Basic Chord Melody - Adding Melody To Your Open Chords

Chords don't always have to involve static blocks of harmony. By introducing melodic lines into our guitar chord playing, we can create something far more unique and intricate.

This lesson starts with the chords most of us learn as beginners - open position chords down at the first few frets.

All we do is use a combination of our free fingers and open string notes to weave melody around the chord shape, starting with individual chords and then moving on to chord changes.

The more you develop the muscle memory in your fingers to do this, and the more you work on combining melody with chord playing, the more naturally you'll start to incorporate it into your songwriting.

Many hours of experimentation!

[MitjaShi]

easily the best lessons on youtube! also unlike many music lessons, you're not confined to scales or such when creating example melodies.

[ckjjclan]

Great stuff - thank you! I love how straight forward you visuals and explanations are... much appreciated!

[Bill_Jones.]

You have helped me more than you will ever know. Please keep up the outstanding lessons.

[the-lonely-ous]

Please make a big series on this!!! awesome as usual

[gormaz]

your lessons are quite the best in youtube, many thanks my friend

[Ronno]

I clicked on this particular video out of boredom, not expecting anything great but 02:59 to 03:04 blew me away....

[oneeyemonster]

Great lesson as always. Ive improved 100% using your lessons...and ive been playing for decades.LoL

[jmiague]

Amazing once again. Very nice. Thanks again

[downhill]

Very good lessons here easy to follow the graphics too!

[mpxzygj]

1:00 sounds exactly like an Eddie Vedder song in "Into the Wild".

[matthewjumps]

for chords with a 1st string root you should have mentioned that you can also use your thumb to fret the bass note, freeing you up a little more to add melodic phrases (a la Hendrix)

[ofawoo]

Where can I find Youtube's speed function? A note appeared as I watched the video saying "Use Youtube's speed function (bottom right) to slow it down." However, I can't seem to locate it. Great lessons by the way. Thanks! 

[ColdCanadian]

Would this be using multiple fingers pricking?

[Lindormber]

Are the melodies taken from scales there? Shouldn't the notes fit with the chords? Like...notes from the same key/scale/whatever?

[musicmind]

Its plying by finger style or only pick?

[dimwitsadvocate]

Well, off I go to find the lesson page! Boing, Boing, Boing, Boing . . . .

[Consolous]

Lol this is my style I learned from covering Mark Tremonti

[shisroom]

hi my dear bro i am from afghanistan i want make a melody who i can please help me in give me back my question thanks you