouldn't agree with Copyu specifically, but there is a good point there also,,, some places on a bass neck are good for chords and some aren't.
Usually below the 7th fret or so on the E, A & D you're getting into muddy territory, but equally above the 17th fret on the E and A can be messy too.
Try stick to the areasof the neck where tones are clear and more bell like - that way you can hear the harmony better.

In many cases you can play the root, then other chords tones (e.g. 3rd & 7th) as a double stop (two note chords specifially on stringed instruments) to imply the chord without having to play three notes together and get all muddy.

12th fret harmonic - and other natural harmonics are also real handy for a nice clear chord.

[ChildoftheKorn]

thanks alot guys i was supposed to play open e string and the second fret on the A and it sound liek crap lol but ill try to find a goood combonation

[Howard K]

thanks alot guys i was supposed to play open e string and the second fret on the A and it sound liek crap lol but ill try to find a goood combonation

try the same an octave up, 7th on A string and 9th on D.

[3 crotch grabs]

playing with just myself, drums, 1 guitar... i find myself having to give the color to a chord along with providing the root note quite a bit. which leaves me playing some pretty simple chords. i avoid the fifths. usually sticking with root-octave-octave third, or root-third-seventh.

i doubt there is any real "need" for you to play that as a chord, kid-o-korn. try just nailing that open E real solid.