- 1). Learn the notes on your bass. You can purchase a chart that will show you the note names on the neck of your guitar. The strings on a bass, from thinnest to thickest, are G-D-A-E. These are the same notes as the bottom (thickest) strings on a guitar, except they are lower in pitch. You can also find a chart online that will show you the note names on your bass (see Resources).
- 2). Purchase a bass guitar chord dictionary from a music store or use one of the many free bass chord references online (see Resources). Any chord a guitarist can play using the four lowest strings can be played on a bass. This means you can use a guitar chord dictionary in a pinch.
- 3). Memorize chord shapes rather than trying to learn every chord in every key. Learning these patterns and knowing the note positions on the neck of your bass will open a world of chords with a minimum of memorization and effort. You can move these few chord shapes anywhere on your bass and play a different chord without having to change the pattern.
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