RULE 4: Think of the staff as two separate and independent parts: bass and upper chord. The bass part is written with each note stem going down. The upper chord part is written with each note stem going up. This example illustrates the separation of the staff. The bass part stands by itself as a complete measure with four beats. The upper chord part also stands by itself as a complete measure with four beats. Count each part carefully. Ex. 15 Upper Chord Bass Beginning Technique The following exercises are designed to develop the fundamental skills needed in playing bass lines and chords, Exercise 1 utilizes two barred chords (G7 and C9) with whole notes in the bass part. Repeat this example until mastered then progress to the next five exercises. Exercise 1 ~ DDODDD ate @ OOO co +o Keep Ist finger on 3rd fret