Tips on playing chords on bass.

[TUEP]

I started with bass first and then later learned some basic guitar structure. Yet, I am a bass player. Here lately I have been experimenting with chord patterns on bass. Any recordings or bassist you could recommend me to, that have used chords in their work?

 

[gkbass13]

Oteil Burbridge!

 

[JimmyM]

stanley clarke, victor wooten, jeff berlin, ed friedland, les claypool, geez, just about all the name virtuoso bassists do pretty amazing chordwork these days.

 

[guroove]

Check out Alex Blake if you like jazz or upright bass at all.

 

[Beginner Bass]

Mike Manring.

 

[queevil]

All of the above are good suggestions. If you're a metal guy check out the song Orion by Metallica. It has some pretty neat chord work in the middle of the song. It's not very technically demanding and you could probably learn to play it rather quickly but it's a pretty good example of how chords on the bass can work really well in the context of a song. However, I should mention that the chords aren't played as chords in the sense that all of the notes are played together, rather the chord tones are plucked individually like an arpeggio.

 

[Bird Lady]

 

[Slade N]

Chords are usually defined as 3 notes played simultaneously. Multiple bass tones/notes can get muddy with chord or even double stops (two notes played at the same time). A 6 string and its use of the thinner/higher pitched strings would be best because it provides you less low frequency mud and ability to physically separate the tones of the chord by playing the same notes but play the higher pitched tones as extensions.

You do the same with 4 & 5 string basses as well but a 6 would be easier for that. I prefer 5s ergonomically. I commonly use double stops but full chords less so, and when I do I play either, I play full chords pitched higher up to reduce the mud/increase clarity or with more interval separation as I described

 

[mambo4]

on my four strings, when I wanna get a cord like sound I usually just play 10ths. Root n E string, Third on G string. More than that usually gets muddy.

on the other hand there’s always Lemmy’s approach

 

[Watchootognbout]

This is my "Go to"for those seeking advice on bass chords.

 

[FRoss6788]

Check out Dave Carpenter (RIP) with Brandon Fields- One People album, some fantastic chordal work on display.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Check out Dave Carpenter (RIP) with Brandon Fields- One People album, some fantastic chordal work on display.

There's a very cool instructional video I've seen featuring Dave Carpenter playing an incredible solo rendition of John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" where he comps all the chord changes while simultaneously playing a walking bass line. All at some insane tempo like 320bpm...and then he takes a solo chorus of 16th notes, emulating Coltrane's Sheets Of Sound! That guy was unreal.

 

[MuseChaser]

There's a very cool instructional video I've seen featuring Dave Carpenter playing an incredible solo rendition of John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" where he comps all the chord changes while simultaneously playing a walking bass line. All at some insane tempo like 320bpm...and then he takes a solo chorus of 16th notes, emulating Coltrane's Sheets Of Sound! That guy was unreal.

Is that publicly available (youtube?) .. I searched and didn't find it, unless it's part of the "Dave Carpenter outtakes" videos. Do you have a link? I'd LOVE to see/hear it.

 

[Bob_Ross]

Is that publicly available (youtube?) .. I searched and didn't find it, unless it's part of the "Dave Carpenter outtakes" videos. Do you have a link? I'd LOVE to see/hear it.

"Giant Steps" starts at 1:43

 

[FRoss6788]

Insane!

 

[Watchootognbout]

"Giant Steps" starts at 1:43

Now that's what playing a sixer is all about!!

 

[labeledbass]

Chords are usually defined as 3 notes played simultaneously. Multiple bass tones/notes can get muddy with chord or even double stops (two notes played at the same time). A 6 string and its use of the thinner/higher pitched strings would be best because it provides you less low frequency mud and ability to physically separate the tones of the chord by playing the same notes but play the higher pitched tones as extensions.

You do the same with 4 & 5 string basses as well but a 6 would be easier for that. I prefer 5s ergonomically. I commonly use double stops but full chords less so, and when I do I play either, I play full chords pitched higher up to reduce the mud/increase clarity or with more interval separation as I described

I typically strum, or more so fling my fingers downward. So the last string (G, or C) helps ring out the top end, some tricky EQing can help as well.

I've been attempting, to learn some proper cords. Right now it sounds decent, but who knows if they are correct. I use it for more of dirty claypool strumming, but love learning chords when using a "floating technique", or classical strumming. You can really tell if you intonation is off when playing chords on a bass, when tuned properly

 

[YourGuitarist]

stanley clarke, victor wooten, jeff berlin, ed friedland, les claypool, geez, just about all the name virtuoso bassists do pretty amazing chordwork these days.

One step further, you got Portrait of Tracy for enharmonic chords.