How to Play Bar Chords on Bass Guitar

Many bass guitar players are used to single-note playing, but a bar chord can be played on a bass guitar nearly the same as it can on a regular guitar. Use the same chord structure and a slightly different philosophy to create bar chords on your bass guitar.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. Start with the two-note bar chord. This basic bar chord is a simple major, in fact, it leaves out the note that distinguishes a minor chord from a major one. Put your index finger on a fret, on the low E string, then place your ring finger two frets higher on the A string.

2. Add the third note of the chord by putting your pinkie finger directly below your ring finger on the same fret of the D string.

3. Put in the fourth note of the chord by putting your middle finger on the top string one fret above your index finger. This completes the major bar chord.

4. Play all over the bass guitar neck. Moving the bar chord structure around the neck changes the key of the chord. You can play an A, B, C and others including sharps and flats with the exact same structure.

5. Experiment with bass guitar technique using the bar chords. Try strumming the bass to hear how it sounds; if the sound is muddied, you may want to use the two-string chord or just one single note at a time.

Tips & Warnings

• Stay on the bottom string for easy and good-sounding bar chords. You can play other bar chords on the higher strings, but the conventional way is to primarily use the bottom string and slide around to change key.
• Stick with the simple major bar chord. You can create variations. For example, dropping your middle finger and barring the chord makes a major into a minor. However, major chords tend to sound the clearest, especially on a bass guitar.
• Try using a pick. If you're not getting good bar chords sounds finger-strumming the bass guitar, try a pick technique, hitting the bottom strings harder. The predominant major chord sound should ring out more clearly.