chord melody

[algamz]

Sixty eight year old geezer trying to understand chord melody.

Can someone explain in terms that I can understand, chord melody.

I have been "strumming" guitar or not for 45 years and recently
have become interested in chord melody for my own amusement.

I have researched the internet, but the terms and theory has this
old geezer confused.

C'mon you young'ns give an old timer a hand.

Thank you jazzguitar.be and all you wiser than I, contributors.

[mr. beaumont]

chord melody is what it sounds like--playing the chords and melody to a song at the same time. this can include playing single note melody lines in between chords as well as playing the melody as the top note in a chord.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

The simplest way to define a "full nelson" is to pull that wrestling move on someone! Luckily, jazz doesn't hurt! Go to YouTube and search for "guitar chord melody" and have a listen. That's what it is!

[derek]

I echo what BDLH and Mr. B say. In it's simplest form, you have a melody note typically on the top 2 strings with a chord played at the same time. As a couple of examples, the first is a guy playing a very simple arrangement by Fred Sokolow. Fred has a book out with really easy arrangements.

YouTube - Stars Fell On Alabama

The next is one of the top players on the scene, Jimmy Bruno playing a bit more complicated version of Moonlight In Vermont. You can see the extremes this way.

YouTube - Jimmy Bruno Plays "Moonlight in Vermont"

Another master, Tuck Andress performing at a seminar.

YouTube - TUCK ANDRESS - OVER THE RAINBOW -

Some pretty diverse approaches, but I think you get the idea. Hope this helps.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

This has got me thinking. The melody always falls on the top strings -- does anybody shake this up on occasion? Think Carter family picking with the melody in the bass. And didn't Maybelle play an archtop?

[evhan]

Originally Posted by algamz

Can someone explain in terms that I can understand, chord melody.

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

chord melody is what it sounds like--playing the chords and melody to a song at the same time.

But that's so... hard! Isn't there some secret technique?

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Originally Posted by evhan

But that's so... hard! Isn't there some secret technique?

A looper?

[Goofsus4]

Take a lead sheet. Arrange the melody on the top two strings. For each melody note, harmonize it with other musical intervals so it sounds like you are playing a chord with the melody note on top. Use the lead sheet's chord progression as a guide to flesh out a simple arrangement, i.e. if it says Am7 in the bar - harmonize all melody notes in that bar with a chord voicing that gives an Am7 tonality. You do not have to make a chord out of every melody note. In fact, unless you can do some really clever stretch chords, you will probably play some notes individually just out of expediency. I also think that harmonizing every note sounds too tight anyway.

Second step, when you have pauses for a bar or more on one chord, i.e. the melody is using half or whole notes, try to include passing chords that move into the next change smoothly so you are just not strumming the same chord for that whole time. That's where it starts getting more complicated. Use your ear and experiment. You can use a bit of theory to help, but I find that I do best when I just try different things until I find stuff that works.

Third step, add in single note runs that take the place of the passing chords for some choruses, or make runs that embellish the melody lead out of and into the next chord voicing.

Fourth step - start substituting the lead sheet's chords to create different sounding voicings that still work with the melody, or even reharmonize the melody. Again, you can use some theory for this (lots of ideas on this forum from time to time, or you can buy a book and all that), or you can just experiment by ear.

The cool thing about chord melody is that you can continually change the arrangement over months or even years as your knowledge grows.

[nomelite]

This long article is a must if you want to start in chord melody:

Guitar Notes: CHORD MELODY

[derek]

Yeah, the Beltran ebook is a pretty good starting place. I would strongly recommend a teacher, at least to get you started off in the right direction. With basic knowledge, I don't think it is hard to teach someone to create their own arrangements. They might not be Bruno or Andress like, but very nice for the family get together or if you string a bunch of'em together, a restaurant gig.

[mr. beaumont]

to be honest, pass and andress and bruno kinda kill it for me. just because you can do all that doesn't mean you have to on EVERY piece...I'd much rather hear johnny smith or george van eps play in this style...

so don't just listen to those cats. start simple, and keep it tasteful.

[evhan]

So is this playing technique mostly premeditated/arranged, with arrangements put into memory before playing? Or is this the sort of thing that normal people can improvise?

[whippersnapper]

I'd recommend a Barney Kessel album called "Solo". Some great sounding and not too complicated stuff to check out.

[Goofsus4]

Another thing that may help you understand what's going on with chord melody is to just think about any fingerstyle songs you know. If you know a solo guitar fingerstyle arrangement of a folk ballad, let's say (something like Bridge Over Troubled Water), then you are already playing a form of chord melody. And I mean instrumental arrangement - no singing. You'll notice that you play the melody along with bass notes and often other intervals like the 3rd and 7th that harmonize the melody note. This is chord melody. Solo classical guitar pieces are good studies of this as well. They frequently play the melody note that is harmonized with a bass note. Really, jazz chord melody is the same thing, but with more passing chords and chord substitutions and oftentimes fuller voicings to the chords.

[derek]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

to be honest, pass and andress and bruno kinda kill it for me. just because you can do all that doesn't mean you have to on EVERY piece...I'd much rather hear johnny smith or george van eps play in this style...

so don't just listen to those cats. start simple, and keep it tasteful.

Each to his own of course. I posted the vids to give the extremes of the style. Not as big a JS fan, but love Van Eps, and think the recordings he did with Howard Alden are some of the best around.

[JohnW400]

Originally Posted by evhan

So is this playing technique mostly premeditated/arranged, with arrangements put into memory before playing? Or is this the sort of thing that normal people can improvise?

They can be either. Usually arranged, but what happens is that if you know the tune really well and are up on your chord/fretboard knowledge. you should be able to whip one out on a moments notice.

For example, On the Phil Woods CD Song For Sisyphus, Harry Leahey plays a CM of Nuages. However on The Phil Woods release, Jazz for A summer Afternoon, the arrangement is different. They are the 'same' album song wise and were probably recorded the same day. just different takes.

So if the tune was pre arranged one should espect the arranments to be the same. I think what happens is that Harry had a basic Idea or shell of what he wanted to do and it just came out.

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by evhan

So is this playing technique mostly premeditated/arranged, with arrangements put into memory before playing? Or is this the sort of thing that normal people can improvise?

i arrange the heads, to a point. they're sort of a "floating frame" that i can tweak on the fly as i go--insert single note lines, play in time or rubato, improvise off the melody, etc. I like to change things up each time I play 'em--it's jazz after all--and since when i do solo chord melody stuff i'm missing out on the oh-so-important aspect of interplay with other musicians, i like to improvise as much as possible to keep the music fresh.

so for the improv choruses, i'm truly improvising on the structure of the tune, using single note lines, block chords, stop-time--whatever. I'm digging into the 'ol bag of tricks, for sure. If I get lost--it's just back to the melody!

[mr. beaumont]

Originally Posted by derek

Each to his own of course. I posted the vids to give the extremes of the style. Not as big a JS fan, but love Van Eps, and think the recordings he did with Howard Alden are some of the best around.

of course, i didn't mean to get so opinionated-- i just can't shut up sometimes!

nothing knocking these cats--they're incredibly talented...just sometimes i think hearning them first does more to intimidate than inspire!

[derek]

Originally Posted by mr. beaumont

of course, i didn't mean to get so opinionated-- i just can't shut up sometimes!

nothing knocking these cats--they're incredibly talented...just sometimes i think hearning them first does more to intimidate than inspire!

Nothing wrong with opinionated, that is the point of such a forum. I didn't hear you knocking them, just like I wasn't knocking Johnny, we all have our preferences. They certainly can intimidate, no doubt.

I do think it is cool to see/hear what is possible though. I have yet to leave a stage of awe when listening/watching Joe do solo work.

[Johnny Z]

I think the first thing to do to learn chord melody is develope a good understanding of chord voicings. For example: Can you think of about 6 ways to play A7, each will sound different depending on the inversion. Learn as many ways to play every chord you know. Learn as many inside chords as you can, such as diminished, Major 7th, Aug 5th, use them as alternate chords for other related chords and develope your finger picking to follow the chord movements. It's not easy and it takes lots of time but it's worth it, I've been working on it for 30 years and still have more to learn.

[jpcdoran]

This is my first post. I’m not a great guitarist (just a slowly advancing one). Chord melody was a bit of a mystery to me, too. I could pick out a single note melody line on guitar. But I didn’t have a reliable way of choosing chords that would still make it sound like the melody.

I didn’t want to look at a lead sheet for chords, and try to fit melody notes on top of the chords given in that lead sheet.

I wanted some techniques I could process quickly, so I could strive to create chord melody riffs, myself, “on the fly”.

There are some chord and harmony rules that have allowed me to accomplish my goal.

First, the harmony rules: I’ve found that a basic chord melody arrangement can be created very quickly and reliably by placing melody notes on top of chords as either 3rds, 5ths or roots of the chords. Placing a melody note as the root of its own chord (ie a C note “on top” of a C chord) usually works well at the end of a melody line or phrase. In other cases melody notes can be effectively harmonized as the 3rd of a chord (using a chord form that places the 3rd on top). Trying the melody note as the 5th is another option that sometimes sounds better, sometimes not.

To implement this harmonic information, I learned how and where different basic chord forms (C-A-G-E-D) carried their 3rds, roots or 5ths on the top three strings.

I learned which chord form(s) carry their 3rds on the third string (the E/G-form); the second string (the A-form); and the first string (the D/C-forms).

I learned which chord forms carry their roots on the third string (G-form); the second string (the D/C-forms) and the first string (the G/E-forms).

I learned which chord forms carry their 5ths on the third string (D/C-forms ); the second string (the E-form) and the first string (the A-form)

I have arranged dozens and dozens of popular songs using this information. Do melody notes always end up as 3rds, 5ths or roots in my arrangements? Of course not—but they often start there, in my basic arrangement framework.

I have created and regularly practice “chord sets” that utilize melody notes as 3rds, etc, both along the fret board horizontally, and up the fret board (vertically).

I hope this information helps. Here are a few video lessons I have posted on Youtube…

YouTube - Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting...) Chord Melody Jazz Guitar Lesson by Joe Doran SeeDEGA Method

YouTube - Chord Melody Guitar Lesson - My Funny Valentine Medley - Part 1

[jpcdoran]

To follow up a bit more…

If you have a melody line, try to identify the melody notes by their place in the major scale (ie. recognize what is 1 or root note, what is the 2 note, the 3 note, etc.).

Placing melody notes as 3rds is just putting pairing a 5 note with a III chord, a 4 note with a II chord, a 6 note with a IV chord (melody note on top). I find harmonizing this way works really well for a lot of melody notes in a song.

For a change up, I might try harmonizing section of a song in 5ths instead of 3rds. For example, I’ll place a 6 melody note as part of a II chord instead of a IV chord (ie. as the 5th of a chord instead of the 3rd), etc.

As I said, this sort of thing is what I use to create a basic framework. Melody notes may end up as higher realm extensions, may be found in the middle of chords and at the bottom of chords. But for creating simple fast frameworks, the rule of “3rds, 5ths or roots” on top of chords works remarkably well for me.

[604bourne123]

hi; jpcdoran thanks for the post the videos explain it clearly and thanks for the publication its going to be great when i read it.

[artcore]

I'm not a young-in...but I would suggest getting a few good books with
cord melody arrangements..You'll find that playing arrangements will help
you catch on to what the arranger is doing to the tune....and what a cord melody is suppose to sound like...

[604bourne123]

as long as the melody note is on top who to say what other notes are the best for chord melody

[Jaffey]

Check out what Bill Frisell does on his instructional DVD. He takes Days of Wine and Roses and just starts with the melody. Period. Then he adds the bass notes to each melody note. So he has a scarce outline of the tune. he states that with just these two things, the chords are starting to get full. Maybe add one more note, the 3rd, 7th, and stay with that. I was never into the idea of playing a chord for each melody note. Rather use intervals or single notes. It gets too busy when harmonizing every...single...note in the melody. Think of what piano players do. They don't add a chord for each melody note. The left hand plays the bass note/chord, the right hand plays the melody. Simplify. Simplify.