X-post: Bass chords

jdogric12 · Post by **jdogric12** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 4:06 am

Hey gang. There was a cool thread under "Basses" and I thought I'd bring it up here too.

Personally, I think bass chords below the 9th or 10th fret are too muddy to be useful, but sometimes I like to do a little jazzy thing where I play a low E open, one note, then go up and do the back beat on D and G# (D string 12th fret; G string 13th fret). Then if you want for the next bar you can play a low open A, then a high C# & G (D string 11th fret, G string 12th fret).

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 7:33 am

Bass chords? Why?

vito · Post by **vito** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 7:51 am

I used to play a 5 string with a high C, and you could do some interesting chord-type things with it high on the neck. Wasn't very practical for most of the stuff I was playing, though.

prog_rockin_metal_man · Wed Nov 22, 2006 8:15 am

I sometimes use bass chords and I usually stick above the 12th fret when doing it. here's a little 4 bar bass chord progression I wrote that I think is pretty cool. first one is D, A, C# (A string 17th fret, D string 19th fret, G string 18th fret) next one is C, G, D (A string 15th fret, D string 17th fret, G string 19th fret) then A, D, F# (A string 12th fret, D string 12th fret, G string 11th fret) for the last one just remove F# from the last chord. I'm not really sure what the chords are called...first one is some type of D major 7th chord maybe? second one is Cadd9 I think, the third one is D/A major...that would be an inversion right? Help me out here J-dog.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Wed Nov 22, 2006 10:46 am

First chord is Dmaj7, then Cadd9, then D/A - that would be a D chord with an A root, making it 2nd inversion.

prog_rockin_metal_man · Wed Nov 22, 2006 10:56 am

haha check me out...I never took any theory lessons and I was pretty much right...looks like I know more theory than I thought.

firstbassman · Post by **firstbassman** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:15 am

Sorry for being late. Here are the two books I mentioned in other thread:

Chord Bassics (Hellborg) ISBN 0825610583

Mel Bay's Bass Chord Picture Book ISBN 0786661747

The Hellborg book mostly shows chords up the neck. (Of course the same chord can be played an octave lower near the nut instead of the 12th fret.)
The Mel Bay book shows where all the notes in a chord are which is great if you need to find a more comfortable inversion to play.

As far as the question "why?" Because they're there. Bass chords are like anything else - to be used in moderation and not overdone.

Watch Jack's solo on "Pooneil" from the "Night at the Family" Dog WNET broadcast and then ask. (The clip is also on the 'Fly Jefferson Airplane' DVD.

admin · Post by **admin** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:37 am

For the record, how many Beatles' songs can you name in which McCartney played bass chords. One of my favourites in this regard is All I've Gotta Do.

sloop_john_b · Post by **sloop_john_b** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:38 am

"I'm Only Sleeping".

bob_atherton · Post by **bob_atherton** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 11:01 pm

Also just posted this on the thread that I started a while back:

Hi guys, got over that virus thing, thanks for the kind words. Maybe the bass chord idea was the fever kicking in! I don't really do bass chords but I do, what I think is known as, double stops? This could be a 'C' on the E string and an ,E, on the G string.

These simple 2 note 'chords' are the only time that I hit two strings at the same moment. I like the way Jaco did some nifty chord work at the dusty end of the finger board, and thought it would be good to work a few out. I will check out some of the links that you have posted here. Thanks again, Bob

alanz · Post by **alanz** » Mon Nov 27, 2006 9:45 am

I like playing D and E bar chords.

For the big rock and roll ending nothing is better than playing an "A" position bar chord on the seventh fret.

Unless you're not in E. Then that would probably kinda suck.