The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
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  1. #1

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    There must have been threads on this before, but couldn't find any when I searched.
    Does anyone know of any video lessons out there with tips on how to play solos in a chord melody arrangement?

    I noticed these two on Barry Greene's site:
    Soloing Without Accompaniment - Topic Driven - Barry Greene Video Lessons
    Harmonizing Solo'''s (4 on 6 and Blues) - Topic Driven - Barry Greene Video Lessons

    Anyone watched either of these?
    Any other recommedations?

    I'm guessing Tim Lerch probably covers this somewhere among his many videos?

    At the moment I either end up working out an arranged solo in advance or, if improvising, I end up just playing single notes which sounds way too sparse coming after a full chord-melody head. Or I resort to comping, the most convincing sounding option of the bunch, which is what I would probably do if someone held a gun to my head and ordered me to play a solo chord melody gig.
    Last edited by Matt Milton; 06-14-2020 at 05:06 AM.

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    The Jazz Guitar Chord Dictionary
     
  3. #2

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    Try playing a chord on beat 1 of each bar, then a few simple melody notes after it. Use notes that are available in or around the chord shape. This is basically what Joe Pass said he did, in his ‘solo guitar’ video. Keep doing it long enough and eventually it gets easier, and you will probably find you can fit more chords in (e.g. on beats 1 and 3).

    I think a lot of the problem is that we either play chords (comping) or solos. Combining the two is just not something we practise enough. You’ll probably find you keep losing your place in the tune, or forgetting what the next chord is, but you just have to persevere.

    As you suspected, Tim Lerch did a good video on this. He’s also started a truefire course (I believe) about this whole subject.

    Tim Lerch - Improvising Solo Guitar - Lesson - YouTube
    Last edited by grahambop; 06-14-2020 at 08:38 AM.

  4. #3

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    Christian did one too:


  5. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by grahambop
    As you suspected, Tim Lerch did a good video on this. He’s also started a truefire course (I believe) about this whole subject.

    Tim Lerch - Improvising Solo Guitar - Lesson - YouTube
    This course covers a lot of relevant material: Solo Jazz Pathways: Chordal Improv - Tim Lerch - Guitar Lessons - TrueFire

  6. #5

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    also check out: Robert Conti - The Formula.

    Ll.

  7. #6

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    You should probably ignore advice from someone at my skill level, but I’ll offer some anyway.

    If you’re a fingerstyle player, you might start by improvising with just bass and treble voices. Those are the most important voices, and if you can make make them swinging and fluid you could almost stop there.Try making the bass lines melodic with chromatic approaches, etc. as a good bass player might do.

    I tend to improvise the top voice more from the viewpoint of melodic devices instead of scales—focused more on arpeggios with chromatic approaches and enclosures than scales. Since arpeggios are imbedded in a strong melody the harmony is already there. But add a couple of chord tones in between and it gets richer.

    The above is my spin from some of the lessons, clinics and videos on melodic improvisation I’ve found most useful over the years, especially from Tim Lerch, Mimi Fox, Mordy Ferber, and Martin Taylor.

  8. #7

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    Hi, M,
    I've always believed in the organic approach. You begin with a written melody. You look at the chord changes. Then you allow YOUR OWN CREATIVITY to wander--playing with melody lines, chord substitutions. Then, irrespective of playing level, put YOUR stamp on the music--not your teacher or some YouTube Guru. You'll find, over time, that your composition will continue to morph as your ears and experience grows. It's a great gauge for your personal growth as a performer/musician.
    Good playing . . . Marinero

  9. #8

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    the TedGreene.com site has alot of chord melody info...and lots of chord construction/progressions and melodic development exercises which are
    very useful in the application of chord melody playing

  10. #9

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    Quote Originally Posted by grahambop
    Try playing a chord on beat 1 of each bar, then a few simple melody notes after it. Use notes that are available in or around the chord shape. This is basically what Joe Pass said he did, in his ‘solo guitar’ video. Keep doing it long enough and eventually it gets easier, and you will probably find you can fit more chords in (e.g. on beats 1 and 3).

    I think a lot of the problem is that we either play chords (comping) or solos. Combining the two is just not something we practise enough. You’ll probably find you keep losing your place in the tune, or forgetting what the next chord is, but you just have to persevere.

    As you suspected, Tim Lerch did a good video on this. He’s also started a truefire course (I believe) about this whole subject.
    I’ll second the recommendation for Tim Lerch. I’ve had a number of private lessons with him over the years and have attended about ten of his clinics (the most recent last weekend). He’s a great player, great teacher, and is very approachable and sensitive to what students are ready for. He’s been generous creating videos for youtube and facebook. He’s now an instructor with TruFire and just released his latest lesson series. He’s also a member of this forum.
    Tim Lerch | Taste, Tone and Telecasters
    Last edited by KirkP; 06-15-2020 at 06:36 PM.

  11. #10

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    In addition to Tim Lerch, also check out Chris Whiteman. He has a lot of great solo guitar videos on youtube that clearly show his guitar and make for good transcription work. I think he also sells sheet music of some of his transcriptions, does Skype lessons, etc.

  12. #11

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    Yes, I have tons of such lessons, here is a sample, solo jazz guitar lesson - how to play bebop lines - chord substitutions - walking bass and more!


  13. #12

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    Jens Larsen has quite a number of free lessons on his site for CM/solo guitar chord soloing. So does Matt Warnock. I've been spending a lot of time with both of these sites as I find them to be the best in explaining/demonstrating techniques. The fact that these video/PDF lessons are free is extremely generous on their part. I always try to find ways to support artists that are so generous with their knowledge. Just my experience.

  14. #13

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    Quote Originally Posted by Matt Milton
    There must have been threads on this before, but couldn't find any when I searched.
    Does anyone know of any video lessons out there with tips on how to play solos in a chord melody arrangement?
    Right here, folks:


  15. #14

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    There are some Martin Taylor vids around, and he teaches through Artistworks.com