Chords on a bass

[zubrycky]

Just look at the Motörhead catalog, loads & loads of power-chords!

Very good catch!

Op, listen to Joy Division and New Order.

 

[Stewie]

Watch Tommy Shannon playing with Johnny Winter or Stevie Ray Vaughn. He uses chords, or intervals to help fill in during guitar madness, but not often under vocals.

 

[Gorn]

That fellow on the Sandberg P just tears it up - very nice technique!

Nice playing and nice bass right there!

I spent a couple of years trying to play that song, which is essentially playing around on whatever scale that is. Admittedly I didn’t try all that hard, and I didn’t get very far.

 

[McFarlin]

Jethro Tull plays them as strummed chords...

Glenn Cornick played bass on that one. Jethro Tull is the talking flute guy.

I think his dad invented the cotton gin?

 

[Matt R.]

Peter Hook uses chords to great effect. The key to using them effectively (other than context of course) is the proper tone so it’s not a mud-fest.

Love Will Tear Us Apart is a fun one

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=RD674KGKRQBPE&feature=share&playnext=1

 

[Watchootognbout]

What do you hear in this tune?


This one?


Schools in!

 

[bass theory]

Glenn Cornick played bass on that one. Jethro Tull is the talking flute guy.

I think his dad invented the cotton gin?

actually Jethro Tull is the bands name. Ian Anderson is the flutist/frontman.

 

[lucas303]

actually Jethro Tull is the bands name. Ian Anderson is the flutist/frontman.

woosh!

 

[pappabass]

If you want to play chords, play guitar. But in saying that, on a bass solo, 1/2 way up the neck, treble turned up, nice crisp sound, you can do it.

 

[Ric Vice]

Due to the lack of gigs, I decided to string one of my Lakland 5 strings with a High C String. The possibilities for chords open up with that additional string on top. Jeremy Coates demonstrates this nicely at about 2:40 in this video.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

rush's bass player played a lot of chords!

 

[bassrique]

Rush has made a living off of double-stops. Go to just about any YouTube Heddy Lee video interview where he has a bass in his hand and he's just playing little bits here and there while talking. Lots of doubles.

 

[bassrique]

Also see: Billy Sheehan.

 

[Mastermold]

The (IMO) nicest and most common way to play chords on bass is to play the root and the 10th (3rd an octave up). Usually root on the E string, 3rd on the G. It gives a nice full sound without being muddy. But it’s a STRONG sound, so you don’t want to do it too much.

Yep, a nice accent here and there. Choose your moments tastefully IMO.

 

[Mastermold]

I am relatively new to bass, but as my name implies, I work hard on theory. I have always heard that you don't strum chords on a bass because it gets "muddy". However to get the harmonics right, the bass will play a chord as an arpeggio. This is the entire theory behind walking bass lines.

A friend suggested that I try and play Bourree by J.S.Bach, as recorded by Jethro Tull.
I looked up the tabs, and saw to my amazement that the bass solo ends with about ten measures of all bass chords. Jethro Tull plays them as strummed chords, however as written by Bach, they are just the root and the 5th played simultaneously. I had never tried that before.

OMG the sound that they produce is utterly amazing. It results in such a beautiful fullness of tone. The only thing that approaches it musically is playing Chords on a harp. But of course the harp isn't known for such a low end, It just doesn't carry well.

Why aren't simple two note chords like these played more often on the bass. I have actually started to work on walking bass lines involving them... (Chord)-1st-3rd-5th...
or when chords change... (Chord)-1st-5th-(chord)-(new chord)-1st-3rd-5th.. etcetera. and various permutations of these. Now I have to get my 5 string semi-hollow body built to try them at the really low end. Although to avoid muddiness below low-E I might nee to play root and seventh, or some other variation.

From experience what do you all think.

It's already been said but if you're playing in a band setting you'll find what works for the band and just use what you do with taste and care for the others in the band. It's a team effort. Playing individually, on the other hand, you can have all the fun you want. Enjoy the ride!

 

[Slevage]

Whomever you "heard" this from is a toad-licking dunderhead. The proper saying is there is no money from strumming chords on a bass.

Quite false. I’ve strummed a few and collected my pay at the end of the night.
Then got hired back the next month.

 

[getBAK]

The key to bass chords... 10ths
Gmaj = 3rd-fret E, 4th-fret G
Done right it gets an Hammond-ish sound.

And now to ruin your life

 

[BassBrass]

w'll start with Will Heggie

 

[retslock]

As a feature, 3 note chords like major 7 or minor 7 (tonic, 3rd and 7th) can work up around and above the 12th fret. I’ve done that to effect but sparingly and when there’s not much else going on. Let your ear guide you.

 

[Pauly 4001]

Chris Squire often played chords or arpeggiated chords.
Here's a fun and tasteful exhibition of him at work and play: