Need Suggestion for CM's

[guitarplayer007]

Looking for a list of around 20 chord melodies to learn.
I'm so tired of learning CM's then forgetting them. I want to defined list i can keep in front of me and work on everyday as part of my practice routine.
thx
ken

[bigdaddyguitar]

check out money chords.com . Lots of songs to work on . I've learned quite a bit CM's from this site , from standards to Christmas tunes .

[AlsoRan]

Originally Posted by guitarplayer007

Looking for a list of around 20 chord melodies to learn.
I'm so tired of learning CM's then forgetting them. I want to defined list i can keep in front of me and work on everyday as part of my practice routine.
thx
ken

Sounds like you are getting yourself in a position to perform. 20 songs would g a long way at a coffee shop or restaurant. And, you would not have to split the money with anyone!

Go to amazon and search "chord melody." They have a bunch of books with many songs and a CD.

There are also those that don't have a CD (The Robert Yelin series for example). Best of luck to you.

[SammieWammie]

On my setlist are:
Stella By Starlight
Autumn Leaves
'Round Midnight
When Sunny Gets Blue
Summertime
Pop Tune
All The Things You Are
What A Wonderful World
Dream A Little Dream
Satin Doll
Lady Bird
Afternoon In Paris
Honeysuckle Rose
A general blues improv (usually ends up sounding like Tenor Madness)

Those last ones are only on there because they happened to be standards I knew when I got into solo playing, learning ones to replace them slowly, Body & Soul and Darn That Dream are on the to learn list. I also have a few pop songs:

Man In The Mirror (Tuck Andress transcription)
Don't Worry, Be Happy
Sunday Morning

Arranged them all myself, except the one transcription. I recommend ballads, very difficult to play faster songs, but most of the ones I said make good chord melodies.

[guitarplayer007]

thx for the suggestions, keep them coming
Ken

[mr. beaumont]

Are you looking for songs to arrange, or songs already arranged for you?

[guitarplayer007]

Hi Mr. Beaumont, i'm trying to arrange my own, but would like some suggestions on tunes i may not know. I'm familar with the stanard ones everyone does.
Thx
Ken

[jtizzle]

Reflections and Darn That Dream are really good ones. Also, Ruby My Dear.

[Earl]

Hello Ken..

This can be done with a few basic tools...
1. Learn all your diatonic scales (7 flat scales & 7 sharp scales) key of C
no sharps or flats just like the alphabet CDEFGABC distance from C to D=
2 frets distance from D to E =2 frets , from E to F= 1 fret, from F to G=
2 frets, from G to A= 2 frets, from A to B =2frets, from B to C= 1 fret.
All scales, starting on any given note will follow this pattern.

2. Write down your chord formulas (example 1 3 5 b7 for C7 has the
notes C E G Bb. The numbers indicate the note's position on the scale.
3. Learn where the notes are on the fingerboard.
4. When you find the notes for a given chord...you usually want the
melody note to be on top.
Lots of work...glad to help. Earl

[JimmyK]

Hi Ken,
Just bought Mel Bay's Jazz Guitar standards, Chord Melody Solos. You get about 40+ tunes plus two CD's. Surely there is room here for adding your own creativity. There are several Arrangers on these tunes and some have taken a different path than I'm familiar with, so it's an opportunity to learn. The book is very well done; spiral bound (so it will lay flat) and Plastic coated cover in front and back. Good Luck!

[gtrhead]

The Barry Galbraith books are invaluable (available on amazon.com).

Also, I've tried putting together my own by simply learning the melody and then harmonizing it. Pretty academic and a bit tedious at first, I know, but it has given me a way to learn my inversions, and because it's my own, I tend to remember it more easily.

[guitarplayer007]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone!
Ken

[guitarplayer007]

Been working on Darn that Dream, i really like that one. Any other Ballads anyone can suggest that i may not know.
Ken

[Earl]

Hello Ken...

I would suggest one called "I'm Old Fashioned". I have a version on
You Tube. My handle there is Melodyplayer. My full name is Earl Allen.
Let me know what you think.

Earl

EAllen1299@aol.com

[Tom Karol]

Here's my one-hour plus solo setlist:

All The Things You Are (1939) Ab
Here’s That Rainy Day (1953) G
Polka Dots and Moonbeams (1940) F
There Will Never Be Another You (1942) Eb
Moonlight In Vermont (1943) D
Autumn Leaves (1947) Em
Georgia On My Mind (1930) F
Misty (1954) Eb
Summertime (1935) Am
Somewhere Over The Rainbow (1939) Eb
I Don’t know Why (1994) D
Sleepwalk (1959) C
Tears in Heaven (1991) A
Till There Was You (1957) C

I have 3 originals that I can throw in plus a few Beatles tunes, and around the holidays I add White Christmas and 'Chestnuts'.

[onetruevibe]

Originally Posted by gtrhead

Also, I've tried putting together my own by simply learning the melody and then harmonizing it. Pretty academic and a bit tedious at first, I know, but it has given me a way to learn my inversions, and because it's my own, I tend to remember it more easily.

^This. I just started doing this and as a noob, it really opened things up for me...kind of an "a-ha" moment. It was very satisfying, coming up with and arrangement of my own...my own creation. How cool!

Anyway, I've only worked on a couple but have had a blast with them:

I Can't Give You Anything But Love
Orange Colored Sky
Straight No Chaser

Here's the video that got me rolling:

YouTube Video

Good luck!

[guitarplayer007]

thx everyone
ken

[chigtrst]

There are some amazing chord/harmony exercises at Ted Greene's web site. He was, imo, one of the greatest chord melody players. Voice leading like Bill Evans. Voice leading like Bill Evans. Really fantastic! (tedgreene.com)

[JimBobWay]

Originally Posted by Tom Karol

Here's my one-hour plus solo setlist:

All The Things You Are (1939) Ab
Here’s That Rainy Day (1953) G
Polka Dots and Moonbeams (1940) F
There Will Never Be Another You (1942) Eb
Moonlight In Vermont (1943) D
Autumn Leaves (1947) Em
Georgia On My Mind (1930) F
Misty (1954) Eb
Summertime (1935) Am
Somewhere Over The Rainbow (1939) Eb
I Don’t know Why (1994) D
Sleepwalk (1959) C
Tears in Heaven (1991) A
Till There Was You (1957) C

I have 3 originals that I can throw in plus a few Beatles tunes, and around the holidays I add White Christmas and 'Chestnuts'.

That's almost too close to a recent set I played...6 different tunes, but in the same mood. e.g., I always do over the rainbow and segue into if I only had a brain; instead of there will never I play my funny valentine, etc.

Let's jam sometime!