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109 results for “chords”

Easy Music Theory For Bass: Tenth Chords
Keep It Groovy

Easy Music Theory For Bass: Tenth Chords

Let’s bring in the new year with a touch of theory and chord building on the bass. This lesson is all about 10th chords... what they are, how to play them, and a quick exercise to help you practice major and minor chords.

Bass & Creativity: Spicing Up the Chords
Bass & Creativity

Bass & Creativity: Spicing Up the Chords

Today we will explore simple ways to discretely modify the harmony while maintaining the bass movement. Once again, experimenting with the piano will help underline those modifications, but we will also cover ways to express it on the bass.

Talking Technique: Triads Versus Four-Note Chords
Talking Technique

Talking Technique: Triads Versus Four-Note Chords

Triads versus four-note chords – which are harder? Your gut reaction to that question may be that four-note-chords are harder. Ari tackles this topic in this bass lesson.

Bass & Creativity: Suspended Chords & Modes, Part 1
Bass & Creativity

Bass & Creativity: Suspended Chords & Modes, Part 1

In this “Bass & Creativity” lesson, Olivier Babaz focuses on the beautiful colors made through suspended voicings. He walks through the basics of sus4 & sus2 chords and their most common use.

Lesson: Bass Groove with Harmonics and Double Stop Chords
Bass Lessons

Lesson: Bass Groove with Harmonics and Double Stop Chords

Here’s a cool new bass groove for you to try out and add to your bag of tricks. This is an A Dominant 7 lick, complete with harmonics and double stop chords. Follow along with the video below and this transcription. For the gear heads: the bass this time around is my 1977 Music Man Stingray strung with Dunlop nickel...

Oppositional Structures in Melodic Construction: Imaginary Chords
Bass Lessons

Oppositional Structures in Melodic Construction: Imaginary Chords

Bass players need to become familiar with the principles of melodic construction for the creation of bass lines as well as solo lines. One such principle is “oppositionality,” which we’ve talked about in previous columns. Oppositionality is the usage of non-harmonic tones to create tension and release against the underlying harmonic environment, contrasting against specific harmonic tones (targets). Some devices...

Bass Lessons

Melodic Construction: Extensions on Dominant Chords, Part 2

This is the second part of the Melodic Construction: Extensions on Dominant Chords series. Click here for Part 1 A fundamental problem with the “chordal scale” approach to improvising is that it tends to produce mechanical-sounding performance; all scale tones tend to be given equal weight as to whether or not they “work.” Frequently we hear players running out patterns...

Bass Lessons

Melodic Construction: Extensions on Dominant Chords, Part 1

We know that there are many flavors of dominant chord. Various upper extensions of the chord—or alterations of the fifth—suggest different harmonic environments, each with its own chordal scale and triad polychords expressing the arrays of extensions. We’ll explore the most commonly used of these chords and extensions in a future column—but first… What do these extensions mean for the...

Bass Lessons

Lesson: Bass Chords

It’s time to focus on the guitar aspect of bass guitar and learn to play chords. Why bother with this technique? First, it will improve your ability to hear the chord structures other band-mates play and give your ear a head-start on making a strong line. Second, you’ll get to learn a lot about what goes on above the root...

Funky Blues Bass Line Inspired by Albert Collins
Keep It Groovy

Funky Blues Bass Line Inspired by Albert Collins

Today we’re playing a funky blues bass line in the key of C. Inspired by the Albert Collins tune “If You Love Me Like You Say,” this groove combines chromatic motion and dead notes.

How To Play A Texas Shuffle In E
Keep It Groovy

How To Play A Texas Shuffle In E

Today’s “Keep It Groovy” lesson involves playing a blues shuffle in the key of E, and more specifically, a Texas style shuffle. Inspired by the bass line from Albert Collins’ “T Bone Shuffle,” this takes us through a 12-bar-blues progression.

Dead Note Exercise: Practice Walking Bass And Adding Dead Notes
Keep It Groovy

Dead Note Exercise: Practice Walking Bass And Adding Dead Notes

In this new “Keep It Groovy” lesson, Ryan Madora takes a simple walking bass line that moves from E to B (or I to V) and adds dead notes. These dead notes add funk and groove to an otherwise simple walking line.