Chords + Melody:
How to Play Chord Melody On Guitar
It’s a lot of fun to play guitar, whether you’re playing accompaniment or lead. But one of my favorite things is to combine the two, playing the melody and chords at the same time. You can make a lot of music without having someone else to play with, and if you’re not in the mood to sing, you can let your guitar do it for you. You’re the whole band—bass player, rhythm player, lead player and vocalist!
I started playing chord melodies when I was 14 years old, and I haven’t stopped. I only had one guitar book, and it contained limited instruction. But it had Elizabeth Cotten’s version of Freight Train in it and, note by note, I worked it out.
Once I learned how to play the melody of a song on the upper strings while keeping an alternating bass on the lower ones, I was hooked. From that point, it was pretty easy to figure out how to use the same technique on other folk songs I liked.
Stepping it Up
Using those skills as a foundation, I was able to step up to playing some of my favorite Chet Atkins arrangements. Those great songs taught me how to move around the fretboard, incorporating barre and partial barre chords.
A few years later, I began creating my own chord melody arrangements of jazz standards, using extended chords and adding in single note improvisation. Chord melody shows up in almost everything I play, and I can’t imagine the guitar without it!
The Concept
Regardless of the style of playing you choose, the concept is the same: the melody is on the top, the chord is underneath that, and a bass line provides a foundation for it all. Once you start experimenting with that formula, the possibilities are endless.
Two Types
I’ve created two arrangements for you that demonstrate different ways to approach chord melody. If you learn one or both of them, you’ll be able to apply your skills to any song you like. If you prefer to start with a different song than the ones I’m presenting, I’m happy to help you with that, one-on-one.
The first song I recorded for you (Red River Valley) uses the approach I started with as a teenager, using fingerpicking and an alternating bass. It stays in the first position and uses simple chords that you already know. You can see me play it here.
The next one (Tennessee Waltz) uses three-string chords to create a chord melody that utilizes the entire fretboard. (Watch me play it here.) Don’t be intimidated by the amount or speed of movement. You probably already know most of the chord shapes for the 3-string chords, and it won’t take long to understand how to use them. And, since you’re not holding down all of the strings, you can move more quickly than you’re used to moving and with less effort. If you want more instruction on 3-string chords, you can find it in the course “3-String Magic” in the Virtual Studio.
Other Uses for Chord Melody
Even if you don’t want to play an entire instrumental song using chord melody, you can use it to create instrumental breaks on any song you sing or play. If you’ve ever taken lessons with me, you‘ve probably watched me create breaks or add melodic fragments between lines to add interest to your songs and strengthen your overall solo guitar performance. You can do that, too!
How to Do It
There are some skills you’ll want to have or review that will make playing chord melodies easier. (Please note that a lot of the links in this section point to the Virtual Studio. Don’t be scared to sign up—It’s free for the first 30 days, and you can learn a lot within that time frame. You can leave after your free trial, but if you decide to stay—and there are plenty of reasons to!—you’ll only be billed $9.95/month with no obligation.)
The first step in learning to play chord melody on a song is to learn the chords. If you need to brush up on first position chords, take a few minutes to do that. Then practice the song using a strumming or fingerpicking pattern until you’re comfortable with it.
After you can play the chords in one position, explore other positions. If you’re rusty on barre chords, go back and review them.
You’ll also want to know how to play the melody on the first two strings and play it in several positions. If you can’t figure it out by ear, look for a lead sheet that provides notation for both chords and melody. You may need to play the melody an octave higher than it’s written, in order to get it on the top two strings.
Finally, it’s helpful (although not essential) to be comfortable with simple bass lines. As you progress, you’ll enjoy creating more sophisticated lines of your own.
Try It—You’ll Love It!
Watch the videos and think of songs you want to play using chord melody. It’s a great addition to your playing, and you can learn to do it! And, as always, let me know if you need help.
This free e-book contains lead sheets (melody, chords, and lyrics) for 20 great songs. I put them in keys that are easy for guitar players to play and created lead sheets (melody, chords, and lyrics) for each one. I even included a brief history and
links to inspiring performances of each song! Get your free copy here!
