Best songs to get started with chord melody

**LaVonne** · 07-09-2016, 11:26 AM

I'm looking for a few song suggestions suitable for learning chord melody technique. I'm not looking for arrangements but rather songs that are good for learning the method. I'm assuming I should be looking for songs that are fairly rich in chords but with a fairly simple melody, at least to get started. Also any papers or books would be helpful. I'm pretty good with chords and can read notation but want to put the pieces together.

Thanks

**ronjazz** · 07-09-2016, 11:56 AM

Play songs you like. Nobody else can tell you what songs to play.

**targuit** · 07-09-2016, 12:50 PM

So many wonderful songs. Some are easier to integrate the melody and harmony smoothly than others. An excellent choice to focus on for chord melody would be a song beloved by so many. Over The Rainbow by H. Arlen. Fascinating because it plays so well in most any key. I like the key of C, but really whatever your heart desires.

Another lovely song rendered as chord melody is Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust. Once again, lends itself to most any key. Nat King Cole favored G. Lays well in the key of C, A, D..... beautiful song that is a favorite of many.

What are your favorites, LaVonne? Let's talk about what you wish to play?

**targuit** · 07-09-2016, 01:02 PM

As Time Goes By

All the things you are

My Funny Valentine

Isn't It Romantic

This Is All I Ask

My Romance

My Foolish Heart

But Beautiful

Fly Me to the Moon

Moon River

The list is long....

**eh6794** · 07-09-2016, 02:50 PM

Do a song you are extremely familiar with like Happy BDay or a TV show theme. I bet you can make the cheesiest tune sound amazing!

**targuit** · 07-09-2016, 03:21 PM

Well, if you want a classic TV show, how about the theme for Mash? That was a 'gimme' guitar version song - Suicide Is Painless, or something like that.

**eh6794** · 07-09-2016, 04:32 PM

I was just listening to a great Bill Evans version. Apparently he played it often before he died.

**jayv999** · 07-09-2016, 05:29 PM

Hunt around in the TedGreene.com "Arrangements" section (also check out the "From Students" section) for some notation and/or chord grid diagrams of songs. There's a lot to choose from - some difficult, some "easier."

TedGreene.com - Teachings - Arrangements

TedGreene.com - Teachings - From Students

Good luck!

**LaVonne** · 07-09-2016, 05:48 PM

Thanks for the great suggestions. I now have a lot of great ideas.

**Al Br.** · 07-19-2016, 11:46 AM

To take it a step further, where can one find those songs written out in chord melody format. I'm at the very beginning basics end of learning C-M. Tried to work out an arrangement to Ain't misbehaving. Two bars in and lost.
If I can see a few written out I can get a better idea of how it works.

**matt.guitarteacher** · 07-19-2016, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by Al Br.

I'm at the very beginning basics end of learning C-M. Tried to work out an arrangement to Ain't misbehaving. Two bars in and lost.

Which part in particular is giving you trouble? Honestly, if you asked for some specific help , might be great thread material. Just saying.

**Al Br.** · 07-19-2016, 07:54 PM

Sorry Matt, hard question to answer. Looking at the melody line I don't know what chords out of a given grouping to use, and when. I've been using Richard Conti's books and yours and Dirks examples but am at a loss. Don't know what to add, when to use a 4 note or shell chord. That's why I was asking about CM in written out form like the Satin Doll lesson you and/or Dirk has done. Just would like to see it a bit more complete.
I know I'm not getting the message across to clearly but it's not a black and white clear cut problem.

**matt.guitarteacher** · 07-20-2016, 12:28 AM

Originally Posted by Al Br.

Sorry Matt, hard question to answer. Looking at the melody line I don't know what chords out of a given grouping to use, and when. I've been using Richard Conti's books and yours and Dirks examples but am at a loss. Don't know what to add, when to use a 4 note or shell chord. That's why I was asking about CM in written out form like the Satin Doll lesson you and/or Dirk has done. Just would like to see it a bit more complete.
I know I'm not getting the message across to clearly but it's not a black and white clear cut problem.

thank you, brother, but that's another matt not me... Conti has a lot of song arrangements in addition to the how-to method. There are other books of arrangements you can find as well....

But figuring out how to solve the problems, like the ones you're talking about, is where the real good stuff is. That's where I learned the most, honestly. The songs have all of the answers. You can certainly do simpler songs as well. Ain't misbehaving isn't necessarily the simplest one to start. I'd think most of the problems in it are more phrasing problems than "what to play".

Again, I'd love to see you post a little something of what you've got so far and describe where the problem is . I think that would be jazz guitar forum thread gold honestly. I think you have a lot of people interested in it and get a lot of input. Just think about it.

**Al Br.** · 07-20-2016, 08:52 AM

Sorry, I thought you were Matt W. my bad. As for posting a video, I am not set up for it.

**christianm77** · 07-20-2016, 09:09 AM

All the Things You Are works very naturally as a CM piece, due to the melody being largely on the thirds of the chords.

**targuit** · 07-20-2016, 09:13 AM

One thing that is a lot of fun and instructive is play ATTYA through several transpositions to varied keys. For example, Sinatra sang this song in the key of Dm. But it is a great exercise to play it in a variety of keys.

**Max405** · 07-20-2016, 10:13 AM

Originally Posted by targuit

So many wonderful songs. Some are easier to integrate the melody and harmony smoothly than others. An excellent choice to focus on for chord melody would be a song beloved by so many. Over The Rainbow by H. Arlen. Fascinating because it plays so well in most any key. I like the key of C, but really whatever your heart desires.

Another lovely song rendered as chord melody is Hoagy Carmichael's Stardust. Once again, lends itself to most any key. Nat King Cole favored G. Lays well in the key of C, A, D..... beautiful song that is a favorite of many.

What are your favorites, LaVonne? Let's talk about what you wish to play?

Targuit,
That's 2 of my favs right there. Another is "Here's that Rainy Day".
JD

**Roland Jacknuts** · 08-18-2016, 08:41 PM

Lavonne,
I've found that "A Nightingale Sang on Berkeley Square" and "My One and Only Love" are very easily adapted to chord melody, besides having very simple and beautiful melodies.

**MarkRhodes** · 08-19-2016, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by ronjazz

Play songs you like. Nobody else can tell you what songs to play.

That's great advice. Your first chord melody may take awhile but you'll probably remember it (perhaps vaguely) the rest of your life. You want that to be a tune you really like, one that matters to you. One you'll want to come back to.

**blackraven** · 08-19-2016, 10:01 AM

1. All The Things You Are
2. Summertime
3. Autumn Leaves
4. The shadow of your smile
5. Blue Bossa

**Nate Miller** · 08-19-2016, 10:20 AM

Originally Posted by christianm77

All the Things You Are works very naturally as a CM piece, due to the melody being largely on the thirds of the chords.

All the Things You Are was the first chord melody I learned when I was a kid. It is a good one. The melody is in quarter notes, harmonic rhythm is pretty much one chord per bar...it really doesn't get much easier

**targuit** · 08-19-2016, 10:49 AM

ATTYA - do you have a preferred key to play in? In the real book they usually have Fmin, but for Sinatra style vocals I prefer the key of Dmin. Either way a beautiful song.

Lately I like to approach certain composers if they are prolific to compare their individual styles. For example, Jimmy Van Heusen songs. Jerome Kern. Tom Jobim. .... I was just reworking arrangements of But Beautiful in the key of D and Polka Dots and Moonbeams.

Love the Van Heusen song catalogue.

**Nate Miller** · 08-19-2016, 10:54 AM

Originally Posted by targuit

ATTYA - do you have a preferred key to play in? In the real book they usually have Fmin, but for Sinatra style vocals I prefer the key of Dmin. Either way a beautiful song.

four flats...the Real Book key. Mingus's band did it in Csharp and called the track "All The Things You can See Sharp"

I can appreciate the exercise of playing it in different keys, but I just play it in 4 flats. there is a classic intro and outro that we do in my trio, and I like the bridge having a big fat open A string underneath it to kick things off.