How to Comp Bass Chords

"Comping" is providing rhythm and chord structure on the bass guitar or double bass by playing entire chords at a time instead of single notes. It is a bass technique that, if done right, can provide a great boost to the total soundscape. If done poorly or overused, it can muddy a mix and frustrate bandmates.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

• A bass guitar, preferably one with single-coil or humbucking pickups.
• Flatwound strings, though a little more expensive, will give the richest sound when comping. Pick a light gauge when you are first beginning.
• Working knowledge of your instrument, whether you are playing fretted or fretless bass, such that you can consistently hit your spots with exact precision.
• Some experience with electric guitar or piano is a plus when deciding on your chord structures.
• Patience, and a good attitude!

Comping broken down: A step-by-step guide.

1. Learn the basic structure of a chord, if you don't know it already. Surprisingly, many up-and-coming bass players don't know how to go through the basic structure of a major or minor chord on their instrument (Root, Third/Minor Third, Fifth, Octave) . We will add more complicated structure later, but if you aren't familiar with how to do this on your instrument, run a search on "bass guitar scale syllabus." If you want to fully understand bass chord comping, you need to train your mind to think in terms of the names of the notes on the scale, rather than the names of the frets.
2. Try forming basic "Bb Major" chord to comp on. Put your pointer finger on your fretting hand at "Bb" (Fret 6) on the E String. Add your ring finger on "F" (Fret 8). to the A String. Then, use your pinkie finger on the octave "Bb" on the D String. Try to keep your hand relaxed, while still maintaining firm, even pressure against the frets. Finally, using your middle finger, fret the final basic note in a major chord. Do this to the Third, on your high G String. It will be on the Seventh fret.
3. Study your hand position, and try to keep your hand relaxed. Practice removing all of your fingers from the fretboard at once, and then playing them at your spots to memory. If you don't have your fingers all the way against the frets, the sound will sound muddy.
4. Pluck all four of the strings at the same time. Use your thumb on the E String, pointer finger on the A String, middle finger on the D String, and ring finger on the G String. Try to get a nice, even pluck all the way around. Fret the notes as you have before. Try the 1-5-8-10 (root, fifth, octave, tenth) configuration. It gives a very full, bright Beethoven-esque sound.
5. Practice your plucking until the sound becomes even, without any fret buzz.
6. Let up pressure on your fretting hand between the note sounds, while maintaining your fretting fingers in the appropriate spot to mute each string. If you simply hold down pressure throughout the passage that you are comping through, the notes will overlap and create a muddied mix.
7. Think of it as squeezing pressure on the strings, then releasing, while still keeping your fingers exactly in place. It is hard to perform correctly. However, when you do, you will have a very nice tool to add to your bass guitar bag of tricks!
8. Study the style of music you wish to comp chords on. Following a basic blues pattern, you might try to learn: "Bb7," "Ebmaj7," and "F" chords. If all of this is a little beyond your comprehension right now, don't worry you will master it in time.
9. Practice the basic chord comping technique for bass, and let your ear guide your hand to which notes sound right together. Or, consult a book of guitar chords for guidance. Because the strings of a 4-string bass are the same as the lower four strings on an electric guitar, much of the information is transferable.

Tips & Warnings

• Have patience with yourself.