Chord Voicings on the Bass

[Jeff Bonny]

Something a lot of great players have a good handle on is playing chords on the bass but it doesn't get discussed much and there's very little specific instructional material out there. Mike Dimin's books The Chordal Approach and Invalid Link Removed are the only ones I can think of and are well worth checking out.

Recently I discovered Three-Note Voicings And Beyond by Randy Vincent. It's written for guitar but takes a very clear approach to understanding the notes defining the sound of a chord and voicing them in a sparse way that works incredibly well on the bass. Not only is it helping me voice chords that are usable on the bass it's taking my understanding of harmony and voice leading to a higher practical level which is starting to show up in my single note lines. For bass players that don't play a chording instrument developing a hands on approach to harmony can be difficult. This book goes a long way to addressing that issue. Highly recommended.

 

[Spin Doctor]

I'm working out of this one. It's pretty good.

Amazon.com: CHORDS FOR BASS BK/CD (Musicians Institute: Master Class) (9781423411987): Dominik Hauser: Books

 

[BrewsterRooster]

Something a lot of great players have a good handle on is playing chords on the bass but it doesn't get discussed much and there's very little specific instructional material out there. Mike Dimin's books The Chordal Approach and Invalid Link Removed are the only ones I can think of and are well worth checking out.

Recently I discovered Three-Note Voicings And Beyond by Randy Vincent. It's written for guitar but takes a very clear approach to understanding the notes defining the sound of a chord and voicing them in a sparse way that works incredibly well on the bass. Not only is it helping me voice chords that are usable on the bass it's taking my understanding of harmony and voice leading to a higher practical level which is starting to show up in my single note lines. For bass players that don't play a chording instrument developing a hands on approach to harmony can be difficult. This book goes a long way to addressing that issue. Highly recommended.

Thanks for this. I will be checking these out.

 

[mambo4]

The basis for three note voicing is actually pretty simple: Just play root, 3rd, 7th.
It works because the 3rd & 7th contain the most important chord quality information:
Is it major or minor (3rd / b3rd) and is it stable or moving (7th /b7th)
It is the basis for a b5 substitution

In some schools of thought you can even drop the root because "the bass will play it"
This opens all kinds of doors.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

In some schools of thought you can even drop the root because "the bass will play it"
This opens all kinds of doors.

What I want to go deeper into is dropping the root because the voice leading implies it....hearing it when it's not actually there.

 

[TedH]

What I want to go deeper into is dropping the root because the voice leading implies it....hearing it when it's not actually there.

Good thread. Something I want to get into, but haven't spent too much time on. After learning some improv theory, you reminded me of a comment about the bassist desire to always hit the root. Told me to forget my day job.

The intro here that Nathan East does is on my list to learn for some chord voicings. Really nice little triads that I'd like to dissect a bit.

 

[Mike Dimin]

The basis for three note voicing is actually pretty simple: Just play root, 3rd, 7th.
It works because the 3rd & 7th contain the most important chord quality information:
Is it major or minor (3rd / b3rd) and is it stable or moving (7th /b7th)
It is the basis for a b5 substitution

In some schools of thought you can even drop the root because "the bass will play it"
This opens all kinds of doors.

In my early works, I most definitely focused on open and closed R,3,7 voicings as well as voice leading in playing solo arrangements. One exception is in chord melody arrangements where the melody note(s) are tensions. Here is an example: . The first 2 chords of the tune play melody notes that are not part of the chord. Voice leading and reharmonization allow even greater options in creating harmonies with movement.
Currently, however, while I still embrace that, I 've really been experimenting with inversions, dropping the root (or other notes) and allowing voice leading, functional harmony and the psychoacoustics of what our ears are accustomed to, to create all kinds of new voicings that still are germane to the song. I'll be introducing some of that with live FB videos in the coming weeks

 

[Don Kasper]

first 2 chords of the tune

On the original recording, the first chord during the melody is "Gmin6/9", not "Bbmaj7#11", (as many Real Books incorrectly state.)
Just sayin'.
Thanks.

 

[Mike Dimin]

On the original recording, the first chord during the melody is "Gmin6/9", not "Bbmaj7#11", (as many Real Books incorrectly state.)
Just sayin'.
Thanks.

Comments like this are the reason I left my post as an Ask the Pro here. Instead of adding something constructive, you need to criticize. Regardless of what the original chart might have stated, my example of playing a non chord tone as a melody (E over a BbM7#11) is the salient point. Comments to the contrary are, really rather moot.

BTW, for those who rail against the Real Book as the wrong changes, one can, most often, find recordings with the stated changes. Just saying. Thanks.

 

[Mike Dimin]

On the original recording, the first chord during the melody is "Gmin6/9", not "Bbmaj7#11", (as many Real Books incorrectly state.)
Just sayin'.
Thanks.

\

Let's get down to it. The difference between the two chords is only 1 note - The G in one vs. the F in the other. Either way, the E in the melody is more of a tension than one of the guide tones. In my arrangement, neither note is played, so I am not sure why you are critiquing it. So Don, if you were creating a solo version of Blue In Green how would you voice that first chord? My voicing contains notes that are in both of the aforementioned chords (Bb, A and the melody note E). Would you replace my Bb with a G?. OK but the Bb sounds better (qualitative) and the descending bass motion from Bb to A is so much stronger than the ascending G to A.

So what is the point of your original post here?

 

[Don Kasper]

if you were creating a solo version of Blue In Green how would you voice that first chord?

On a 6 string bass, (Root - G) with Bb and E above (at least an Octave or more above the Root) - as they are the most important notes to convey the flavor of Gmin6/9.

Would you replace my Bb with a G?.

Yes. I think I just did. Out of respect for the Composer.

So what is the point of your original post here?

Just setting the record(ing) straight for those who might be interested.

Anyone is free to play whatever chords they prefer on any tune they choose.
Not looking for a BassBrawl.
Thanks for you time.

 

[Mike Dimin]

Yes. I think I just did. Out of respect for the Composer.

Does that mean that you would never reharmonize a tune? Should Charlie Parker not have reworked Back Home Again in Indiana into Donna Lee? Popular music differs from classical music in that it is freely interpreted. It is from those interpretations that new music is born. Hell, should bass players even be allowed to play chords? Shouldn't we have respect for Leo and his vision?

On a 6 string bass, (Root - G) with Bb and E above (at least an Octave or more above the Root) - as they are the most important notes to convey the flavor of Gmin6/9.

Did you actually play that? A) it doesn't sound good and B) the voice leading doesn't work. The voicing that I use Bb, A, E really works so much better. It gives the tune a haunting quality and the Bb descending to the A is really powerful.

Don, with all due respect, add something positive to the discussion. Add something that you've spent time with; that you know and are intimate with. I'm not saying that you're not a great player, you certainly have the credentials. That being said, I've made a living playing solo bass since 1979. Throwing stones, quite frankly, is old and tired.

Mike

 

[Don Kasper]

OK.
Take Care, Mike.

 

[Jeff Bonny]

BTW, for those who rail against the Real Book as the wrong changes, one can, most often, find recordings with the stated changes.

Since many of the Real Book versions were lifted from specific recordings you'd probably be hard pressed NOT to find a recording using a given set of Real Book changes. In a thread about voicing chords on the bass guitar the "correctness" of the changes is not at issue or on topic. And besides that knowing the original changes and choosing to play them don't necessarily coincide.

OK.
Take Care, Mike.

Thanks for ****ing up my thread Don! (kidding)

 

[MalcolmAmos]

The basis for three note voicing is actually pretty simple: Just play root, 3rd, 7th.
It works because the 3rd & 7th contain the most important chord quality information:
Is it major or minor (3rd / b3rd) and is it stable or moving (7th /b7th)
It is the basis for a b5 substitution

In some schools of thought you can even drop the root because "the bass will play it"
This opens all kinds of doors.

And --- the 3 and 5 are on the same string so you can fret only one. After I understood that it was a little easier.

Tried it, and chordal does not work with what I do. The guitar does this much better than I can on my bass. Two of us going chordal makes mud.

My two cents.

 

[Mike Dimin]

You can play the 3 and 5 on different strings. If you play a 2nd inversion, playing triads are easy.

I do agree that both bass and guitar playing chords at the same time can be difficult. But it's pretty cool if the guitar player is soloing

 

[redstrand]

You can play the 3 and 5 on different strings. If you play a 2nd inversion, playing triads are easy.

I do agree that both bass and guitar playing chords at the same time can be difficult. But it's pretty cool if the guitar player is soloing

Once I learned inversions on the piano, chords made a lot more sense and I sought out the notes elsewhere to make it work.

 

[Spin Doctor]

And --- the 3 and 5 are on the same string so you can fret only one. After I understood that it was a little easier.

Tried it, and chordal does not work with what I do. The guitar does this much better than I can on my bass. Two of us going chordal makes mud.

My two cents.

As you noticed, for the genre you play, there is no reason for you to consider playing chords. It works best for jazz and maybe some really specific situations. Besides, you don't need to play the 5th anyway as it doesn't really define the chord quality, unless it's a b5 or a #5. You are just used to the idea of a chord having the 5th.

 

[Spin Doctor]

I had started working on chording because a friend of mine wanted to start a duo with two basses. It seems improbable but it was actually pretty cool. But the idea never got past a few rehearsals since we were both pretty busy.

We did arrangements with this sort of vibe. Music doesn't start till 20 seconds in...

 

[Nickweissmusic]

Good thread. Something I want to get into, but haven't spent too much time on. After learning some improv theory, you reminded me of a comment about the bassist desire to always hit the root. Told me to forget my day job.

The intro here that Nathan East does is on my list to learn for some chord voicings. Really nice little triads that I'd like to dissect a bit.

That intro sounds like "all the things you are" (jazz standard), or at least based heavily on those changes. They are 3 note chords but not often triads by the musical definition. If I get a minute I'll jot the chords down a little later.