Martin Taylor Chord Melody Lesson – Melodies in 10ths on the Sixth String

Chord Melody is a big subject, but it can be broken down into some important basic elements. The first is how to add melody to chord fragments.

In this lesson we will play the G Major scale in 10ths and add melodic movement. This is the beginning of my style of chord melody. Don’t worry too much about the fingering of the following examples. Just go with what works. It will, of course, be beneficial to play through the following examples using a different finger to play the bass (root) note. But if you are comfortable, and can control the notes in the upper voice, then that is good enough for now.

Let’s dive in and begin by playing up the chord scale of G Major with the root on the sixth (E) string. The 10th is played on the third (G) string. Here’s an ascending idea that adds simple decoration to the 10th.

Chord Melody Example 2a:

Next, let’s play that idea descending.

Example 2b:

Here’s another ascending idea that adds a simple step-wise melody to the 10th:

Example 2c:

Now play it descending the neck.

Example 2d:

The following idea is more intricate.

Example 2e:

I advise you to explore as many possibilities as you can find with this type of movement on the 10th.

This lesson is a tiny sample of my best-selling book, Martin Taylor, Beyond Chord Melody.

It’s available now on Amazon.