simple question.

[Chris K]

The decision which chord note to play depends on harmonic function, character and melody.
To avoid bothering you with harmonic theory: in minor chords, centainly if they appear in a song in a major key, the 3rd is a good note for the bass. For instance, if, in a song in the key of C, you come across Dm, bass note F is perfectly equal to the root note D.
In slow songs, try to invent basic lines of steps and half steps, but avoid doubling the melody with your bass, unless you want to emphasise it. If the melody goes up, you go down, and the other way around. And, most important: chord sybols are a means of orientation, not a recipe for what you should play.

Sorry, no icon, because none of them has ears. Which are the most important feature of good bass players.

[cowsgomoo]

Originally Posted by basseddie

For C#, the notes are C# , F, and G#

there's an F in a chord of C# ?

[basseddie]

there's an F in a chord of C# ?

yes, but technicaly in the key of c# it would be called e#

[JTE]

Well, I think it's important for understanding how things work to know WHY it's E#, not F. The kind of sloppy understanding that leads to calling it F is where confusion about what makes a chord and how they function comes from.

jte

[basseddie]

The kind of sloppy understanding that leads to calling it F is where confusion about what makes a chord and how they function comes from.

well, pardon me for my sloppy understanding.....
I am self taught in this stuff, but I have not yet attained theory snobbery yet.....

[JTE]

It's not snobbery. It's UNDERSTANDING. Learning the way a major scale is constructed is the heart of all harmony understanding. And if you understand how the diatonic major scale is constructed, then you know WHY it's E#, not F. Yeah, it's the same place on the neck, but music ain't about the bass. If the only reason for learning music is relegated to the specific instrument, then you loose your view of the big picture. I guess that works for guitarists and solositst. But the bass player is the one who's connecting the whole range of music together so it makes sense. Therefore we need to see the whole picture, not just our little slice of it.

jte