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Root Note

I

ibassmonster

Sep 3, 2011
13
0
www.talkbass.com
#1
Hey guys,

I need some help with the root note. As a bassist your basic job is to play the root note, and then get fancy with it if your up to it. My understanding was the root note was the first note in a chord, but since I also play guitar I found out this is not always the case. How will I know when the root note is different then the first note played? Also what about barre chords? Is the root note just the first note barred?

Thanks for any info on this.
 
#2
The root note is not always the first (lowest) note of the chord. The root note is the tonal center of the chord. A C major chord is made up of c,e, and g notes. These notes can be arranged in several ways depending on how the guitarist or keyboardist plays it. These variations are called 'inversions'. Inversions add variation and flair to often repeated chords. So how do you know what the root note is...just ask what chord they are playing.
 
#7
ZeroSymbolic said:
Yeah the root note is easy to find. It's just the lowest note on the chord.
Click to expand...

Not in first or second inversion it isn't. ;)

And as the OP stated, the root isn't always the lowest note in a guitar chord depending on where on the neck you're playing it. So look at the notes being played, and based on that, figure out what chord it is. C-E-G, E-G-C, and G-C-E are all a C chord, which makes C the root.
 

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