My Favorite Chords on BASS VI

[@emilsvahn5400]

As a bassist who play a 5 string tuned in E-standard, i second this message.

[@blackburn1111]

What kind of/style of playing do you usually do? I've been playing bass for a year in a fairly normal CCM worship band context. I use the B string often but haven't even ventured to use my G string much at all yet. It gets lost in the mix. I'm curious how you use your G and C strings

[@ianmsutherland]

​​@@blackburn1111 I play bass on 5 or 6 string and I usually use the G and C for chord voicing. It can get list in the mix yes, but I play with a bit more mid/treble to compensate and my band is a trio so I'm filling empty space there rather than competing with another guitar or keys.

[@MreenalMams]

Not 1 heaven, not even 2 heavens, but 3 whole Heavens

[@b0000kify]

I'm familiar with Hog Heaven, and My Blue Heaven. Wonder what the third is. Suppose I'll find out on the 24th

[@MreenalMams]

@@b0000kify Just 5 more days

[@therealmorganofficial]

Man this thing sounds great. That's one of the curses of being a musician: always wanting about 100 instruments

[@justink8156]

The new Squier Bass VI has one model for 330$. Not saying that's cheap, that can be a lot of money for a lot of people, but getting a Bass VI has never been more affordable.

[@jackhaugh]

I just bought a used one for $249 this morning. And I happen to be sitting in a room with over 20 guitars, a bass, 2 electric sitars, a mandolin, a fiddle, a full drum set, 7 guitar amps, a bass amp, a full analog pedal board, and a full digital pedal board. I tend to look at it as a blessing rather than a curse.

[@simoooooooon443]

You’re the first person I’ve heard play this instrument well. Very, very nice stuff.

[@jemjemmm]

pLEASE do acoustic covers of the heaven heaven heaven songs 😭 I still listen to the acoustic versions of your older songs with Jessica!!

[@BenLevin]

Good idea, I will!

[@BenLevin]

I'll post them on my 2nd channel called Ben Levin Songs!

[@jemjemmm]

@@BenLevinWE LOOK FORWARD TO IT 🤩✨✨

[@AndrewTannusMusic]

I literally just bought the same bass off off Reverb and have been so excited to figure out chord voicings to sit between the bass and guitarist. You got me so much more excited to get into this instrument!

[@kirklandish]

I got one recently as well - definitely a helpful video

[@rasm0225]

I would say “just like heaven” and “heaven or Las Vegas” for some good BassVI players.

[@GaylordBonnafous]

Also The Church.

[@Guitarwoerke]

You’ve convinced me that I would actually be able to find songs in one of these, so my soul thanks you but my savings do not 🥲 I really appreciate that you’ve shown that its not just country / doom / post-punk stuff that a bass vi is capable of.

[@cinnamoncoffeecake5925]

this is my favorite thing you’ve done so far, this entire year has been christmas for bass vi enjoyers

[@atimonen]

Just wonderful! Good job man! This just what I was looking for to find new ways to explore my VI, without any extra effect pedals.

[@naturligfunktion4232]

Now I also want a BASS VI!

[@Swordshreader]

OMG IM SO EXCITED FOR THE NEW ALBUM!

[@XCHADHIGGINSX]

Much love Ben.

[@mariusingebretsen1300]

thank you so much for showing us! I always love your way of showing and teaching us along the way!

[@guts2112]

Love you Ben

[@seoigh]

super helpful -- thanks

[@HermelJaworski]

This is so inspiring!

[@13StJimmy]

Love the Bass Vi

[@demezzerate6769]

love how your style/voice comes out on the instrument

[@thatbeet]

I would listen to hours of that “epic” spread triad demonstration hahah. So excited to hear Heaven Heaven Heaven. Always an inspiration 🙌🏼

[@soundpropellerpatrick113]

This is excellent! I've had a longtime obsession with the Bass VI! As corny as it was, my very first band back in Seattle in the early 80's, was called The Bassics (100% my fault too, lol). We eventually moved away from that idea until our split in 1990. We never did the idea of all the instrumentalists playing a Bass VI, but I eventually realized it in my early 2000's band Wide-Eyed, for the occasional song. All of this is to say, your tips are all spot on, and some of those things I discovered over a lot more than a few months, so power on! Looking forward to the release. I'm having my solo debut LP (as Cloudburst) being pressed at Third Man right now, and the Bass VI is a constant presence... Excellent video for one of my favorite instruments (the Bass VI is an EXCELLENT writing tool as well). Keep up the great work!

[@evilotis01]

i've always wanted one of these! sounds ace

[@alilbird]

excited for the album! this is exactly what i hoped for after watching your "no guitar in my dream band video"

[@Viktor-yp1dc]

Thats so cool, I remember seeing you live in Berlin in 2019 :-D just found your channel. Cool stuff

[@FizzyP]

Great advice! I'll try these tricks out. Thank you.

[@chewsi]

been looking forward to new album for months!

[@WICKEDinteresting]

Ben! You’re the coolest. I have the bass vi too, but I really struggle to get a good sound. The intonation on mine seems awful, but yours sounds like a dream. Did you have to do a lot of tweaking/setup out of the box?

[@BenLevin]

I had a lot of issues with the intonation and ultimately replaced the bridge that came with it. I recommend getting a different bridge and having a pro set it up. Also, the low E string is very sensitive to how hard you pick, so I don't tend to build chords off of it, I just use it for bass parts mostly.

[@MC-sg5yr]

Fender offsets were also designed with the idea that they would be shimmed. This increases the break angle on the bridge which results in more force that keeps the rocking bridge in place. I recommend the KZbin channel Puisheen and his videos on offset bridges and shims.

[@WICKEDinteresting]

Radical - thank you both!! Great advice && things I can look into

[@kirklandish]

@@BenLevin what bridge did you get? A lot of recommendations for the Staytrem or Mastery bridges online, so probably one of those, but wondering if there are other options as well (especially since the staytrem is hard to get and mastery is very expensive)

[@perropicante]

you awesome.

[@MawcDrums]

Dude I'm so excited to hear the new album! I've tuned my 7 String Conklin Bass to BEADGBE for a while, or ADADGAD, it's such a cool liberating instrument.

[@alfiehaigh8412]

Highly recommend listening to TTNG’s audiotree session if you wanna hear some really cool bass vi playing

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

0:36 The Notation actually sounds 2 Octaves lower than written. A Regular Guitar sounds an Octave lower than written but since the Bass VI is an Octave below a Regular Guitar it sounds 2 Octaves lower than written.

[@Godmil]

The little 8 under the treble clef suggest the note is one octave lower than written, and on guitar and I presume bass, they're already transposed 1 octave from their actual pitch, so I guess that accounts for the two octave jump.

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

@@Godmil But if on a Regular Treble Clef the Bass VI would sound 2 Octaves lower than written.

[@Gwens42]

Sounds fabulous Ben, im definitely going to have a listen to this, sounds sick !

[@mikegleim5241]

Rich, thick, juicy and full of flavor are words I'm hoping to use in describing this upcoming album. These tambres float my boat. Come on 22nd!!

[@stan_dinghere]

yay its dropping on my birthday thankyou!

[@zachsharp4564]

James Jamerson was handed one of these to record with once, which resulted in his throwing it across the room like it was an abomination. I’ve always thought the Bass VI is great, but that’s still a really funny story.

[@Charlyfromthenuclearcity]

I've been playing BassVIs for 10 years now, it's nice to see some love for this instrument :) I used it on a prog rock album, and now in a atmospheric metal band. Works surprisingly well as a fat rythme guitar, and chorusey cleans sounds great on these (cf. The Cure)

[@jevinday]

I'm a guitar player who is just about to buy their first bass, I'm just starting to hear about these, they seem pretty cool

[@econSD]

Makes me look for one online to explore it myself ❤️

[@CitizenofMelee]

Yes, I too have a Squier Bass VI. I'll double guitar parts, or add different parts for texture. Great fun.

[@Skizze37]

Great promo!

[@JusticeCow]

So many great tips! Makes me want to wriiiiiiite

[@djuengst2000]

Nice, can’t wait😊

[@sirgavalot]

That is essentially how i play chords on my VI, keeping an octave or so began the lowest note and the rest of the chord, skipping a string, basically playing normal 6 string guitar and bass accompaniment together at the same time. You can get such a wide open sound from it, i wish i used it more. And i wish people saw it more than a super-downtuned guitar

[@Moonless_Future]

A chord I like on bass VI (and guitar, for that matter) is Dmaj9/F# voiced 200220. It could also be analyzed as a polychord, with an A major triad over a first-inversion D major triad.

[@mickyfitz5037]

Me and my bandmate swap bass and guitar when working on our music all the time, and I came to a related but different approach. A bass with the tone knob all the way off+ a bass VI with the low end cut switch on. As much as I like silly bass sounds I find that when the guitar has an odd tone or voicing character I like to make my bass sound “normal”. I’ve heard what BASS VI sounds like when professionally set up with good strings and it has a character I love, but I haven’t been able to make my friend’s sound like any sort of bass at all…

[@kylemccombmusic]

Nice! I also love playing very high on the neck--same range as guitar, but the tone couldn't be more different

[@jayd5836]

A Sungazer drop AND a Ben Levin drop so soon???? How am I gonna pick what to listen to??? *insert both is good meme*

[@Basertbasert]

Great video! What pickup configuration do you prefer for this type of playing?

[@RockStarOscarStern634]

Fender 24-100 Gauge strings are almost like Balanced Extra Lights.

[@edrdavenport78]

hell yes brother

[@Fire-Toolz]

woooooo love me some heavens

[@MilesTippett]

I personally like power chords on my VI, AS LONG as they are on the A string, and usually above the 5th fret!

[@EricBichan]

Ben VI!

[@Talisk3r]

Love my bass VI. The 10th interval is overused in guitar music but that spread triad or muting the bass are nice twist to put on it.

[@DomPusey]

I would love to see what you could do with a hybrid guitar!

[@doogdoogdoogdoogdoogdoog]

So sick! Remind me of the lovely Richard Dawson at points, who plays a heavily downtuned acoustic in a marvellous clanky fingerstyle

[@rohiogerv22]

The double stop over the open G string is almost kind of like an irl way to play the pitch-shifted guitar from Smashing Pumpkins' 1979

[@TheNickLeez]

Bass 👍

[@Burbund]

I don't have a bass vi (yet hopefully), but spread low chords like that also work really well on an 8 string Edit: power chords could work better with bass eq with low end cut, but then it might sound like clean Meshuggah

[@stan_dinghere]

yummo

[@alexlubinski7795]

There's nothing I regret quite like selling my Squier Jazzmaster VM Baritone (in a really cool looking Antigua finish) for like 250-300$; I know I needed money at that time, but the guitar was amazing. And now they are 3-4x that price, so nah, I will probably never get it back

[@live2shredguy]

Lol that C chords it’s on the guitar also, it’s really nice

[@heavenly2k]

this made me hit a chungus gritty about a week ago . insert loathe reference, also.

[@gxtmfa]

I bet fingerpicks would kick ass on this

[@MattTheBassPlayer]

Correct. Well...technically I never used fingerpicks on mine but I often use a thumbpick which is great for hybrid playing. The VI is surprisingly great for hybrid playing because you can play real bass lines with real bass tone while being able to play guitar chords/melodies over the top. I'm sure adding fingerpicks to the mix would sound great too.

[@nikeisagreekgoddess4135]

You are very intelligent

[@albonfan9144]

reminds me of polvo

[@kay4x4]

YEEEEESS NEEW ALBUUUUMMMMMMM your like an ubuntu satellite. bye!

[@jostauber8620]

ngl, this works more as an ad for a Bass VI than one for the album xd

[@Typical.Anomaly]

Damn it, why did I click on this? I am literally about to go out the door to go hawk my Bass VI. I was hoping to play it like the bottom 6 strings of an 8-string, as I had seen some other YTers do. Not my thing, though. The trem only drops the note by a half-step, too. I wanna dive loooooooow and floppy lol

[@Vantier]

2:05 sounds like "Pile - Ropes Length". ish.

[@alecjahn]

Maybe I'll finally fix my VI.

[@dbest7]

Not me going to Apple Music trying to find the new album not realizing that this video just released today 😭

[@LxE9799]

I agree with everything except the "don't use low power chords" advice. Gimme that yummy heavy sound all day. (Of course, it doesn't fit in every context, but when it does, oh boy does it make the song HUGE)

[@ivybasement]

bass vi gang rise up

[@johnny141093]

But does it djent

[@colthayhurst4199]

Thanks for playing the “jam” right there and not going to a pre-recorded clip that took you 20 takes to get perfect.

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

Give it a few more years and you're gonna be using a Hybrid guitar, where the three lowest strings are bass strings.

[@kirkeasterson3019]

What's your favorite chord? 🤔

[@steffish]

Thank you thank you THANK YOU for not doing the whole "isitaguitarisitabass"-bit and instead focusing on what makes it cool and what doesn't work for you..! Also, you musical examples are really inspiring. Kinda sad that my VI is hanging in the rehearsal space and not here with me right now 😅

[@giuliocaravatti3749]

*adam neely left the chat

[@BlootusWealth]

hit Drop D, needs more chugs. Play some slam.

[@SamBrockmann]

"But not as thick as an actual bass guitar". Has bro played a bass guitar? 😂 I own a bass VI. I love mine. But let's not pretend that there aren't E, A, D, G tuned regular basses with a 90 Guage on the low E.

[@martinepstein9826]

90 gauge is very thin for a low E on a bass, so "not as thick" is correct. Not sure what you're trying to say.

[@SamBrockmann]

@@martinepstein9826 , how high are you? 90 Guage is very common. That's like saying that 46 is "not thick" for a guitar, when people regularly use sets of 9s (meaning the low E would be a 42) ,these days.