Chords on the bass
Understand the difference between a chord, an arpeggio and chord tones, and why bassists usually play arpeggios.
On the bass you will almost never play a whole chord at once. You will play the notes of the chord one at a time, and the choice of notes is most of your job.
Chord, arpeggio, chord tones
- A chord is three or more different notes sounding together. Two-note combinations such as the power chord (lesson 7.7) are often called chords too; strictly they are intervals, or dyads.
- An arpeggio is a chord played one note at a time.
- The chord tones are the notes that belong to the chord, in any order or octave.
Why bassists play arpeggios
The bass usually outlines the chord with its chord tones instead of playing them together:
- close intervals, especially 3rds, sound muddy in the bass’s low register, while octaves, 5ths and 10ths stay clear;
- guitar and keyboards already play the full chord; the bass gives it its foundation, usually the root.
The note a bassist chooses changes how the whole band’s chord sounds. Playing the root makes it solid. Playing another chord tone gives an “inversion” (lesson 7.6). Chord names, construction and shapes in this module apply whether the notes are played together or apart.
Play C, E and G one after the other (A string fret 3, D string frets 2 and 5). Then try playing two of them at once, low on the neck and then high on the neck. Listen to how clear each sounds.
New terms
Tools
- Chords for Bass: Every common chord type on all 12 roots, as a 5-fret box for 4- and 5-string bass, with spelled notes and formulas.