How do you play chords on a 5-string bass?

[rayjgold]

I am a fairly new bassist, and im hearing a lot of talk now about playing chords on the bass.
If someone could give me pointer on how to do that, I would appreciate it.

[uriahsmusic]

...first remember that bass can get very muddy if the tone gontrols are set to deep!....the assumption here is that the lowest string is a B! and the highest is a G!
AN EXAMPLE OF A BASS CHORD WOULD BE PLACING YOUR INDEX FINGER ON THE E STRING 5TH FRET AND YOUR PINKY ON THE G STRING 6TH FRET..THIS WOULD CONSTITUTE THE 1ST AND THE 3RD OF A MAJOR CHORD....THE "A" THAT YOU HIT ON THE 5TH FRET OF THE THE "E" STRING WOULD BE THE ROOT!...AND THE C# YOU HIT WITH YOUR PINKY ON THE "G" STRING IS THE 3RD....

SO LETS SAY THE PIANO PLAYS AN "A MAJOR CHORD!....YOU CAN PLAY THAT AND IT WIL SOUND GREAT!....IF YOU ARE GOING TO PLAY 3 NOTES AT A TIME ON THE BASS...BE SURE TO KEEP THE SOUND KIND OF BRIGHT OR YOU WILL ANNOY EVERYONE!

ANOTHER GOOD CHORD FIGURE IS PUT YOUR INDEX FINGER ON THE A STRING 5TH FRET....PUT YOUR MIDDLE FINGER ON THE D STRING 7TH FRET.....AND PUT YOUR PINKY ON THE G STRING 9TH FRET!...THIS IS A 9TH CHORD AND CAN BE PLAYED WITH EITHER MAJOR OR MINOR CHORDS!....YOU WOULD NAME THIS CHORD BY WHATEVER NOTE YOUR INDEX FINGER IS ON!.....THE EXAMPLE I GAVE YOU WAS A "D"

REMEMBER..ON A BASS YOU CAN MOVE THE CHORDS UP AND DOWN THE NECK OR UP A STRING OR DOWN A STRING WITHOUT CHANGING YOUR HAND POSITION.....BUT WATCH OUT ON THE LOW STRINGS....IT CAN GET PRETTY MUDDY SO YOU MAY WANT TO ADJUST YOUR EQ..(BASS AND TREBLE)  TO SOUND NICE AND CLEAR!

HOPE THIS HELPED!