Easy Guide to Chord Melody and Chord Soloing

**m78w** · 12-13-2016, 08:43 AM

Hey Everyone

Here's the discussion thread for our new eBook:

The Easy Guide To Chord Melody And Chord Soloing

check it out!

Matt

**inasurepace** · 12-13-2016, 04:13 PM

Hi, by the title, i've found it very interesting but would it be possible to post a sample or the index of it, just to understand what it explore?

**m78w** · 12-13-2016, 04:14 PM

Hey, yes we're putting that together for later this week, it'll be up shortly.

**inasurepace** · 12-13-2016, 04:16 PM

Nice! Thanks! The promotion will be up to when?

**m78w** · 12-13-2016, 04:16 PM

It's a week long, but we often extend it a few days since people get paid at the end of the week etc.

**NSJ** · 12-13-2016, 06:40 PM

OK, what the hell, I don't need it, but I bought it as a reference book. I'm curious to see where this pedagogy lies in the continuum between Martin Taylor's elegant root movement + guide tones + melody and Robert Conti's err, clumsy "plug and chug" chords

Downloading now.

I think you all should buy it as a way to support the site.

**NSJ** · 12-13-2016, 07:03 PM

OK, perused through the TOC. Wasn't what I expected. Looks like it covers a lot of territory and approaches. So no mere plug and chug, this, apparently.

**m78w** · 12-13-2016, 07:05 PM

Thanks for checking it out, yeah it's not a plug and play method, goes into a lot of different concepts with the ultimate goal of having the reader build their own chord melodies and solos by the end. Hope you enjoy it.

**NSJ** · 12-13-2016, 11:07 PM

Well I blew through the first 60 pages in no time. I was wondering why it started out so basic, but then I realized that there's about 5 billion plectrum picking threads on this site, and you can count all the entire P-I-M-A threads on your P-I-M-A.

It makes perfect sense why it starts out so basic, people have no clue how to properly use the fingers and that that has to be conditioned and built-up, step-by-step . What may be perceived as easy and basic is actually a very thorough way of learning to do it right, from the ground up.

**m78w** · 12-13-2016, 11:24 PM

Cheers, glad you liked the fundamentals. Yeah it's a new skill for many people, hybrid or fingerstyle, so it's worth shoring up on before going on to the trickier material later in the book.

**rob taft** · 12-14-2016, 06:39 PM

Originally Posted by NSJ

OK, what the hell, I don't need it, but I bought it as a reference book. I'm curious to see where this pedagogy lies in the continuum between Martin Taylor's elegant root movement + guide tones + melody and Robert Conti's err, clumsy "plug and chug" chords

Downloading now.

I think you all should buy it as a way to support the site.

I'm in the same boat. I went ahead and purchased. I don't need it either but I'm curious and I enjoy this website quite a bit so why not support it when it is something I enjoy i.e. chord melody. Besides what is one more book among dozens. If the amount of books one owned somehow equated to the amount of musical skill and talent, I'd be one serious bad @ss musician.

**rlrhett** · 12-15-2016, 12:56 AM

I have been in Martin Taylor's online school for almost a year, bought and carefully worked through both Conti books, and have done Vignola's two Trufire courses. Soon I might be able to fake my way through a solo jazz tune

Easy Guide to Chord Melody and Chord Soloing

. So what could this new book possibly add?...

Oh, who am I kidding? I know I'm going to buy this book too. Damn you Matt!!!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**m78w** · 12-15-2016, 09:33 AM

Thanks for checking it out! The book is designed to get your through your first solo tune, so hopefully it'll make a productive addition to your bookshelf.

**m78w** · 12-15-2016, 02:46 PM

We put together a preview of the book to check out if people are interested.

https://www.jazzguitar.be/store/file...%20PREVIEW.pdf

Cheers,
Matt

**rsantos11** · 12-15-2016, 03:46 PM

Just bought the book and it's my first purchase from this site.

I'm excited to dive in, but also a little nervous. Much of the beginning chapters focus on proper technique related to fingerstyle plucking, and all I've ever really used is a pick, so it's uncharted territory for me. We'll see how it goes but I'm hopefully optimistic. Every journey begins with a single step, and all that.

Also, I should add this is my first real exploration of jazz or jazz technique, so it's really a new beginning...

**va3ux** · 12-16-2016, 12:28 AM

Originally Posted by m78w

We put together a preview of the book to check out if people are interested.

https://www.jazzguitar.be/store/file...%20PREVIEW.pdf

Cheers,
Matt

I have to hand it you Matt : your teaching style is excellent. Step wise, methodical, lessons flow smoothly from one to the next, everything explained clearly. Nice job. I don't think it gets any better than this for self study.

And I will buy this.

**va3ux** · 12-16-2016, 12:31 AM

Originally Posted by rsantos11

Just bought the book and it's my first purchase from this site.

I'm excited to dive in, but also a little nervous. Much of the beginning chapters focus on proper technique related to fingerstyle plucking, and all I've ever really used is a pick, so it's uncharted territory for me. We'll see how it goes but I'm hopefully optimistic. Every journey begins with a single step, and all that.

Also, I should add this is my first real exploration of jazz or jazz technique, so it's really a new beginning...

There are lots of guitar players who use only a pick and no fingers at all. They can play chord melody just fine. But fingerstyle offers a whole lot more flexibility. And it is not hard to learn at all in my opinion. In fact it seems quite natural.

**matt.guitarteacher** · 12-16-2016, 11:55 AM

Originally Posted by va3ux

There are lots of guitar players who use only a pick and no fingers at all. They can play chord melody just fine. But fingerstyle offers a whole lot more flexibility. And it is not hard to learn at all in my opinion. In fact it seems quite natural.

Yup. Also, there's a big distinction between full on, complex classical right hand polyphony versus voicing block chords with fingers. It's actually probably a good intro to just getting the right hand going.

**mr. beaumont** · 12-16-2016, 12:04 PM

Yeah, I think there's enough benefits in pick, pick and fingers, and fingers only to work on all three. And I'm usually a guy who say versatility is overrated, but not here.

**m78w** · 12-16-2016, 12:12 PM

Thanks guys, glad you're digging the book, it was great working with Greg on this project, hope to do more like this in the future!

**ckrahenbill** · 12-16-2016, 07:55 PM

Bought the ebook yesterday after going through the free preview, worth every penny but I have bought all your ebooks. If it has easy in the title, it's for me. Excellent work!

Regards -

Cliff

**m78w** · 12-16-2016, 07:57 PM

thanks Cliff, glad you dig it. Enjoy the book!

**mrdouaire** · 12-17-2016, 05:18 PM

Thanks for the ebook, it's been great to start breaking down these techniques from the start.

Question - starting w/ Example 99 (on page 122) - What finger(s) should we be using to pick the top/melody notes? I'm trying to stick with hybrid picking which means at first it seems like I should be trying to use my pinky, but should I switch over to using my pick after the initial chord is plucked (including the 3rd & 7th)?

My apologies if this was covered earlier in the book, I might've easily overlooked it.

**NSJ** · 12-17-2016, 07:48 PM

It really is a fantastic and comprehensive book. Well done!

The fundamentals chapters reminded me why I having problems getting up to tempo on a line--because I was repeating a finger and not strictly alternating I-M, I-M (that can trip you up when you are integrating 8th notes and triplets, 2 note patterns and 3 note patterns). Really basic crap, but yeah, it's really important. Doh!