Bass Chords?

[RoadRanger]

He is playing the root, maj 7th and tenth of a Bb Maj 7 chord

Just for the record - what I didn't "get" was why he was calling it a C Major chord?

 

[JTE]

Because he's wrong.

 

[RoadRanger]

a big reason for the lack of bass chords is the low interval limits
http://anonemusic.com/jazzTheory/low_interval_limit

Good point - thanks for the "refresh" . I earlier implied the limit was the "A" but that chart shows the "B flat" as the low limit for a perfect fifth. Guess I wasn't too far off . FWIW another reference on the web shows it as a C# . Not an absolute rule as is stated in the link.

 

[OctoRock]

wow this is a lot of information! And all of it is very helpful to!

 

[Samsound]

A neat way of playing chords on the bass is playing a bottom note (root or an inversion) on the E (or B-string) and using the G string (and possibly D string) to play the other chord tones high up on the neck. This opens up the chord more to prevent the low frequency interval stacking mentioned earlier in this thread. Particularly effective with some open string root notes in there.

 

[Skitch it!]

If I've only got 3 strings to work on I mostly outline them with, the Root, 3rd and 7th for Major, Min, Dominant chords and others, for Diminished I like Root, Flat5 and Octave plus one or 2 others. All I can suggest is learn a few different voicing's over 3 and 4 strings for all the chords, you'll gravitate to the voicing's you like best but try and keep a few in mind for reduced 'shifting' and easier transitional changes from one chord to the next under your fingers.

 

[Skitch it!]

Try this one, a little stretch but my fav E Minor voicing with an open E drone, Ring finger 21st fret on the A string, Index on the 17th fret on the D string and your Middle on the 19th fret of the G string, use it under the open E, nice voicing with the 2nd/9th (F#) in there imo.

 

[Kobaia]

Just for the record - what I didn't "get" was why he was calling it a C Major chord?

its a C Maj7 chord

 

[Absentia]

I play chords (well, mostly octaves and fifths, admittedly) on bass quite often. Feels good and sounds good.

That it does, sir, that it does.

 

[cnltb]

What are they? I thought that there were no chords on the bass but my music teacher(not bass teacher I am teaching myself) told me that their are some for the bass. Could you please name me some and what their use is?

~ Thx

There are strings on a bass, and pickups. No chords.
A Chord happens when you play 4 or more notes at the same time.
When it's three you have a triad and two are a double stop.
You can play chords on any polyphonic instrument and you can line out chords( play one note at a time as done in walking bass) on monophonic ones.

 

[HeadyVan Halen]

Just for the record - what I didn't "get" was why he was calling it a C Major chord?

No, no...you failed to realize I'm an idiot...what I meant was 15th fret--14th fret---16th fret (C-E-B)

just to save face
15th--14th--15th would be (Cm7, C-E-Bb)

but my favorite
15--14--12 (C6, C-E-A)


and always remember, I'm dumb.

 

[jmac]

I am probably going to receive a message from a moderator for doing their job, but if you do not know that the chord spelled out in an earlier post is a Bb Maj 7 then read the new rule stickied (is that a word) at the top of this forum.

Thanks, I hadn't noticed the new rule. It was much needed because there was so much misinformation in this forum.

Someone who knows a little is more dangerous than someone who doesn't know anything.

 

[AcidFripp]

That it does, sir, that it does.

Cheers!
It's unusual, but it's cool.

 

[Richard Lindsey]

There are strings on a bass, and pickups. No chords.
A Chord happens when you play 4 or more notes at the same time.
When it's three you have a triad and two are a double stop.
You can play chords on any polyphonic instrument and you can line out chords( play one note at a time as done in walking bass) on monophonic ones.

It's 3 or more, not 4 or more. A triad is a chord.

 

[yawametoo]

I play power chords all the time to round out the tone of a song and in some cases to meet the guitar sound.

 

[joshmat]

I use a lot of double stops and dominant 7 chords usually with the root, third and dominant 7 (in that order from low to higher), but I will mix it up a lot. +1 on experiment - see what work for you.

I often take the third and play it as a 10 when my root resides on the E string. I feel it allows me to have the "girth" of the root on the bottom while adding some pretty color on the top as well!

 

[RoadRanger]

I often take the third and play it as a 10 when my root resides on the E string. I feel it allows me to have the "girth" of the root on the bottom while adding some pretty color on the top as well!

Just curious how you "pluck" that - do you use the thumb and a finger or pluck the root first and then the 10th or ?

 

[capnsandwich]

Any time you can play more than 3 notes at a time, on any instrument, you can play chords on that instrument.

 

[joshmat]

Just curious how you "pluck" that - do you use the thumb and a finger or pluck the root first and then the 10th or ?

Kinda depends, but typically I'll use my thumb on the root, index on the dominant 7 and middle on the 10. Very much a "claw" type technique and not strummed in the guitar sense, as I pluck all the strings at once.

I've also been known to palm slap my bass, where I'll end up muting the non fretted string with my left hand. Or if I'm in the mood ... I'll actually fret the 3rd as well. I've also approached it by slapping the low note and popping/plucking the other two. Possibilities are quite endless there.

Lately, I've also found that the root and just the 10 are pretty together as well.

 

[Mike Dimin]

Lately, I've also found that the root and just the 10 are pretty together as well.

Herbie Flowers found that out a long time ago on Lou Reed's "Walk on the Wild Side"