Bass Chord Chart
4-string bass (E–A–D–G) · see every chord tone across the neck · tap to hear
How to play
- Pick a root and a chord type. Every place that chord's notes appear on the bass lights up, labelled by role: R root, 3/♭3 third, 5 fifth, 7/♭7 seventh.
- On bass you usually outline chords one note at a time rather than strum them. This map shows where those notes live so you can build bass lines and arpeggios anywhere on the neck.
- Tap any lit note to hear it. Play arpeggio sounds the chord tones in order from the root. The green dots are roots — strong landing notes.
- Strings read top-to-bottom G D A E (thickest, lowest E at the bottom), exactly like bass tab. Vol sets volume.
- Keyboard — Tab to any note or control, Enter/Space to activate.
It’s a bass chord chart that illustrates exact location of the notes on a typical four-string fret board. It’s intended to be an interactive tool so you can use either your computer keyboard or click around the screen to navigate more quickly. The idea is to assist you with visualizing arpeggios and creating bass lines for any given key without having to guess their position.
Firstly, simply choose your root note from one of the buttons across the top. Depending on the chord quality you want to play, there is a full range of notes covering all twelve pitches in equal temperament. These can be spelled as flats or sharps if required. Next choose what kind of a chord you want to play below that root. You have a choice of: Major; Minor; power chord; dominant 7th; major 7th; minor 7th.
How to Use the Bass Chord Chart
It will then update the map of the fretboard showing you immediately where these tones is. It shows four strings, top to bottom: G, D, A & E with twelve frets outlined. That’s a familiar layout for bass tabs, right? So you simply look at it as you would a chart on your music stand. The root notes are marked by green dots, this is always a good reference point when you’re playing. Other markers highlight the third, fifth or even the seventh note of the selected chord.
Tap on one of the illuminated notes and listen to what it sounds like and how it sits within the harmony. Press the play arpeggio button. At the foot of the screen is this little beauty that allows you to instantly hear entire shape of a chord. The selected notes are sounded in sequence from the root up to an octave; it’s an immediate audible reference point which can be particularly valuable when listening to voice leading or the effect a different chord quality has on the mood.
If the sound is too loud for where you are, you can control the volume using the master output slider to the far right. To access help, there’s even a help button on the interface which displays a short explanation of controls and symbols right on the card. If you want to remind yourself quickly how to navigate around a tab or what those interval labels mean, you don’t have to leave the page. There’s also an option to go full screen so you can maximize the chart and minimize distractions as you practice. It will resize for bigger screens too so you get more detail over a wider range of frets.
This can be used to chart popular song chord progressions you’re learning. Try switching between major and minor 7th chords on the same root to hear how the third and seventh intervals shifts. You can even trace finger patterns by tapping notes that stay close together on adjacent strings which will help create muscle memory when using the same shape but in different places up and down the neck. No more sticking to certain positions!
You can use a tab to jump around on the keyboard easily and find the notes on the fret markers and buttons. You just hit space or enter on the key when something is highlighted to trigger that note or control to see how things work together without moving your hands far from the keyboard. You also never feel like you’ve lost where you were because it has very clear focus indication for what’s active in the menu system.
So compare the distribution of notes across each harmony; the difference between extended harmonies and power chords becomes apparent. The map is much clearer with less white space. It illustrates nicely how a bassist might play a simple interval such as root/fifth (power chord), yet imply the complete harmonics this way. The chart doesn’t depend on in-depth music theory knowledge to explain why this relationship exists.
Try matching what’s on the screen to the chord changes you are hearing. Choose the key for the song and look at how the chord roots move across the screen accompanied by its supporting note. The arpeggio can be played back so that you can check if you understand it well enough to attempt in a live performance. It bridges the gap between learning chords from a printed chart and playing dynamic lines over changing harmony.
Set yourself a practice regime that concentrates on just one area of the neck per session. Look up the map then find alternative fingerings for known chords further up the neck. No matter where you start playing, the naming scheme stays the same, which helps reinforce the idea of recognizing intervals wherever they occur. With time it also increases the confidence to move around the fretboard more accurately and freely.
Pick a key you’re comfortabley with and begin to explore the fretboard. Play some different types of chords and hear how they colour the sound differently. Spend time finding new ways around the notes, constructing lines that naturaly flow from finger to finger. Harmonic movement becomes increasingly natural as you use this visual aid in your playing.