Solo Arrangements

DMatthewsBand07 · #1 03-17-2008, 05:17 AM

So I love organizing my own chord melody arrangements for songs. I was wondering if anyone had any ideas about ways to embellish a chord melody arrangement. Really I guess just any personal preferences or favorite ways of putting things together. I guess I'm just looking for some fresh ideas.

mr. beaumont · #2 03-17-2008, 09:06 AM

one thing i definitely like to do is step thru a few different voicings of a chord on a longer note to get some movement in the bass...

single note lines played between melodic statements can be cool...just don't overdo 'em.

play with the register of the melody...take it low for the first time thru, then bring it up the neck.

use movement within chords on longer notes...a good one (almost becoming a cliche' in my playing) is over a minor chord to hold the melody note up top and step down inside the chord from the root, to the maj7th (giving you a m/maj7 sound) to the flat seventh to the sixth for a minor sixth sound, or for the third if the dominant follows...wow, that makes it sound really complicated...it's not.

i think the most important thing is to always make sure the melody is most important in the arrangement...i've seen guys do some impressive stuff, but the melody gets lost...when i hear a master do it (yeah, joe pass, but IMHO, bucky pizzarelli, ted greene, gene bertoncini, barry galbraith (check out his books!) joe diorio and even wes are the cats to really listen to...)

for all that wes could do, his chord melodies (far too few of them recorded...) really "breathe." when i hear him do "i've grown accustomed to her face" or "while we're young" and hear his thumb brush those strings, i'm reminded again of how much the man meant to the music...

Goofsus4 · #3 03-17-2008, 09:20 AM

If I understand your question right, then there are a couple of things that I do, that are basically just variations of the same theme. During full bar rests you often see where you could linger on a chord, I try to construct little fill runs up or down to target notes that harmonize with that chord, but are not the actual melody note that the chord implies at the time. If the chord I'm holding is a full voicing with some nice tones in it, I'll often just pick some kind of arpeggio out of that grip and just let the notes ring. If it is a boring voicing, I'll do a run to get to a more interesting target note that embellishes the melody. I think about what I'd do if I were playing lead guitar while someone else was comping at that point - what would I feel like adding. It would usually be a little run, so that's what I try to incorporate into my solo-chord melody playing too. But I find it very hard to do that sometimes and then immediately come out of single-note mode and grab a chord voicing again. But that's because I'm still a newbie at chord melody.

derek · #4 03-17-2008, 09:47 AM

I can think of three things I do pretty regularly. First is, after playing thru the changes with the melody line, next time thru I will play the melody the same, but then alter the chord so the melody is not in it. So, if the chord you use is a D7#5, and the #5 is the melody note, I might play a D9 or D13, or D7#5#9 instead. I keep the same chord, but change up the extentions.

I will keep the single note melody going, but change up the chords, so Cmaj7 becomes Cmaj7#11, etc. The next thing I do is kinda what Mr. B was talking about, a call and response with the melody. Tunes usually have a series of phrases that have a definite beginning and end. After each of these phrases in the melody, I play a single note response to it. Makes for a cool effect.

The last thing is to comp thru the tune using walking basslines. This is a fairly easy thing to do, and one can do it using just the 7th chord shell voicings that Dirk has up, and then just fill in notes in between. There are lots of books out there that teach this concept, and here is a youtube vid that does so. BTW, if you do check out Kevin's lesson, be sure and check out some of his chord melody tunes, he is a wonderful player. Good luck

YouTube - Jazz guitar - walking bass lesson

Goofsus4 · #5 03-17-2008, 02:17 PM

Ah, yes, "call and response." That's what I was trying to say with my bit about thinking of a little fill that I would play if I were playing lead while another was comping. Maybe it's because I played and listened to so much blues when I began playing, but when I hear a melodic phrase, my mind immediately creates a responding phrase. That is probably my most used embellishment technique. But, like Mr. Beaumont said, you can definitely overuse this. Another thing I do, that gives an interesting effect while holding a chord is to slide my pinky into a tension note and back while doing a strum. For example, I might play an Amin7, and as I strum it, add the 4th sliding into the flat 5th and back quickly. I use that a lot in funky/bluesy stuff, and it definitely gives an outside flavor.

DMatthewsBand07 · #6 03-18-2008, 05:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by derek

The last thing is to comp thru the tune using walking basslines. This is a fairly easy thing to do, and one can do it using just the 7th chord shell voicings that Dirk has up, and then just fill in notes in between. There are lots of books out there that teach this concept, and here is a youtube vid that does so. BTW, if you do check out Kevin's lesson, be sure and check out some of his chord melody tunes, he is a wonderful player. Good luck

YouTube - Jazz guitar - walking bass lesson

thanks man great video. really helpful.

derek · #7 03-18-2008, 10:52 AM

No prob, glad to help. I am in the same boat, getting tired of playing the same arrangements weekly, and looking for small and large ways of breaking out of the routine, and make it sound more like jazz.

This, rather than playing set arrangements that feature jazz chords. Frankly I find chord melody the most rewarding and exciting way to play. I do like playing with others, and the dynamic of making things happen together, but there is just something about being the whole band yourself and making it work.

DMatthewsBand07 · #8 03-18-2008, 05:15 PM

yea i agree. i really think that when you're on your own chord melody's the most complete way to practice. obviously it can't replace other kinds of practice but you get in some technique stuff if you're strict with your fingerings and everything, you get practice finding and grabbing chord voicings. It even gets the single note stuff if you try some improv. Sort of covers all your bases if you ask me.

jazzalta · #9 03-18-2008, 07:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DMatthewsBand07

yea i agree. i really think that when you're on your own chord melody's the most complete way to practice. obviously it can't replace other kinds of practice but you get in some technique stuff if you're strict with your fingerings and everything, you get practice finding and grabbing chord voicings. It even gets the single note stuff if you try some improv. Sort of covers all your bases if you ask me.

I agree. All my practicing is functional, i.e. part of a tune. If it can't fit into songs I'm doing, I don't practice it.

yorg · #10 03-19-2008, 08:08 PM

hi guys,
i agree with DMathewsBand07 and jazzalta,i dont use time practicing what i'm not going to play,Not enough time to play as it is.
cheers!

Goofsus4 · #11 03-20-2008, 09:29 AM

I am mixed on this idea of only practicing what you play. I used to do that, but lately I've begun to force myself to practice things just for the sake of practicing. For example, I'll take the time to sit down and play inversions of various chords up and down the neck, or play chords at random, then identify and play the full scale in which the chord tones reside. I noticed that when I started doing that, it quickly improved my ability to play a new song.

It's just like in sports. Yes, you will improve just by playing the sport itself, but not as fast as if you spend some time drilling on movement or technique-specific exercises.

jazzalta · #12 03-20-2008, 11:06 AM

Whatever floats your boat I guess. To me it saves a lot of time and if some of it is difficult, I may just concentrate on the technique aspect enough to bring it up to a level where it can be played within the tune. Of course I'm not a young man anymore, and time is a little more precious perhaps.

DMatthewsBand07 · #13 03-20-2008, 11:18 AM

Yeah, I wasn't saying I don't practice scales and arpeggios. I actually spend more time with technique than I should. I just mean if you don't have much time to practice in a give day, the chord melody can really cover a lot of ground.

Goofsus4 · #14 03-20-2008, 11:31 AM

I understood exactly what you meant, Dave, and agree 100%. The knowledge you build from harmonizing your own, or any melody, is definitely a comprehensive learning tool. I am more interested in improvisation and original music than in learning standards or other people's songs (although I do that as well). I used to learn a song by practicing it relentlessly, only to learn that when I quit playing it, I'd forget it, and didn't really learn all that much from it. BUT, then I began to go back and identify everything that was going on in the song, from the intervals that the melody represented, to how the chord progression cycled in terms of scale harmony (ii, V, I, etc.). Then I began to actually learn something from playing songs. But still, I find harmonizing melodies on my own is by far the most enriching training device. If I figure it out on my own, I rarely forget it, and can immediately apply it in my improvisational playing.

jazzalta · #15 03-20-2008, 03:23 PM

My goal as a young person, after hearing Joe Pass, was to be able to read off a lead sheet and harmonize on the spot, even tunes I didn't know + be able to add fills etc. I've accomplished that and much more. I guess what I'm trying to say is I've done the theory, scales, modes, etc. Anything I learn new (the odd lick or chord) must fit in tunes that I know. After I learn it, I change or morph it into something else usually, and move on. Not saying there isn't a place for intense practicing; I've just been there, done that.

yorg · #16 03-22-2008, 07:20 PM

hey guy's,maybe it's more about age than practice.as i get older[i'm 58]
i much prefer to play than practice.'cos i sure practiced a lot when i were a young 'un,but that was as a bassist.I've only been learning jazz guitar for about ten years,i bought a six string and amp in the 60's,and finally got round to them in the 90's.at least i didn't have to fork out dosh for vintage gear,i had them in the cupboard!
cheers