Molly Ayala
Playing chords on an electric bass guitar is a fun and creative way to improve your understanding of harmony and chord progressions. While bassists typically play one note at a time, chords can add flavour to a bassline. To play chords, you'll need to alter your right-hand technique, plucking the strings with your thumb, index, and middle fingers. You can play chords on any bass, but a 4-string electric bass is a good starting point. To avoid a muddy sound, play chords higher up on the fretboard, use round-wound strings, and space out your notes. You can also omit certain notes, such as the fifth in major and minor chords. Learning chord shapes and understanding basic music theory will help you get started with playing chords on your electric bass.
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What You'll Learn
Learning chord shapes
Know the Basics
Start by understanding the basics of chords. A chord is a harmony of three or more notes played together. In a major chord, also known as a major triad, the three notes are the root, major third, and perfect fifth or fifth. The major third is two tones away from the root.
Understand Chord Shapes
Familiarize yourself with common chord shapes. Chord shapes refer to the positions of your fingers on the fretboard to play a specific chord. Knowing these shapes will allow you to play different chords and transpose them to different root pitches.
Play High on the Neck
To avoid muddy and unclear sound, play your chords higher up on the fretboard. Bass chords tend to sound better in the higher register, where frequencies are faster, and our ears can more easily distinguish the individual notes of the chord.
Omit Notes
As a bassist, you don't need to play every note in a chord. Often, the fifth is omitted from major and minor chords since it doesn't define the chord type. In some cases, like a diminished seventh chord, you can even leave out the third if the fifth has more impact on the chord's sound.
Space Out Your Notes
When playing chords on the lower end of the neck, make sure to space out your notes. Use open voicing shapes, where the interval between the lowest and highest notes exceeds an octave. This helps to maintain clarity and avoid a cluttered sound.
Alter Your Right-Hand Technique
Adjust your right-hand technique when playing chords. Use your thumb, index finger, and middle finger to pluck the strings, with each finger assigned to a specific string. This allows you to play the notes of the chord with control and precision.
Remember, playing chords on an electric bass is about creativity and understanding harmony. Don't be afraid to experiment with different chord shapes and techniques to find your unique sound.
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Playing arpeggios
To play an arpeggio, you play the notes of a chord individually in some pattern. For example, in the C major scale, you would play C, skip D, play E, skip F, and then play G. This gives you the notes of the C major triad. You can do this for each scale degree, giving you a sequence of chords.
When playing arpeggios, you can use a variety of fingering patterns to break out of the common 1-octave box shape. For example, you can use the thumb, index, and middle fingers of your right hand to pluck the strings, with each finger taking care of a single string. This technique is similar to the "picking" style used by guitarists.
Playing chords and arpeggios on the bass can help you develop a broader understanding of your instrument and improve your creativity. It also helps you better understand harmony and chord progressions. While chord playing is not the bass's main role, it can add interest to your playing and help you make progress as a musician.
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Avoiding muddiness
Playing chords on an electric bass can often result in a muddy, unfocused, and messy sound. Here are some tips to avoid this:
When playing chords, it is important to use the higher register of the bass guitar's range. This means playing closer to the headstock rather than the body. Playing chords in the lower spectrum of the bass's range can also work, but it is important to space out each chord tone with open voicing shapes. This means that the interval between the lowest and highest notes exceeds an octave, preventing the sound from becoming too muddy.
Another way to avoid muddiness is to omit certain notes. Unlike guitarists, bassists tend to leave certain notes out of chords. For example, the fifth is often omitted from major and minor chords since it doesn't define the chord type. This creates a clearer sound. Additionally, try playing chords using the root and the 10th (3rd an octave up), which gives a nice full sound without muddiness.
When playing chords on a bass, it is important to use the correct strings and settings. Round-wound strings are recommended for clarity of sound. If you're using a Jazz Bass, set the volumes of the two mics to maximum and position the tone knob in the middle. Be cautious when applying effects like reverb or delay, as they can quickly make your bass sound muddy.
Finally, when playing chords, be mindful of the other instruments in your mix. Mud often occurs due to frequency masking, where the low end of your bass inappropriately interacts with other elements, such as the kick drum. Use an EQ to remove low-end rumble and apply a high-pass filter to avoid clashing frequencies.
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Using the right hand technique
Playing chords on an electric bass is a fun way to add some flavour to your basslines. The bass is usually associated with providing the rich, luscious low notes and vibrations, but playing chords on the bass can help you better understand harmony and "hear" chord progressions.
Now, let's talk about the right-hand technique. The right hand is responsible for plucking the strings, and contrary to the traditional technique of playing with the fingerboard, you will pluck the strings in the manner of "picking" with your fingers. For a three-note chord, such as Cmaj7, use your thumb, index, and middle fingers. Each finger is assigned a string: the thumb plucks the A string, the index finger the D string, and the middle finger the G string.
It is important to maintain pressure with your left hand while plucking to ensure the notes ring out clearly. This is one of the charms of playing chords—letting the notes sound together. To achieve clear and crisp chords, pluck the strings closer to the bridge, and avoid playing in the lower register of the bass, as this can create a muddy sound. Instead, play chords higher up on the neck, where the frequencies are faster, and our ears can better distinguish the individual notes.
Another way to avoid muddiness is to omit certain notes. For example, the fifth is often left out of major and minor chords, as it does not define the chord type. By focusing on the essential notes and playing in the higher register, you can create clear and beautiful-sounding chords on your electric bass.
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Playing high on the neck
When playing high on the neck, you can experiment with different chord shapes and fingering techniques to create a variety of sounds. For example, you can try using your thumb, index finger, and ring finger to play the notes of a chord one by one or in unison, allowing you to control your playing. Playing chords high on the neck can also help you avoid "muddy" tones, as the frets get narrower the further up the fretboard you go, making it easier to play certain chords.
One tip for playing high on the neck is to use movable chord shapes. These are chord shapes that can be moved up and down the neck of the bass guitar to play chords with different root notes. For example, you can use the same major chord shape to play an A major chord and a C major chord, simply by moving the shape to a different position on the fretboard. This technique can be especially useful when you want to create a "bigger" sound or fill out the bass part of a song.
Additionally, playing high on the neck can be a great way to build tension in your playing, especially during solos. You can experiment with sliding up to the higher frets to create a smooth tone or to play in a higher register. However, keep in mind that the song you're playing should dictate the position of your playing more than your personal preference. While it can be tempting to play high on the neck all the time, certain parts of a song may call for a lower register or a more "spartan" approach.
Finally, when playing high on the neck, it's important to consider your gear and technique. A good bass and sensitive amp can help you achieve a wide range of sounds, and experimenting with different fingering techniques can further shape your personal approach to chordal playing. Remember to take things slowly when learning to play chords high on the neck, as it can be a strain at first, but with practice, it will become easier.
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Frequently asked questions
A chord is harmony made of 3 or more notes played together. On an electric bass, you can play double stops, which are two notes instead of 3+.
First, learn your fretboard. Know where the most frequently used notes are and be able to adjust for the others quickly. You can use chord charts to practice, and there are also books with chord exercises. To avoid muddiness, play high on the neck, omit notes, and space out your notes when playing lower on the neck.
The right hand uses three fingers: the thumb, index, and middle fingers. Each finger takes care of a string: the thumb plucks the A string, the index finger the D string, and the middle finger the G string.
