Chords that Sound like a Melody

Chord Melody in E Minor

In this fingerstyle guitar lesson I am going to show you how to play chords that sound like a melody using the chord melody approach.

One of the most amazing thing about fingertsyle technique is that it allows you to select which voicing of the chord you want to emphasize so that it’s easy to create melodies using the chord melody approach.

The chord melody technique (also called comping) is mainly used by Jazz guitar players to improvise or play a melody along with chords but in this lesson we will work on a pop chord progression using the same technique.

There are few things you might struggle with depending on your level:

The chords can be stretchy. In this lesson I did my best to play simple chords but sometimes I didn’t have choice but playing few of the stretchy chords such as D/F# and the A minor in position V.
The plucking changes frequently: Another thing some of you might struggle with is the fact that you will have to deal with a lot of different plucking patterns.
Emphasize the melody: You should always make sure that the melody is louder than the accompaniment. It takes a lot of control and practice.

Overall this is a useful lesson for anyone who want to improve their guitar playing, chords, plucking skills and musicality.

Take it step by step!

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The Video

The Chord Progression

In this chord melody fingerstyle lesson we will be working on a chord progression in E minor key which use a verity of chords. The chord progression goes as follows:

Em – D/F# – G – Bm7 – C | Em – D/F# – G – G/B – C | Am – Em – G – D | Am – Em – D |

We are working on a lot of different chords so it is of paramount importance that you learn one chord progression at a time before moving on to the next one.

Due to the nature of this exercise, the plucking could change on each chord. The chord melody approach can challenge your finger-picking technique depending on your level.

Learn slowly!

The E minor key

This fingerstyle exercise is in E minor key.

The E minor key is one of the most popular key on guitar. The chords we are using in this lesson comes from the E minor key and can be easily playing within the first three frets of the neck.

The chords comes from the E minor scale: E – F# – G – A – C – D – E.

Once you learn the scale then you can then harmonize the scale by building triads on each degree of the scale. You can do that by selecting the root note of the chord (Indicated with the Roman numerals I) then add its III and V degree.

In the case of the E minor chord you will have E – G – B, which is indeed the E minor chord.

Do that for each degree of the scale to build the triads and learn how to play all the chord in the key of E minor.

The Slash Chords

In this fingerstyle guitar lesson on chord melody we will encounter slash chords such as D/F# and G/B.

The slash chord is a chord with a different bass note. The chord on the left tells you the chord, the one on the left side is the bass note that will be played over the chord.

When you play a D/F# slash chord you will basically play a D major chord with F# on the bass. The G/B is a G major chord with the B on the Bass.

The slash chords are really useful chords that can be used in chord melody to create beautiful bass line that sounds captivating!

The Plucking

One of the difficult aspects of chord melody is the ability to change the plucking put.

Most of the time the different plucking could be just of one string but if you are a beginner that could be a real struggle.

There are few things you must follow in order to make your plucking impeccable. I will list it down below:

The 45 degree rule: Pluck the strings using a 45 degree angle. By doing that you will be able to pluck the strings smoothly and with a beautiful tone. If your goal is to improve the way you play in chord melody, this simple rule will definitely change your playing for good.
Thumb position: You should always pluck the strings with the side of the thumb. Avoid grabbing and pulling strings by lightly plucking downward with the side of your thumb. Your thumb should be in line with the wrist. Check pictures below.
Repeat Repeat Repeat: One thing that will take your fingerstyle to the next level is repetition. So much about plucking involves muscle memory. Pluck the strings slowly and deeply understand the plucking movement. Tone over speed.