Looking for a good chord melody intermediate book

[Hans Solo]

Hi guys and gals, I am in the market for a good intermediate guitar book with the typical "50 best songs you need to play"

My problem with almost all of them on the market is that they give no examples of their songs which would let me know if they are either too elementary or too extreme for my ability.

Very few seem to have ring binding and I know from experience how hard it is to keep a book open on a music stand.

Does anyone out there have any suggestions on a chord melody book that would fit my needs?

Thanks, Hans

[Mick-7]

Did you look at Jeff Arnold's book(s)? Luke Skywalker liked it so you may too.

Possible Jazz Ballads by Jeff Arnold Study Group - Who's In??

[Hans Solo]

Mick-7, Thanks for the reply and all the information. So much to go through it will take me some time to go over it all and find just what I am looking for at the moment. I am an intermediate player having just gotten into jazz after 50 years of playing Classical, rock and lately looking for jazz solos I can sing and play during my weekly gig at a dining room. I have been taking Jens larsons jazz courses online and it has made my intro into the jazz world a pleasant experience. I am really enjoying putting together jazz solos of the songs I really like but would like more to choose from. Jeff's books look like a good choice just have to pick one that is in the intermediate range. Just as an example of my progress so far, I am learning the song " Affirmation", George Benson arrangement at this time, and I will be able to play the whole song in a few more weeks. I am playing an Ibanez LGB30, a Eastman

AR503ce and a D'Angellico Excel Exl-1 and an Ibanez 1983 AM205 super edition. So far the George benson LGB30 and D'Angelico Excel Exl-1 are my favorites, comfy and fast necks, use them with either a Fender blues Junior or Roland -22.
Hope to hear from you again and would like to know what you are playing.
Hans

[Mick-7]

I am not encouraging piracy but frankly many chord melody books can be found online for free. You could check them out and see if they suit your needs, and if they do, support the authors by buying them or the authors other books. For example, Jeff Arnold has published a few chord melody books besides the one we used in the chord melody study group.

I have found the following books online [although I haven't even looked at most of them]:
Jazz Classics for Solo Guitar by Robert Yelen; Jazz Guitar Chord Melodies for Solo Guitar by Dan Towey; Chord Melody Phrases for Guitar by Ron Eschete; Bill Evans Collection for Solo Guitar by Greg Stone; and Howard Roberts Chord Melody Guitar Manual.
And I imagine many more books can be found.

I prefer to compose my own chord melodies, I usually learn better that way, but I do borrow ideas from others, e.g., Barry Galbraith, whose arrangements we've been playing in a study group we have going. His arrangements tend to be advanced but some are not.

[alltunes]

Not 50 only a few but I like this book because the author explains his arrangement process. Also the accompanying audio is enjoyable to listen to. As mentioned coming up with your own arrangements is where the fun and learning is at.

Berklee Jazz Standards for Solo Guitar - Berklee Press.

[Hans Solo]

Thanks for the information Alltunes, It looks like what I am after. I do my own solo chord arrangements now but also like watching youtube videos to get more ideas from better players than myself. The more I learn the more fun I am having playing jazz.
Hans

[alltunes]

Hi Hans

I whole heartedly recommend you buy one of Barry Greene’s videos where he does a chord melody arrangement.
Single video is about 20 bucks. You could either download it or watch it forever in his app, which is very nice by the way. Maybe he has done a song that you particularly like already? Regardless every one of his videos teaches you how and why he develops his arrangements and you can use his techniques for any song. He has one particular lesson called “ how I create chord melodies”where he demonstrates the song polkadots and moonbeams regardless they’re all good. The Joe Pass Solo guitar one is also jam packed with info using the tune Days of Wine and Roses as the basis. Barry is one of the best teachers out there in my opinion.

Chord Melody Lessons - Barry Greene Video Lessons

[Mick-7]

I whole heartedly recommend you buy one of Barry Greene’s videos where he does a chord melody arrangement.

I don't agree, he uses many uncommon and difficult to play chords, if you want complexity, you may as well just proceed to greener grass - Ted Greene.

[alltunes]

I don't agree, he uses many uncommon and difficult to play chords, if you want complexity, you may as well just proceed to greener grass - Ted Greene.

Interesting….on the Barry videos I bought have lots of standard grips….drop 2s etc but yes some tough ones often because he has a nice bass line going. I usually just dumb down anything super tough to something I can handle that often means neglecting the bass line at times

But I like how Barry keeps hammering home reharm techniques…dominant approach, back cycling, diatonic approach etc.

A sample lesson

[nyc chaz]

Stan Ayeroff is very good for solo guitar. He has a couple of books that are out of print but you may find used online.Currently he has 2 books on Mel Bay.The second one https://www.melbay.com/Products/3122...olume-two.aspx has some excellent arrangements and there are are examples shown to determine if they are at your skill level.Also they are 30 percent off this week.

[Mick-7]

I had a trial subscription to Barry Greene's site, liked some of his ideas but found his chord melody style to be too harmonically dense. I've been tending towards a more austere style.

For example, here are the first two bars of his intro for Body and Soul:

[James W]

I am fond of and can recommend Bill Hart's book Solo Jazz Guitar - The Complete Chord Melody Method.