Originally Posted By: Matt Finley
Originally Posted By: Bass Thumper
... construct the tables but they don't show the 3 essential notes.
For example CMajor7 is shown as C-E-G-B. What are the 3 essential notes? I'm guessing C-E-B..

OK, now this changes the question. For a bass player, I would think the three most essential notes of a chord are the root, fifth, and seventh. To look at this another way, a keyboard player or guitarist might choose not to play the root or fifth, thinking the bass has it covered, but they will most certainly play the third to establish whether the chord is major or minor. As the seventh is either major or dominant (minor), that is a nice tone for the bass to hit once in a while. The upper extensions, like 9th, 11ths, 13ths, or flatted versions of same, are usually not played by the bass. Does that help?

Thanks Matt. Don't think bass player only. I have a keyboard and find myself using in more and more. It gives me a musical satisfaction different from what I get from my bass. Here is an example where I'm playing the brass section which I know can be improved.

https://www.pgmusic.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=730758&page=1

Knowing how the chords in my songs are constructed (as opposed to looking at them as black boxes) can only help me on both instruments.

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For me there’s no better place in the band than to have one leg in the harmony world and the other in the percussive. Thank you Paul Tutmarc and Leo Fender.