Bass Lesson 20 - Major Chords and Arpeggios

As a bass player you have probably already figured out that bass players don't play a lot of chords. However bass players still need to know basic chord shapes so it is possible to play over them. This article will focus on major chords and arpeggios. To follow along you should understand how to play the major scale pattern and also know what semi-tones and full-tones are.

Arpeggios are the notes of a chord played in succession, not at the same time. To play a major chord, a guitar player, or bass player would play the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of the scale that pertains to the chord they want to play. To play a Gmaj chord play the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of the Gmaj scale together. Or G, B D all at the same time. It doesn't matter what octave you play which note in, just make sure you have the G, or root note on the lowest string to avoid any confusion. (You can play inversions of chords where the root note may be higher than the 3rd and the name doesn't change.) To use this info on a bass guitar you would separate the notes and think of them as separate entities. As a guitar player is chugging along on a Gmaj chord, you as a bass player, can be playing around on the arpeggios. To effectively use the arpeggios play around them, meaning, don't just play the 1st, 3rd and 5th notes, play all notes of the scale but focus on those notes for the best sound. Lets take a look at this on fretboard.

 

This example shows the Gmaj arpeggio in the first 7 beats then continues to show how you can use the arpeggio in a walking bass line over the Gmaj chord. When players say, “Play a G and F over the C7 chord,” it means that whoever they are talking to will play a G and F while someone else is playing a C7 chord underneath. Try playing this walking bass line over the jam track a few times to get the feel of how this works. Then if you feel comfortable enough try making up your own walks using the major arpeggio.

If just the arpegio is played the overall sound of the music will be very bland. It is important to ad in other notes of the scale to ensure it isn't to boring. You can see in the 3rd and 4th measures of the first picture that the line doesn't exactly follow the arpeggios. Instead it walks around them which still give the feel of the arpeggio but it doesn't scream “I'm an arpeggio!” Lets check out another example. 

 

This example moves a little more than the first. If you look closely you can see how the Gmaj arpeggio is followed throughout the whole example. In fact there are only 3 notes that are not in the arpegio, but those three notes, along with the rhythm help to disguise the arpeggio without removing it. Be sure to watch the video for even more information and tips on how to use arpeggios in your playing. And if you have questions check out the GLI forums. Happy practicing!