Double Bass Eb/Bb question

[jfh2424]

Hello. I am just starting out as a big band bassist. I have come across the chord Eb/Bb. My (limited and possibly wrong) understanding is that I should be emphasizing a Bb over this chord and that besides that, I could also play the F and the D as these are in the Bb chord. However, the band leader is telling me that the F sounds off and that I should stick with the Eb triad of Eb, G and Bb, with emphasis on the Bb.

I’m trying to understand the logic of this. I guess what this ultimately means is that this Eb/Bb is a Eb major chord where I should be emphasizing the Bb as a bassist. My chord is Eb not Bb, therefore the Bb triad is wrong to play here, the Eb triad is the right thing to play. Is this correct?

Thank you for all the replies ahead of time!

 

[Matthew_84]

Your second paragraph is correct. Eb/Bb is an Eb Major Triad, played in the second inversion, which means that the fifth of the chord (Bb) is the lowest played note, or the bass note.

This video may help:



To expand on it a bit, if it was notated as Eb/G, then it would be an Eb chord in first inversion, and G would be the bass note.

 

[Ketbass]

More a question of where it’s coming from and where the chords are going to. I always hear these chord structures as moving tones to drive the music in a certain direction. Maybe into a cadence or a quick key change. Sounds like your BL hears the F leading to a 2-5-1 situation (?) while the music is supposed to be going somewhere else?. Please post the chart so others can weigh in.

 

[bassGtar]

You got it, Eb/Bb represents the Eb chord with Bb in the bass.

 

[Wasnex]

A common term for this notation is slash chord. The convention is Triad/Note

This particular symbol means Eb Major (Triad) over Bb (Note).

So the chord tones are Eb, G, Bb.

What you should play can vary with what else is going on in the music (I.E. how the chord is used). Use your ears.

In some instances it may sound best to play Bb in the bass. In other instances, Eb may sound better on bass, although piano or guitar are playing the triad in 2nd inversion.

FYI a 6/9 chord is not a slash chord. Chord Tones of C6/9 = CEGAD, and the 5th (G) is often omitted.

 

[AGCurry]

Probably the most common application of the second inversion (fifth in the bass) - using the Eb/Bb as an example - is where Bb is the tonic chord of the key but we want that root note against the IV (subdominant) chord being played by other instruments.

 

[Carl Hillman]

Chances are you can treat this like an Eb major or Eb Lydian sound, but as Ketbass says above, it depends on what else is going on around it.

Context is everything.

 

[Ketbass]

Hello. I am just starting out as a big band bassist. I have come across the chord Eb/Bb. My (limited and possibly wrong) understanding is that I should be emphasizing a Bb over this chord and that besides that, I could also play the F and the D as these are in the Bb chord. However, the band leader is telling me that the F sounds off and that I should stick with the Eb triad of Eb, G and Bb, with emphasis on the Bb.

I’m trying to understand the logic of this. I guess what this ultimately means is that this Eb/Bb is a Eb major chord where I should be emphasizing the Bb as a bassist. My chord is Eb not Bb, therefore the Bb triad is wrong to play here, the Eb triad is the right thing to play. Is this correct?

Thank you for all the replies ahead of time!

One other thought. On these kind of chords. You can always just play the bottom note for all the beats in the measure. In this case the Bb. 1. Can’t go wrong. 2. Many a great bassist has done this, especially to really emphasize that harmonic
structure that gets set up with this kind of chord. I had a teacher back in college that told me never to do that as it wouldn’t allow the music to move forward. BS. With the right rhythmic structure it can sound great.

 

[jj.833]

I'll add that slash chords can be also used in other situations than chord inversions - you'll see Eb/F, Eb/Ab, whatever. In bigband the chords are usually fastly changing, I treat slash chords this simple way:

X/Y
play Y as the first note in bar (sometimes the bass in the only instrument playing Y)
if there's time for more tones, use chord tones from X, or whathever walking technique based on X chord

 

[BobDeRosa]

In these situations I always use my ear and often find myself preferring the bass note but toggling between it and the root of the chord. I agree with your BL that the F or the D would be a little distracting.

 

[turf3]

The "slash chord" symbology is often used when a descending or ascending root pattern is desired. I can't think of specific examples right now, but it might look like:

Eb/Bb Eb/A Eb/Ab G7 C7 F7 Bb7 Eb

You see?

 

[sean_on_bass]

Quite simply this notation means to play a chord, but with a specific note for the bass to play, especially in a big band chart. Above the slash is the chord, below the slash is the note to play for the bass. Arrangers do this to get something specific out of the bass while still expressing the chord harmony for other rhythm section players like a pianist or guitarist. The chord information can also help the bass player if they are being asked to improvise a walking line over that bar(s).

What this isn't is to suggest a specific chord inversion or modal approach, like others are saying. It's giving you very literal instruction to play a certain note at that place in the chart. If there is a written bass line under the slash chord i can almost guarantee it will support the note under the slash.

 

[Wasnex]

What this isn't is to suggest a specific chord inversion or modal approach, like others are saying. It's giving you very literal instruction to play a certain note at that place in the chart. If there is a written bass line under the slash chord i can almost guarantee it will support the note under the slash.

IMHO not everyone uses the notation the same way. While I agree it should be interpreted as a triad or chord over a note, some composers/arrangers use it to specify voice leading for the bass and some use it to imply are chord inversion played by guitar or keys that does not necessarily have anything to do with the bass line. This is why it's important to use your ears. Doing a harmonic analysis can also be informative.

Whether this is text-book right or wrong, I can't say. But it is what I have experienced. There are definitely times when I thought playing the note under the slash sounded wrong on bass.

 

[sean_on_bass]

IMHO not everyone uses the notation the same way. While I agree it should be interpreted as a triad or chord over a note, some composers/arrangers use it to specify voice leading for the bass and some use it to imply are chord inversion played by guitar or keys that does not necessarily have anything to do with the bass line. This is why it's important to use your ears. Doing a harmonic analysis can also be informative.

Whether this is text-book right or wrong, I can't say. But it is what I have experienced. There are definitely times when I thought playing the note under the slash sounded wrong on bass.

I dont disagree, but my experience playing big band bass parts is that generally it means they want you to hit that note. But you are right that on more general "rhythm" or lead sheets it could be more so an indication of a voicing preference or just plain best ignored for the bass player. Definitely gotta listen for it regardless of the situation.

So my decision tree is first to play the indicated bass note, but if it sounds wrong then find other options.