It’s not your job to play chords on the bass. But, that doesn’t mean that you can’t use bass chords in the songs that you write and play. And, it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t learn how to do it.
Chords have become an essential vocabulary for a lot of modern bass players, like Robert “Bubby” Lewis, Thundercat, Oteil Burbridge, Victor Wooten, Matthew Garrison, and John Patitucci.
Knowing different chord voicings on the bass guitar also has its benefits:
- You’ll speed up the process in learning your fretboard notes.
- You’ll develop an ear to hear chord changes and chord tones.
- Your hands and fingers will get more physical strength and flexibility.
Being that you’re here and reading this article, I’m guessing you want to learn all there is to know about bass chords.
So, grab your bass guitar. Let’s dive in!
4-String Bass Guitar Chords (Quick Overview)
On a 4-string bass in standard tuning (E–A–D–G), chords work best when you:
- Use double stops (two-note shapes) like 10ths to imply harmony without muddying the low end.
- Build 3-note chords higher up the neck using shapes like 1–5–10 or 1–5–9.
- Think in terms of movable shapes built from a scale (like the major scale) instead of memorizing random grips.
This guide walks you step-by-step from simple double stops to full bass chord voicings you can move around the neck.
TL;DR
If you’re short on time and always wanted to play chords on bass, then watch my video on How To Play Bass Chords. I’ll show you to figure out the notes of a chord, even seventh chords, and create your own unique bass guitar chords.
Things To Know Before Playing Chords On Bass Guitar
Bass is not your typical instrument to play chords like a regular guitar. There’s a few things that will speed up the learning process for playing chords on the bass guitar.
- You should have familiarity with a few scales. If I were to pick one scale to make sure to learn, that would be the Major scale. You can get very far with this one scale.
- You should know where the notes are on your fretboard. This will make things less confusing for you as you are finding your chord tones.
- Keep an open mind. Theory is just theory. So, if your fingers end up playing something you didn’t intend (and the notes are theoretically wrong), but it sounds cool to you, that’s totally fine. Your ears should always have the final say.
- There’s two types of ways to play bass chords. The first way I’m going to show you implies chords, and that’s with Double Stops. While a double stop is not theoretically a chord, it’s used so much that we cannot ignore it. The second way I’ll show you is how to expand on double stops to make them into bass chords.
Ok, are you excited to learn how to play chords on the bass? Let’s get started!
What are Double Stops on the Bass?
A double stop is when two notes are played together at the same time.
While two notes is not enough to be considered a chord, many bass players use this technique to imply chords and chord progressions.
This is very important to learn and will be helpful in your journey to playing chords on the bass.
The bass guitar is a physically demanding instrument. The strings are spaced farther apart than a guitar, and they have more tension. And, sometimes a double stop is all you need to communicate an idea.
Here’s a few more benefits to learning to play double stops:
- Two note chords are easier to play than three note chords. So, double stops are a great place to start if you’re a beginner.
- The bass guitar has very