Things You'll Need:
- Bass (electric or acoustic)
- Amplifier
- Beginning bass book
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Step 1
Purchase a beginning bass book that covers basic music theory or use an online site that teaches the information free of charge (see Resources). Building chords on a bass guitar is the same as building chords on any instrument. Chords are built by combining selected notes from the musical scale. The notes you select depend upon the chord you want to make.
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Step 2
Learn the neck of your bass guitar. Start by knowing the open strings, which are E, A, D, G, beginning from the thickest and going to the thinnest. Each string goes up a half step when you place your finger on a fret. A good bass guitar neck chart will show you the notes on the bass and you should familiarize yourself with these notes in every position. (see Resources).
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Step 3
Understand the musical 12-note scale, which consists of 12 notes including the octave. The steps in this scale remain the same, but the name of the scale changes depending upon the starting note. This is the scale that most chords are built around. C, D, D#, E, F, F#, G, G#, A, A#, B, C.
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Step 4
Practice forming major and minor chords on your bass. This requires an understanding of how the major and minor chords are built and how they differ in construction. You form a major chord by using the first, third, and fifth notes of the scale name of the chord you want to build. If, for instance, you want a C major chord, you would use a C major scale and locate the first, third, and fifth notes of that scale on your bass. You form a minor by playing the same three notes, but the third should be played flat. It's a good idea to use a major and minor scale chart for reference in the beginning (see Resources).
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Step 5
Practice playing the chords in various locations on your bass until you find the fingerings that are comfortable for you. Try doubling the root note (the name of the chord you're playing) for a fuller effect. Playing chords on a bass can be difficult because the strings are so thick. The more you play chords on your bass, the stronger your fingers will become. You might want to use a pick when you play bass chords to facilitate easier strumming of the thick strings.
