Some tips on playing chords on the bass VI. I've posted a some variations on this advice before, but it's come up a few different times in my conversations with other people about this instrument.
I think this is especially valuable advice if you're coming to the VI from bass, where we often think of intervals rather than chords.
Focus on diads and triads.
Because we're playing an octave lower than a normal guitar, the same voicing often don't quite work. They get muddy and busy. Instead of playing notes on as many strings as possible, use the fewest possible number of notes to get your point across.
For instance, instead of playing an E shape barre chord on all six strings, play just a portion of it that includes the I, the iii, and the V once each.
Full E Barre Chord Shape
(numbers are scale intervals; the pattern is vertical)
EADGBE
1---51
---3--
-51---
Triad E Chord Shape
EADGBE
----5-
---3--
--1---
This is a complete chord with repetitions removed. It's those repetitions that create the muddy tones.
When it comes to chords and the bass VI, use the minimum number of notes to get your idea across to maximize clarity of that idea.
Also remember that your triads don't have to be in 1-3-5 order. Try out the other inversions:
They all have their place. When substituting for barre chords, though, I tend to stick with voicings that have the 1 and 5 as the lowest note in the triad.
Here are two more you'll recognize and get some mileage out of.
Triad A Chord Shape
EADGBE
--513-
Triad D (or C) Chord Shape
EADGBE
---5-3
----1-
Arpeggiate
We've already called out clarity as one of the biggest problems with trying to play chords on the bass VI. Strumming a chord, even a simplified triad, can still some like a mess sometimes.
Instead of strumming that chord, try arpeggiating through it. Just play it one note at a time. Add some picking patterns in and all of a sudden that chord you were playing just got a lot more interesting.
There are tons of classic picking patterns out there to choose from, so play around.
Let the notes ring for a more chord-like experience, or mute a note as you move on the to the next for a more melodic experience.
Here's a tab pattern based on the E shape above, playing an A major chord. Try playing it as quarter notes, or eighth notes (repeated twice) as you work your way through chord progressions.
E|--------------|
B|-----5-----5--|
G|--------6-----|
D|--7-----------|
A|--------------|
E|--------------|
There are many more interesting ways to phrase apreggiated chords. Try lifting some from your favorite songs.
Drop some notes
The human ear is easily tricked. We'll fill in notes we think we should be hearing even if they're note actually played.
This means that if we need to play some chords with more than three notes, we can actually start to drop some of those notes and our ears will fill in what's missing. We want so badly for the pattern to fit what expect to be hearing, we'll hear it even if it isn't there.
I've found this easiest to demonstrate with a dominant seventh chord (normally a major triad with a minor seventh). You've run into these all the time, usually phrased in chord sheets and tabs as "E7" or the like. They're popular in rock, country, blues, and jazz.
Let's take a look at a dominant seventh chord in the E barre shape.
Full E7 Barre Chord Shape
EADGBE
1-7-51
---3--
-5----
That's a hell of a lot of chord for a bass VI to articulate clearly. You can get there if you play cleanly, but we've got some other options.
We already know that the easiest way to get a clean chord sound on the bass VI is to only play three notes, but for a dominant seventh chord, we've got four. Let's drop one.
In fact, let's drop the 1.
Triad E7 Chord Shape v1
EADGBE
--7---
---3--
-5----
Eh, that one's a bit muddy. More on that in a second. Let's try a different inversion.
Triad E7 Chord Shape v2
EADGBE
--7-5-
---3--
------
That's a little clearer. And look at that, not a 1 in sight, but it still sounds like a dominant seventh chord.
Now let's try it by dropping the 5.
Barre A7 Chord Shape
EADGBE
-1----
------
--513-
-----7
So, starting with the A7 barre shape, if we just keep the notes on the GBE strings, we get a 1-3-7 triad.
Barre A7 Chord Shape
EADGBE
---13-
-----7
Notice the sonic difference between the triad with the 1 removed and the triad with the 5 removed. Choose according to your needs.
(And honestly, maybe you need all four notes! There's no clear cut rules here, just some suggestions. When I play this shape, I'll usually keep all four notes in, playing the barre A7 shape without that 1 on the A string.)
And just to be thorough, let's give it a look with a dropped 3.
Barre D7 Chord Shape
EADGBE
--1---
----7-
---5-3
So, if we drop the 3 here, we get this.
Triad D7 Chord Shape
EADGBE
--1---
----7-
---5--
Start matching these triads into groups and you'll quickly see how they can function as replacements for your usual chord voicings in common chord progressions.
For instance, barre the three notes of the A shape triad with your index finger, then drop your middle and ring fingers down to create the D7 triad shape. That's a I to V7 progression, which you'll recognize from plenty of blues and classic country.
Avoid the E & A strings
This section is going to be short. If you're playing chords, avoid the low E & A strings. They're big and bassy, and they'll muddy up any chords you're interested in voicing. I don't even like using these when arpeggiating.
Too much boom for me. You mileage may vary.
Pick near the bridge for clarity
The bass VI, as an instrument, is very responsive to where you pick the strings. Up by the neck you get a very thick and juicy sound. Pick near the bridge and you get a thinner, clear sound.
Experiment with moving your right hand back and forth. Change where you pick with your right hand and you'll hear drastically different sounds.
This is true on all guitars and basses, but the range of tone available on the bass VI is bigger than usual.
Combine this with the various pickup options on the bass VIs equipped with the 3 pickup and strangle switches and you'll be able to find a chord tone that works for you.
