How to start with chord melodies

[derek]

Originally Posted by blis

To begin with I was memorizing as many arrangements as I could. But innevitably I forget them unless I play them regularly.

What I do now is sit down with the arrangement and the lead sheet together and analyse what they've done with it. I look at what substitutions they've used, how they go about carrying the melody and generally try and pick up idea's. I like to look at several different arrangements because then I start to see how many possibilities there are. Then I'll start trying to apply the ideas to a different song.

I tend to stick with one song for a whole month and come up with as many different arrangements as I can. Mine still dont sound as proffesional as I'd like either but they keep getting better and I keep finding new ideas. I still memorize other peoples arrangements but only if I think they're really special.

Yes, this is the way to go if you don't have a teacher. However, I have plenty of arrangements I have collected from a variety of players. I just start experimenting with chord subs, and subbing lines for chords here and there. I have also learned two or three arrangements of the same tune, and kind of mix and match along with my own ideas.

Since I have a weekly solo gig, I basically will take a tune I am working with, slow it way down to a rubato feel, and just experiment with it, working out ideas I may have. Paid practice man, nothing better!

I was taught to arrange using root position voicings, the shell voicings (very handy buggers) we get from Freddy Green, and inversions. It is really pretty easy to arrange your own tunes this way. After you walk thru a couple with someone, you can pretty much DIY. You might run into a chord or two that throws you off, but remember, you don't always have to play a chord, you could arpeggiate a line, or just play the melody.

[nomelite]

Originally Posted by Goofsus4

But, IMHO you shouldn't even bother with chord melody until you understand the theory of how chords are contructed using musical intervals. Once you understand chord contruction theory, then arranging a chord melody of your own is just as Mr. B said

I'm interested in this post. I know chord construction and many voicings. but you mention 'using intervals'. could you give me please an small example on how you connect chords (in an arrangement) using intervals? thank you.

[Goofsus4]

Originally Posted by nomelite

I'm interested in this post. I know chord construction and many voicings. but you mention 'using intervals'. could you give me please an small example on how you connect chords (in an arrangement) using intervals? thank you.

I meant that before someone can arrange a chord melody themselves, they need to have an understanding of how chords are constructed using musical intervals, i.e. for a C major 7 chord, the intervals are the 1 (root), 3rd, 5th, and 7th. Or for a Dm7 chord, the intervals are 1, b3, 5, b7. Once someone learns the intevallic formula for the chords contained in a song, they can then simply arrange the melody on the top two strings (as much as possible), then for each melody note, harmonize the note with intervals from the related accompaniment chord. So, if in a particular measure the chord is C major 7 and the melody note is a E, then that's the 3rd of C major 7, so you can harmonize that with the 1, 5, or 7 or all of those - depending on how full you want the voicing to be. This frees you up to create full or partial voicings all over the neck so you can just create the voicings you need for the melody anywhere, as opposed to trying to make the melody fit the standard voicings you already know. That facilitates smoother changes and good voice leading, etc. No chord books are ever needed again, and you can create your own chord melody arrangements of any song you want to play. Of course, you will normally embellish the arrangement with passing chords, subs/alterations, etc. after fleshing out the basic harmonization. But I always start out with a simple harmonization of the melody before I building the fancy stuff into it.

You mention "connecting chords" which may be different than what I was originally trying to express to the OP. But I suppose an example would be if in the above example the melody line moved from the E (3rd) to the G (5), and you had harmonized the E at the fifth fret using the 5 and the 7 (xx545x), then you might just move your voicing up the neck to the 8th fret and harmonize the G with the 7 and the 3 (xx998x).

Hope that helps.

[nomelite]

excellent answer..that's what I needed to know! thanks.

[pink snare]

Originally Posted by franco6719

I can do very basic versions myself, of course, but they don't sound sophisticated and "professional" enough, for lack of a better term.

This is where I find myself... understanding I can put a melody and a bass note under it... but wanting to do more, wanting it to be less basic.
I understand these things come with time, practice and playing a tonnn of chord melody, but honestly, as far as beefing up my arrangements, I'm not really even sure where to start. Occasionally I'll add a walking bass line, but I'd like to do more.

[guitarplayer007]

Has anyone purchased the Howard Morgen course from True Fire? I would love to know what they thought of it.
Thanks
Ken

[derek]

I haven't but I have his comprehensive book, Through Chord Melody And Beyond. My guess is, his Truefire offering is a video version of this book/cd. If so, then well worth it. Howard is really good at teaching this stuff.


Amazon.com: Howard Morgen -- Through Chord Melody and Beyond (Book & Enhanced CD) (9780739049846): Morgen, Howard: Books

[nomelite]

Originally Posted by guitarplayer007

Has anyone purchased the Howard Morgen course from True Fire? I would love to know what they thought of it.
Thanks
Ken

I have it and it's 100% recommended. He starts from the basics and then he progresses into more difficult territory, but his explanations are always clear and revealing. Besides the accompanying material in PDF is very clear. The video sampler is nice and illuminating enough to open your ears (and it's only the sampler). Don't miss that course.

Jazz Guitar Lessons - Fingerboard Breakthrough - Howard Morgen

[jeffstritt]

Well it has been said that there is nothing to it, but to do it.

Start by putting the melody note on top.
Make sure the inner voices move smoothly from chord to chord.
Add a bass note.

Another thing that helped me out was beginning to work on chord melodies for the first time is, don't feel like you hae to play every note in every chord, or every chord change. Sometimes it can be just as good to harmonize the melody in 6ths or octaves for a bar or two. And if you have a big nasty altered chord, just pick the best notes and leave out the filler! (IE- G7#5b9 = B,F,Ab, or Dd)

[BradM]

Yes, the Robert Conti materials are very good. I studied with him personally and he really, really helped me a lot. If anyone would like, I'll post some of my ideas to my new website. bradmalinowskijazz.com I am looking to post some lesson material, but by request, because I don't want to re-invent the wheel given the fact that there is sooooo much out there by so many great players. I have nice chord melodies for Autumn Leaves, Green Dolphin, Tenderly, Impanema, Blue Monk, and a few others that I arranged myself. I believe they are simple and a good way to get started.

BradM

[Steve Cat]

What an amazing place............Satie...........never heard if him, downloaded it today sounds simple but looking at that PDF standard notation I don't know. Wikipedia states there are free piano transcripts. I'll look around and see if I can find any midi sources so I can import then into Sibelius and get a start on tabs. At anyrate if someone would be willing to share tabs I'd greatly appreciate it. It is haunting me....wikipedia says it contains dissonance, doesn't sound that way to me. Thanks for the introduction to a major personage hithertoo unknown to me.
Am downloading the Truefire Howard Morgen stuff as I type this. Boy that is a big download. Also, while on topic for something new to me, thanks to whoever recommended Aestivation by Liberty Ellman a ways back.........still enjoying it

[Goofsus4]

Originally Posted by Steve Cat

What an amazing place............Satie...........never heard if him, downloaded it today sounds simple but looking at that PDF standard notation I don't know. Wikipedia states there are free piano transcripts. I'll look around and see if I can find any midi sources so I can import then into Sibelius and get a start on tabs. At anyrate if someone would be willing to share tabs I'd greatly appreciate it. It is haunting me....wikipedia says it contains dissonance, doesn't sound that way to me. Thanks for the introduction to a major personage hithertoo unknown to me.
Am downloading the Truefire Howard Morgen stuff as I type this. Boy that is a big download. Also, while on topic for something new to me, thanks to whoever recommended Aestivation by Liberty Ellman a ways back.........still enjoying it

If you like this kind of music, try this collection: It has this Satie piece plus some other incredibly hypnotic stuff.

Amazon.com: Berceuse: Music of Calm and Peace: Johann Sebastian Bach, Gabriel Faure, Erik…

Sample/Download this one:

3 Gymnopedies: Gymnopedie No. 2

And this one - for me, it is beyond mesmerizing.

The Firebird Suite: Firebird: Lullaby

Makes you sort of realize that these composers may just indeed have been space aliens.

[tonyteech]

I agree about the JJG - good stuff - get any back issues as well Plus Howard Morgen and Fred Sokolow Martin Taylor has his own website now and runs courses Plus Gene Bertoncini who is excellent

Being a piano player I buy simple jazz piano books and use the melodies and arrange them to suit guitar. I find practiciing on the fly using the Real book and just going through and just doing an arrangement using basic jazz chords and going back and upgrading or changing chords and adding bits. In my experience there is never a fixed arrangement - there may be general overall views of what to do but this will vary every time I play a song.