In this blog post we will be talking about something that I personally think is really cool - chord melody! This technique is also its own style, and although closely associated with jazz, it does not have to be so.
Let me preface this post by explaining that I am not a highly-skilled chord melody player, there are others more talented than me in this area, but I will share what I have and promote some of my favorite players in this style.
What Is Chord Melody?
A chord melody is when a melody is represented with the higher notes of a series of chords. The chords to use are open to interpretation and the harmonic rhythm is not set in stone, meaning you could create something really intense, or really simple, for the same melody.
Due to the seemingly limitless possibilities, you can find some really unique arrangements that change to a different key, or change the feel of the song entirely! Let us look at some examples.
“One can pick out melody notes that are contained in the accompanying chord, it is just a matter of scanning through your chord vocabulary until you find an appropriate voicing that will fill your need.” (Jody Fisher, 2013)
Learning An Example
I encourage you to check out the YouTube short linked below, where I put something together over the melody for ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’ - I have found it much more accessible starting with simple melodies like this and other nursery rhymes, rather than aiming for something ambitious from the outset.
Firstly, I would recommend you play the melody in many different ways, along one string, across strings and as many different options as you can - having good fretboard knowledge will help here! Everyone can play the melody for ‘Twinkle Twinkle’, but I would like to suggest you learn the fingering I settled on below:
Now the task is to find chords where the highest note is the same as the one in the melody. You do not have to change the chord every time, and I think it should be clear that the regular, open position chords will not be fully sufficient in this scenario. You will need to know lots of different inversions and voicings!
Have a look below for the tabs and chords that I settled on in this scenario. Remember, this is one option of an endless number of choices.
If you attempt this, try to make sure you try and let each of the chords ring out until you move on to the next chord. Also, a chord melody arrangement is often played as a solo artist, so you can let the time flow in and out - this is called rubato and you do not need to play strictly in time with a metronome etc. Check out the link below for the final product, and what it should sound like!
Some Prominent Players
There are some fantastic players that really excel in this area, and this would be a great time to introduce them to you if you were not familiar already.
Jody Fisher - By The Time I Get To Phoenix (Glen Cambell)
I have studied Jody Fisher’s educational material extensively, and he is a master at this craft. Check out this amazing performance of an already great song by the late Glen Cambell. Just listen to those chords and the heavenly harmonics!
Joe Pass - When You Wish Upon A Star
Joe Pass is recognised as one of the most influential and talented chord-melody solo guitarists that ever lived. This performance is a heavily arranged, extremely ‘Joe Pass’ version of the 1940s Disney song ‘When You Wish Upon A Star’. Notice the ebbs and flows in the speed, the dynamics, the way each voicing is connected with motifs and not always as complicated as he could have made it - a true legend!
Check out Ryan’s blog post about Joe Pass here:
Giorgio Serci - Somewhere Over The Rainbow
Ok… I will admit that maybe I am slightly biased here, but Giorgio definitely deserves to be on this list, and at the top of many others besides! Not only is he a world-class musician and guitarist of the highest order, but one of the loveliest guys you could ever meet.
This performance has some advanced harmony and techniques, but that does not take away from the beautiful arrangement that it is. There are many other arrangements of his that are exemplary - not to mention the arrangement of ‘Always With Me’ by Yumi Kimura 木村 弓 (the ending song from the 2001 Studio Ghibli classic ‘Spirited Away’) he did for me that my wife walked down the aisle to as we got married. He was also one of my principal lecturers at university.
How to Improve Your Skills
There are many things you can do to improve your chord melody skills. Here are some of my top tips!
Expand Your Chord Knowledge
Do not settle for learning simple open chords, barre chords and rudimentary seventh shapes. Try to learn as many shapes as you can from the E, A and D strings at a minimum. You can then look at inversion of those chords over various string sets and different shell voicings also.
Check out the American Guitar Academy’s YouTube Channel for loads of great chord and scale resources!
Listen
Listen to as much of this style as you can. The three players in the list above would be a great start, but there is an amazing world of players out there, ready for listening. Try to forget all preconceived ideas about jazz and everything else - just listen. Try to appreciate the technical requirements as well as the theoretical ones - you do not need to be a theory genius to make an impact!
Fingers Vs Pick
If you are typically found playing with a plectrum, experiment with using your fingers and vice versa. Certain chord voicings might be messy, or nearly impossible unless you use your fingers. On the other hand, lots of scales and melodies can be tricky to play with your fingers unless you have experience in that area.
Scales and Melodies
I mentioned this earlier, but make sure you learn many melodies and play them in as many different permutations as you can. The same goes for scales, it will help you unlock new pathways in your playing anyway, but also help visualize how you can combine the melody with whatever chord voicings that you decide to use.
Start Simple
Do not overcomplicate straight away - nursery rhymes as mentioned earlier, basic scales and simple rhythms.Yes, you should expand your knowledge in order to improve, but you do not need to jump in the deep end straight away, or improvise a masterpiece like Jody Fisher from day one - take your time!
Final Thoughts
Just when you think you have heard everything there is to know about guitar, each of the minute sub-genres, of which chord melody and solo guitar I consider an important component, throws something out to surprise you. There really is something for everyone if you have the mind to go and look for it, and creating your own masterpiece is easier than you might think!
Even if you are not interested in composing chord melody performances for solo guitar, that is fine! There should be no expectations, however, you should familiarize yourself with the concept to help with songwriting for a bigger ensemble. You have written a vocal melody, what are the absolute best voicings to choose? This can help you. You have been handed a lead sheet with some chord names and a melody, the onus is on you to provide the best and most appropriate performance you can? Chord melody wins again.
If you would like some extra instruction on the idea of chord melody playing, solo guitar or anything else, then mention it to your teacher or get in touch with the American Guitar Academy and they will set you on the right path!
Alex
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