How do YOU use chords on bass

JehuJava · #1 07-12-2008, 12:28 PM

I switched to 6 string back in January and after several months of familiarization with this new instrument I'm really starting to explore chords. With that being said, I curious to how many of you guys use chords.

Do you play mostly arpeggios?
Do you play a "regular" line and add double and triple stops as flourishments/accents?
Do you play chords up high to avoid the muddiness?
Do you choose notes other than the root for you chord voicings?

I've got to admit, I love those players that play the bass like classical guitar. But I'm looking for a more practical use of chords as in a band situation. Maybe I'm wrong too, the classical style could be used in a band situation.

Al

Alejandro Lozan · #2 07-12-2008, 01:06 PM

The classical style could be used in a band situation. Don´t be afraid. First you should start with chords that may contain the root in the lowest voice then you can add to your tools chords and voicings with no roots. This kind of ideas contribute to build a rich sound for for you and this is good for you, but it is better for your band.

www.alejandrolozano.net

my web site comes very soon!

insomniac2295 · #3 07-12-2008, 01:09 PM

i usually just do the chord with my left hand and pluck between all the notes and make it sound pretty. or when one guitar cuts out to do a lead i'll do a full chord to fill his spot and make it more driving

soong · #4 07-12-2008, 06:29 PM

Normally arpeggiation does it for me. Or playing the full chord past the 12th fret. anything lower than that is eww.

JehuJava · #5 07-12-2008, 11:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alejandro Lozan

The classical style could be used in a band situation. Don´t be afraid. First you should start with chords that may contain the root in the lowest voice then you can add to your tools chords and voicings with no roots. This kind of ideas contribute to build a rich sound for for you and this is good for you, but it is better for your band.

www.alejandrolozano.net

my web site comes very soon!

Very interesting. like I Suck At Bass said above...playing in the lower registers sounds strange. Do you play low? I can see something like open B and the higher octave B with the F# working, but not the low B and the F#. Maybe I'm wrong.

JimmyM · #6 07-12-2008, 11:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JehuJava

I switched to 6 string back in January and after several months of familiarization with this new instrument I'm really starting to explore chords. With that being said, I curious to how many of you guys use chords.

Do you play mostly arpeggios?
Do you play a "regular" line and add double and triple stops as flourishments/accents?
Do you play chords up high to avoid the muddiness?
Do you choose notes other than the root for you chord voicings?

The problem with chords is the muddiness in the low notes, and the dropout of low end response in the high notes. With a 6 string you can be more versatile with them and keep the lows with the highs. Me, I don't do them often, but when I do, I tend to stick to simpler voicings because I play 4's, but I try to throw them in from time to time. And I have a recording project that's nothing but bass chords and drums, although they're mostly distorted power chords for punk-style stuff. Best done sparingly unless you play in a small group or one that features bass more than most.

ninefingerbass · #7 07-13-2008, 11:54 AM

If you take a look at my homepage and listen to some of the songs I use chords in and throughout the pieces all the time. Also if you do a search on youtube for Rainy's Song or Kilikina, you see me use chords in the low end and high end, well honestly all over the place. There are no limitations to using chords but just make them sound nice. I try to let them fill the holes missing in my music and if I write mainly using chords I'll pull a melody out of them and create something nice.

JehuJava · #8 07-13-2008, 12:30 PM

Very interesting playing 9FB...now turn to! Just kidding (about the turn to).

BMC Alan Dooley, USCG
Semper Paratus

JehuJava · #9 07-13-2008, 12:36 PM

I like the chord slides in Kilikina!

ninefingerbass · #10 07-13-2008, 02:24 PM

Hey I appreciate the compliments. More is coming but feel free to spread it around. Also I have pieces for my 6 string coming soon so you can have an idea of chords on a 6. Though there are players out there like Todd Johnson doing amazing things with it.

Bob the bassist · #11 07-13-2008, 02:39 PM

Quite often, I'll play a root-fifth power chord to fill out the rhythms, especially on cover tunes with two guitars (I'm in a trio) but not much below open A: It gets too muddy. Otherwise, I play a lot of 5th-root chords, and I like 3 and 4 note arpeggios with an open low string.

Crazyeelboy · #12 07-13-2008, 03:22 PM

I don't play full chords too often (but the do come up every now and then), but I do play broken chords all the time, usually sounding two notes at once (usually a root/third or a third/fifth, but sometimes with a seventh or another note to add certain color). I'll do root/fifth rarely only for that "wall of sound" effect.

JehuJava · #13 07-13-2008, 11:06 PM

there seems like there is quite a bit of diversity with regards to bass chords. So far I've been trying to add 7ths, 9ths, 10ths, and 13ths to my root(ish) basslines. Sounds pretty cool, but I'm super sloppy with it

backer_bassist · #14 07-13-2008, 11:48 PM

try using guide tones eg. 3rds,7ths, 9ths and other colour tones.. the point being you don't necessarily NEED the tonic and fifth as its the colour tones that determine the quality (major/minor etc.) of the chord.

kebbs · #15 07-14-2008, 12:01 AM

I almost always play the root as the lowest note. It keeps things grounded not just for others, but myself too. I also like using all four fingers (if possible) to pluck all notes simultaneously. That almost always includes the 3rd, 7th and 9th. 5th does not add much, unless is still need to maintain the root-fifth groove (in this instance I may use the thumb to play that). On my 24 fret neck, in addition to playing solos, I like seeing everything past the 12th fret as "chord territory."

Beast · #16 07-14-2008, 10:39 AM

Well, often times, I'll play with a classical guitar guy, and while he's busting out a melody, I'll pump out a bassline+ chords. Seems to work nicely for what we do.

JKT · #17 07-14-2008, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JehuJava

I switched to 6 string back in January and after several months of familiarization with this new instrument I'm really starting to explore chords. With that being said, I curious to how many of you guys use chords.

Do you play mostly arpeggios?
Do you play a "regular" line and add double and triple stops as flourishments/accents?
Do you play chords up high to avoid the muddiness?
Do you choose notes other than the root for you chord voicings?

Al

Yes

mambo4 · #18 07-14-2008, 02:05 PM

I never play chords, except the rare octave. I use my chordal knowledge to inform the melodic choices I make.

steve66 · #19 07-14-2008, 02:14 PM

for chords, I strum The root, 3rd, 5th or leave the 5th out and add the 7th. If I want to blast the root then its R, 5th, Octave

ric1312 · #20 07-14-2008, 02:24 PM

The only thing I use them for is that dramatic ending where everything just goes nuts, root and the octave.