Bass Chords
The most common voicings for bass chords are shown in the following diagrams. On bass, chords are usually played as arpeggios whereas on keyboard or guitar they are played simultaneously. However in some musical situations it might be possible to play chords on bass, e.g., at the end of a section or tune or as a feature. Rather than trying to play all the notes of a chord which is often impossible on bass, it is better to imply a chord by using only some of the notes. On bass, chords sound better in a higher register, therefore to get a clear sound the voicings shown here should be used further up the neck. The simplest way to imply chords is to use double stops.
maj6
maj6
dom7
dom7
maj7
maj7
min6 or dim
min6 or dim
dim
min7 or half dim
min7 or half dim
min7 or half dim7b6
Example 318 uses only root notes and thirds one octave higher as double stops to imply the chords just shown. Use you right hand thumb (T) and the first finger (i) to pick the notes simultaneously.
Example 319 alternates mainly between IIm7 and V 7 chords. Pick all notes simultaneously with your right hand fingers (T, i and m)
Example 320 uses syncopations similar to a rhythm guitar part to play the chord progression.
Go back to the turnarounds covered previously in this book and apply bass chord style playing.
