#Bass notes free#

Try and stick to just two notes when playing chords on bass, and do not play them too closely together. I’m not asking you to play an entire triad. I would be if you didn’t read on, though! (: Chords on a bass can offer not just added colour, but also provide additional harmonic support for especially sparse portions or stripped-down setups, such as: 1 keyboard, 1 cajon, 1 bass, 0-1 acoustic guitar. “Chords? On a bass? Is you mad?!” Nope, not right now at least. Of course, use this tastefully - don’t play an inversion for every chord! This risks distracting - or worse, confusing - the listener, which causes us to ‘lose’ the congregation. Get familiar with how each feels, so you’ll know when to use which. Try it out! Each inversion of each chord provides a very different feel. However, if you want to provide a lift, some tension, or a different tonal ‘colour’ (think of music notes and chords as a collection of strokes and colours on canvas, within that frame we talked about earlier) to engage listeners, you can play B or D during that G Major chord.Īpply this principle to other chords - find out what the chord tones of a chord are, and occasionally add variation by playing a chord tone other than the root. A chord inversion is when the chord tones are rearranged, such that the bass (or lowest) note is no longer the root note, but the 3rd or 5th.ĭuring a G Major chord, most bass players would play the root - in this case, the G note. For example, a G major triad (chord or three tones) is made up of the root (G), 3rd (B), and 5th (D). Using passing notes creates a sense of movement, which adds energy - great for faster, more upbeat songs.Įach chord is made up of a combination of notes, called chord tones. So from G to C, you could use the notes A and/or B (in-betweens) as part of your route or even traveling down from notes E to D to C. For example, ask: How can I ‘travel’ from G to C in a less-than-direct way? This principle involves moving from one chord to another via a route of in-between, related notes, to outline the chord changes (related to ‘walking bass’). (One caveat though: Depending on your background, you may need Google ready!) Now, on to the juicier, tastier stuff - the 3 things (out of many) you can play on your bass during your church set besides root notes. If the progression was G-C-G-C in a straight rock groove, don’t play G-Bm-Em-C Bossa-novishly! So how do you fulfil this? Simple - ensure that you do not deviate too much from the prearranged grooves and chord progressions (a.k.a. It’s about keeping the groove and chords clear.įailing to do this would cause the music to sound messy or dissonant, both of which I presume are not #ministrygoals for you. Keeping the paint within the frame - that’s a huge part of the bass’ role. Think of a framed-up painting - most artists would not purposely paint outside of the frame and onto the walls. The framework is made up of rhythmic and harmonic boundaries - in other words, the groove and the chords of a piece of music, among other elements.

#Bass notes free#

This article addresses the felt need shared amongst many a low-end lovers who play in church: ‘Can I do anything beyond playing the correct root notes in time?’ Yes, and I will share some simple approaches you may use to ace up your bass and provide not just a conducive atmosphere for worship, but also through your playing reflect the excellence, beauty, and creativity of the original Creator of groove, harmony, and melody Himself.īut first, what is your role as a bass player?Ī general school of thought is that the bass helps to maintain the framework of the music, within which the rest of the band can be free to explore. And for that, I shall dub thee a ‘Low-end Lover’! If you’re reading this, you probably have a passion for it, and/or the instruments that produce those frequencies.