Does anyone play chords? I do but one note at a time, I do not strum. Say the chord is the Cmaj7 instead of fingering that chord and then strumming I would play the notes of the Cmaj7 chord - R-3-5-7 one note at a time. Now how many of those notes besides the R actually get into my bass line is another story best done on another post.
Code:
Major Scale Box.
G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string
Quarter notes R-3-5-7 or eighth notes R-R-3-3-5-5-7-7. This site gives you the notes used in a chord.
http://www.smithfowler.org/music/Chord_Formulas.htm R stands for root or the 1 note.
Sounds like you are asking the same question a newbie rhythm guitar player does when he is first starting out; "What strum pattern should I be using with this song?" The answer for a rhythm guitar player is play what you feel is right for the song. Reach into your memory tank and pull out the strum pattern that fits this song. Most rhythm guitar guys/gals have 3 to 4 favorite strums and they mix and match them to the song. Now back to the bass and what we do......
Tab is not going to help you with the rhythm. How you play the R-3-5-7 notes of the chord is how you develop your rhythm. I sing the song under my breath and let singing the lyrics help with when I sound a note. One note per lyric word - two syllable words get two notes - that will keep you in time with the vocalist. Ma-ry had a lit-tle lamb
Now if there is a drummer rely upon the drummer for the rhythm.
I do not play your type of music, so take that into account, but, IMO strumming would be an advanced skill, for a bassist not something we do right at first.
Good luck.
Bassists play chords 95% of the time, but they play them one by one, which is called an arpeggio. I assume you are referring to chords where the notes are played all together, the way a guitarist would strum a chord ? If so then yes, some times a bassist will play chords this way, but generally the role of the bassist is to hold down the groove along with the drummer and to emphasise the root of a chord.
