Like the complex nature of a story, chords and scales are built differently, giving you various lengths of sentences to flush out your tale. Scales and chords, then, create the sentences and paragraphs from these notes that convey the story you are trying to tell. In other words, if a song is a musical story, each of the musical notes provide you with the individual words. (While tetrads are great, let us focus on mastering the basics first.) Tetrads have one note beyond that of the basic chord and are a bit more complex. Contemporary music also tends to utilize a seventh chord or tetrad. ![]() So for example the fifth of C is G, so the dominant chord for the key of C would be a G major chord (G-B-D). Dominant: A dominant chord is simply when you create a chord starting from the fifth in the key.This chord creates an open sound with some tension. For example, if you want to play a C Sus chord, you would need to play: C (root note), F (perfect 4th) and G ( fifth). Suspended: Also called a sus chord, a suspended chord is when you play a major or minor chord, but instead of playing the 3rd you will replace it with a major 2nd or perfect 4th (usually the perfect 4th).The sound of this chord is described as dissonant, or unstable. For example, if you want to play a C Diminished chord, you would need to play: C (root note), Eb (flattened third) and Gb (flattened fifth). Diminished: To create a diminished triad all you have to do is play a minor chord and then flatten the fifth (that's why this is also called a minor flatted fifth).The sound of this chord is often referred to as "sad". For example, if you want to play a C Minor chord, you would need to play: C (root note), Eb (flattened third) and G (fifth). Minor: The minor chord consists of the root (first), lowered 3rd, and fifth.The sound of this chord is often referred to as "happy". For example, if you want to play a C Major chord, you would need to play: C (root note), E (third) and G (fifth). Major: The major chord consists of the root (first), third and fifth.The major and minor chords listed below are all you really need to know to get started, so don't stress over trying to learn everything at once. For all the examples below we will be basing them on the C major scale which is C-D-E-F-G-A-B. ![]() Basic chords are usually 3 notes together, also known as a triad. To add to the complexities, there are basic chords and seventh chords. (For more information on scales, check out my complete guide to Bass Scales for Beginners.)Īs with scales, chords can be major, minor, diminished, suspended, or dominant. The C major chord, then, would be composed of the first (or root), third and fifth notes of the C major scale. Using those natural notes, for example, a C major scale would be played C-D-E-F-G-A-B. Scales are a sequence of notes that, when strung together, create a melody. (Have you ever had to sing Do, Re, Me? This is a type of scale!) Natural notes (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) can all be played on a bass guitar. (Check out my recommendations for great bass guitar books to find great sources that will help you learn to read music, play bass, and more.) To understand chords, it's important to first understand music notes. For a bass guitar player, a chord typically includes three notes. In music, a chord refers to any harmonic set of two or more notes that are played simultaneously. ![]() Ready to learn more about playing chords on a bass guitar like a rock star? Let’s go! What is a Chord? To help you do so, this guide will cover: If you want to truly stand out from the average bass player, learning your chords is the way to go. However, chords can also help a bass guitar truly stand out. Pianists and guitarists often use chords in their compositions. (Hence the term “the bass line”!)Ĭhords are nothing new to many musicians. Bass guitars round out this sound, playing the low-end.Īlong with the drums, your bass guitar helps build the rhythmic foundation for any song. Lead guitars typically play high notes, and rhythm guitars often cover the mid-range notes. Playing the bass guitar makes you an important member of any band.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |