How do you go from Guitar Chords to Bass Root Notes?

[GuitartoBass]

I play guitar and I am trying to figure out how I go from a specific chord on my guitar to the equivalent on my bass in trillian. This means that I will be using the midi keyboard to translate the bass notes into a bass sound form from the trillian software.

I have the capo on the second fret with my fingers in the positions of: C, D and GMaj.

Is there something out there that allows me to find the bass equivalent of a guitar chord visually? Also, I know that the capo on the second fret changes the chords to another chord themselves but how do I go about figuring out what chords to play on the bass?

Damn, that last paragraph is confusing. Does anybody get what I mean?

Best.

GuitartoBass

[Nev375]

I have no idea what you are trying to do. Find the root note to a guitar chord? Or just play guitar chords on bass? Perhaps you are looking for something like this?

The Bass and Guitar Fretboard Diagram Printer

[funkybass]

If you are capo 2 move each note 2 frets. C=d, g=a, f=g am=bm etc.

[Russell L]

The note names on the bass are the same as on guitar. Is that the answer?

[longfinger]

Originally Posted by GuitartoBass

I play guitar and I am trying to figure out how I go from a specific chord on my guitar to the equivalent on my bass in trillian. This means that I will be using the midi keyboard to translate the bass notes into a bass sound form from the trillian software.

I have the capo on the second fret with my fingers in the positions of: C, D and GMaj.

Is there something out there that allows me to find the bass equivalent of a guitar chord visually? Also, I know that the capo on the second fret changes the chords to another chord themselves but how do I go about figuring out what chords to play on the bass?

Damn, that last paragraph is confusing. Does anybody get what I mean?

Best.

GuitartoBass

Yes, you need to learn the guitar properly. And you need to learn what it is a capo really does. And also learn good ear training. Then this will all be very easy.

If you're playing the chords D, G, and A, by sound, then those are the chords on guitar, on bass, on piano or any other instrument that used "concert pitch" names. The guitar is a concert pitch instrument, and the notes and chords are labelled by their sound, not by your finger patterns, or the capo or the open strings. There are many ways to tune a guitar's open strings, to use capos, to use capos partially over some strings and not others. Go by sound. Go by theory.

[MalcolmAmos]

Capo is not going to work on the bass.

We do not strum the chord we play the chord one note at a time, so we need to know what notes make up the chord. You can do that by knowing a Cmaj7 chord has the C, E, G & B note in it's make up ---- or, know that any maj7 chord is made from the R-3-5-7 scale degrees of the scale.

Take some of your fake chord sheet music and follow the chords. Sing the lyrics under your breath. Sound a bass note for every word. Happy and birthday would take two notes as they have two sylables then the lyric words to and you only take one note each.

Online Bass Lessons at StudyBass.com is a friend.
Here is another:

Major Scale Box. 

G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string 

Basic Chords
Major Triad = R-3-5
Minor Triad = R-b3-5
Diminished Chord = R-b3-b5
7th Chords
Maj7 = R-3-5-7
Minor 7 = R-b3-5-b7
Dominant 7 = R-3-5-b7
½ diminished = R-b3-b5-b7
Full diminished = R-b3-b5-bb7

[trblWthTrebles]

Originally Posted by GuitartoBass

Is there something out there that allows me to find the bass equivalent of a guitar chord visually?

GuitartoBass

As mentioned the name of the chord is the name of the bass root note.

I think you got your good answers already but you might be interested in the following.

The free tuxguitar tab software will allow you to tab in a chord and it will do it's best to name the chord. You can even do capo'ed chords by tabbing the 'open' notes from your chord shape as fretted at the capo.

Then you could tab your bass note(s) into a bass tab and listen to the two together.

I think its great fun but then I'm a loooong time computer geek.

[MalcolmAmos]

Originally Posted by GuitartoBass

.....Is there something out there that allows me to find the bass equivalent of a guitar chord visually? GuitartoBass

Is this what you want to see on the bass guitar?


I don't think you will find it. Why? Because we do not strum chords we play chords one note at a time. Well in two to three years you may get around to playing chords on your bass like you do on your 6 string guitar, to end a lick or phrase, but, right now forget about trying.

That chord diagram, as you know, is how you make the D major chord on your 6 string. On bass you make it by sounding the D, F# & A notes - one note at a time. Or you use the major scale box (which I've given you) and then play the R-3-5 scale degrees of the D scale - one note at a time.

Major Scale Box. 

G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

I say again --- we do not hold down all the notes of the chord and sound them all at one time. We know which notes make up the chord we want and where the notes are on our fretboard and then play them one note at a time. Look up arpeggio patterns -- The way you played arpeggio patterns on your 6 string guitar (as little scale patterns), that is what we do on the bass. Notes of the chord one note at a time.

Your major scale box pattern and this:

Generic notes (scale degrees) of the chords and notes of the scales:

Basic Chords

• Major Triad = R-3-5
• Minor Triad = R-b3-5
• Diminished Chord = R-b3-b5

7th Chords

• Maj7 = R-3-5-7
• Minor 7 = R-b3-5-b7
• Dominant 7 = R-3-5-b7
• ½ diminished = R-b3-b5-b7
• Full diminished = R-b3-b5-bb7

Scales
Major Scale = R-2-3-4-5-6-7 Home base
Major Pentatonic = R-2-3-5-6 Home bass less the 4 & 7.
Natural Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-b7 Home bass with the 3, 6 & 7 flatted.
Minor Pentatonic = R-b3-4-5-b7 Natural minor scale with out the 2 & 6.
Blues = R-b3-4-b5-5-b7 Minor pentatonic with the blue note (b5) added.
Harmonic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-b6-7 Natural minor scale with a natural 7.
Melodic Minor Scale = R-2-b3-4-5-6-7 Major scale with a b3.

Good luck.

[Tom_RCJ]

If your capo is on the second fret and you're playing the C "shape", then what you're actually playing is a D, regardless of the position your fingers are in on the fretboard, provided your instrument is tuned to standard tuning. It is wrong to call it a C. It looks like a C, but it very much is a D.

There is no "equivalent" or translation to other instruments. If I'm on stage and whoever is in charge calls out we're playing in D, that will go for every single musician on stage, except harp players, but they're just batty and all kinds of weird. This does not mean D is the only note anyone is allowed to play, only that every note we play will be derived from that chord in some way. In the case of D major, an F# (which is a 3rd) or an A (which is a 5th) would usually do nicely, but D will still need to be "implied" in what you're playing, especially for a bass player. Outlining chords is often one of our jobs in a song.

If all you're looking for is a simple root-note bass line, then you're looking at D, plain and simple.

[guroove]

There's no need to make this so complicated. Learn the names of the notes on the bass. There you have it. The root of a "C" chord is C. Play a C.

[Febs]

Originally Posted by guroove

There's no need to make this so complicated. Learn the names of the notes on the bass. There you have it. The root of a "C" chord is C. Play a C.

Except that because of the capo, the guitar is not playing a C chord.

[guroove]

Just call the chords by the right name, and you don't have that problem.

[MalcolmAmos]

Tomorrow I will be 77 years old. In all those 77 years I have never seen a bassist use a capo. Instead of using a capo I/we just move the box.............. Think of the box being moved as the same as moving your capo.

This box.

Major Scale Box. 

G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

Hope that helped.

[tjh]

Originally Posted by guroove

Just call the chords by the right name, and you don't have that problem.

However, many song writers will REQUEST the chord form (as in this instance C) and then add the comment to 'Capo 2" to achieve a particular sound (D), rather than just listing 'chord names' that are pitch correct ... I have seen this a LOT in Modern Christian Music ... we as bass players simply must know what affect the capo has ...

BTW, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ... MALCOLM!!

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

Tomorrow I will be 77 years old. In all those 77 years I have never seen a bassist use a capo. Instead of using a capo I/we just move the box.............. Think of the box being moved as the same as moving your capo.

This box.

Major Scale Box. 

G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

Hope that helped.

+1 My band capo's all the time just move the box.

[lowendfriend]

Originally Posted by Nev375

I have no idea what you are trying to do. Find the root note to a guitar chord? Or just play guitar chords on bass? Perhaps you are looking for something like this?

The Bass and Guitar Fretboard Diagram Printer

That site (studybass.com) will also fill you in on the scales and the arpeggiated chords typical in bass.

[lowendfriend]

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

Tomorrow I will be 77 years old. In all those 77 years I have never seen a bassist use a capo. Instead of using a capo I/we just move the box.............. Think of the box being moved as the same as moving your capo.

This box.

Major Scale Box. 

G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

Hope that helped.

I am a whippersnapper of 61 and also have never seen a capo on a bass except to use during setup on Fret 1.

[Tom_RCJ]

Originally Posted by MalcolmAmos

Tomorrow I will be 77 years old. In all those 77 years I have never seen a bassist use a capo. Instead of using a capo I/we just move the box.............. Think of the box being moved as the same as moving your capo.

This box.

Major Scale Box. 

G|---2---|-------|---3---|---4---| 1st string
D|---6---|-------|---7---|---8---|
A|---3---|---4---|-------|---5---|
E|-------|---R---|-------|---2---|4th string

Hope that helped.

Happy birthday. And I'm sure someone somewhere used a capo on bass just be "different". There's always one. But I do agree with what you're saying. Besides maybe keys players, bassists are probably the musicians who have the least trouble playing any key without fuss.

[MalcolmAmos]

Thanks for the happy birthday comments.

Malcolm