Davo-London Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I'm delighted to say that I can play the classic bass E-minor chord ie E (fret 24) on E-string D (fret 24) on D-string G (fret 24) on G-string Delighted because a) I have 24 frets b) that the bass enables me to play that chord, ie it's physically possible c) that it opens up a whole new world of possibilities. I am referring to my custom bass (Cliff Bordwell) and I'm ashamed to say that the subject of number of frets never came up in our conversations during the specification of my bass. All of Cliff's basses have 24 frets! How lucky I am then. I have to say that the sound of these chords are really pleasing to me. And I can see a glimmer of light as to why there are some 6-9 string bass players out there. One chord that is giving me stretch marks is D/G followed by D/F#. I like the sound of this played: G (fret 15) on E-string (index) A (fret 19) on D-string (ring) D (fret 19) on G-string (pinkie) then F# (fret 14) on E-string (index) A (fret 19) on D-string (ring) D (fret 19) on G-string (pinkie) Anyway try it - it hurts, which means it must be doing me good. Tell me if you can manage it. I know without trying that this chord would be impossible for me on my P-bass. Disclaimer - any accidents that occur ... TOTAL APOLOGIES. I'm not trying to be fret-numberist. I raise this as it's a subject that has never bothered me before (last 32 years). Now I see why there are 24 fret advocates out there and why the bass design should enable all frets to be played. I can now play versions of songs I play in my band without moving onto guitar, which creates new opportunities to mess with peoples' minds. Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Isn't that an Em7(no5)? Nice sounding chord anyway. I'm a huge fan of chords on the bass, hence the silly cutaway on my RIM Custom 5. The D5/G, D5/F# sounds nice too, though seems easier to play with little finger barring the top two notes. The more time I've spent playing chords, the lower I've found I'm able to make them work. Here's a nice two bar sequence I'm using for the chorus of a new song: G (12) on G-string C (10) on D-string A (12) on A-string G (12) on G-string C (10) on D-string Ab (11) on A-string G (12) on G-string C (10) on D-string F (8) on A-string I think harmonically it's simply a 5th double-stop with a shifting bass note. 2 beats for the first two chords, 4 beats for the third. Alex P.S. We are indeed bass GUITARISTS! Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 (wispering in your ear...) Five string, baby. With a high C. Or a sixer if you like to feed the bottom. THis puts your root (Ha!!!) potentially farther away from the color tones and reduces mud. ANd makes it so you rarely have to go above the 15th fret, which is more important for fretless, as the notes get a little too close for me to play the chords spot-on in tune all the time above that point. Didja click on my tune below? The chords are played on a fretted five. Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tnb Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 You know how when the guitar and keyboard players plays too many notes in their chords and starts to intrude on your sonic space? Well, that can happen in reverse. Use with caution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alexclaber Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 Well, that can happen in reverse. But if you only have one other chordal instrument in the band and that's playing a melodic line or riff, suddenly a whole load of space opens up which sometimes begs to be filled. Alex Barefaced Ltd - ultra lightweight, high ouput, toneful bass cabs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted March 25, 2008 Author Share Posted March 25, 2008 I'm always cautious - ish. Good advice. Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul K Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I'm always cautious - ish. Good advice. Davo Aw...c'mon. Throw caution to the wind! Live a little! Take a few chances! Rawk out on jazz Things are just the way they are, and they're only going to get worse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted March 26, 2008 Author Share Posted March 26, 2008 Can't remember the last time I rawked. Actually I have a confession. What does the verb rawk mean? Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BenLoy Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Double and triple-stop chords should be used with caution. But when the spot sounds right, they can be real useful. I could list a bunch of fingerings here, but they won't mean much. People used to show me ways to play chords and double-stops on the bass all the time, but without understanding the rules of harmony they were useless to me because I didn't understand how to use them. The best thing to do is really study tonal and jazz harmony so that you know what notes to play. After that, your hands will discover all kinds of useful chords on the bass. Instead of thinking "hey, here's a spot I can play this chord fingering I know," your mind will say "hmm, I hear a bass chord here, and the chord is A7, so if I play an open A string against a high C# and a high G, it'll fill out the sound." Knowledge is good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric VB Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 Well, I'd have fret-envy if I didn't have an 8-string (unpaired) bass. (Haven't had a chance to play it yet as it is a "surprise" b-day present for me. The surprise will be my wife's. ) But yes, the Ric sadly does not have 24 frets. Still, for this sort of thing I'd rather have my Ric than, say, a T-bird. BenLoy has a good point. However there is a bit of guitar player in me that thinks in terms of "shapes" and "grabs". In that vein the easiest way to play major to sus4 is to put the moving note on top of a typical power chord double stop (with the 5th below). For example, pitches from low to high, A D F# to A D G. This is easily done at the 12th fret (11th for the F#). To voice it with the moving note below I usually just play double stops. Or if I'm arpeggiating instead of strumming I'll double the root an octave down. Not quite the same voicing as given, but certainly a similar flavor. FWIW, my "classic" Em on bass is (low to high) B E G. If instead I wanted to play Em7 it would be E G D, and I'd be nearly out of frets on my poor Ric! (In both cases I could add a juicy open E string for "flavah".) Caution in a full band? Sure. Serious fun for solo bass? You bet! Finally, yes, it is nice to be able to cover a missing rhythm guitar part without having to put down the bass (or having to wear a double neck). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davo-London Posted March 27, 2008 Author Share Posted March 27, 2008 Exactly RBG. I just want to duet with my lovely female music leader so we can swap around who plays melody/riff/rhythm etc. Fret-envy has a nice sound to it. I might use this with my fretless friends. Phil, where are you? Davo "We will make you bob your head whether you want to or not". - David Sisk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil W Posted March 27, 2008 Share Posted March 27, 2008 I'm lurking! http://philwbass.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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