Bass Chords?

[Pick it up!]

on some songs (such as Skillet songs), i've seen things like X86X, it sounds okay, really heavy. i would'nt want to overuse them though. just wondering what you guys had to say about it.

[LWatford]

There are alot of posts about this somewhere...

[Pick it up!]

sorry, have'nt been able to find them.

[LWatford]

I think they have gone away (to old). I don't think they were on the same topic as yours though.

[Pick it up!]

alright, anyone else have anything?

i just want to know if anybody uses them, and what you think about them.

[LWatford]

I think that chords are useful to bass players. If you are a typical bottom-dweller, then chords can add a bit of spice to your playing (when used resonably! (They don't have the same effect the 737,000,000th time!)). If you are more of a leader, then chords let you be more independent in your music making. You become the lead, bass, and harmonic instrument! Look at what Jeff Berlin does with chordal playing (there are others, I can't think of any right now though).

So, is chordal playing essential? No. Can it be useful? Yes!

Lee

[groover]

<FYI>
A chord is a group of 3 or more notes played together at the same time. Two notes played together is technically called an "interval". On a stringed instrument that is normally played monophonically (such as a violin or bass), a lot of musicians call it a "double stop".
</FYI>

I think chords and intervals sound great on bass when they are used tastefully. I have worked out some solo bass pieces that use chords and intervals. Someday I'll record them with some keyboard and percussion. Also, I sometimes will use intervals in a song with a band, but I use them very sparingly.

Peace!

[DavidAM]

I think you will find a roots and a fifths (eg G and D) work well together, but typically you need to be on the second octave of a bass neck. Chording the lowest notes on the neck usually sounds like mud.

Another option is to separate the root and fifth (or a third) by an octave. For example, check out the tab for Darrell Evan's "Trading My Sorrows", where they play x5x6, x10x11.

[groover]

Originally posted by DavidAM
Another option is to separate the root and fifth (or a third) by an octave. For example, check out the tab for Darrell Evan's "Trading My Sorrows", where they play x5x6, x10x11.

Actually, it's 5xx6, 10xx11. This is one of those songs where it's handy to have a five string, cause then it's like this 10xx11x, x10xx11. Note that those first two intervals are played in the same position.

Not that this matters but I play with a lot of different praise bands and word got around (very quickly) that I could play "Trading In My Sorrows". It seemed that I was the only bass player around here that could play it so everywhere I went they wanted to play it. It's a great song but I got very sick of it after a while. It is, however, a good example of a tasteful use of intervals on a bass.

Peace!

[Rudolph the Red]

you would use two different fingers, such as the thumb and forefinger, to play something like that-10xx11x, right?

[groover]

Originally posted by Rudolph the Red
you would use two different fingers, such as the thumb and forefinger, to play something like that-10xx11x, right?

For the right/plucking hand...yes! For the left/fretting hand I use my pointing and ring finger. A bass instructor I was taking lessons from a few years ago told me that technically the correct left/fretting hand fingering for this type of interval is the middle finger and pinky. I learned to do it both ways but feel more comfortable with pointing and ring finger.

Peace!

[Rudolph the Red]

yeah, that's what I meant

thanks

[JT]

"It's a great song but I got very sick of it after a while. "

Amen to that. That's one progression played an awful lot of times. I had fun finding ways to amuse myself while playing it, though--throw in the rhythms to pop songs that have the same progression and see if anyone notices!

[DavidAM]

Thanks, I tripped that one up. I tweeked on the fact that I have a 5 string.

To reduce the monotony of the progression, the song does actually alternate a little bit. Every other rif goes up higher in pitch, then comes back down.

[Reuel]

all this is helping me too-i just started to be able to remember chords, but i still need some help(is cmaj same as "c", or taken from the 6th or 7th?) when you said chordal playing isn't essential, i'm guessing you usually play scales, right? :confused: ;) i can use all the help i can get!!!