MELODY LINE WITH CHORD ALTERNATIVES
For any given melody line, a wide variety of different chord progressions can function as its foundation. This short, easy melody line in the key of D provides a great way to study chord/melody pairings and possibilities.
Hear audio example.


The top line illustrates a very “literal” interpretation of the melody—every chord used is paired almost exclusively with melody notes that already exist within that chord. For instance, most of the notes that are played over the D chord are D, F#, and A—all notes that are already part of a D chord. The second line gets a bit more adventurous—the D notes in measure one are the flat-seventh (a non-chord tone) of the Em chord that’s shown, and the A chord in measure 3 has been modified to A7sus4 to help accommodate non-chord tones in the melody. And while the F chord at the end of measure 1 includes the melody note A (the major third of F), it’s a slightly less-obvious choice than the A chord from the top line. Remember, these are just two interpretations—the possibilities are endless!

A pair of new articles this month tackle this issue from two different perspective. Check out the new Basics article on building your solos one note at a time and the Woodshed article "Six Ways to Support a Melody," both available now online and in the November 2008 issue of Acoustic Guitar magazine.

LESSON FEATURE
LEARN GUITAR ONLINE
Acoustic Guitar explores the leading online guitar instruction programs, from video courses to live webcam lessons. [More]

PRIVATE LESSON
GEOFF MULDAUR
A lesson in the art of arranging music for the acoustic guitar from one of the instrument’s great interpreters. With audio examples and the Lick of the Month. [More]

THE BASICS
GUITAR SOLOING—ONE NOTE AT A TIME
Start soloing by learning the sound of each note in context. With audio. [More]

WOODSHED
SIX WAYS TO SUPPORT A MELODY
Create chord progressions to bring out the best in existing melodies using these six simple suggestions. With audio. [More]

SONGBOOK
PRELUDE TO THE CELLO SUITE NO. 1 IN G MAJOR
The prelude to Johann Sebastian Bach's Cello Suite No. 1 in G major, arranged for the guitar by Patrick Francis. With video. [More]

JOE SATRIANI LESSONS AVAILABLE AT WORKSHOPLIVE
In this month’s feature article, “Learn Guitar Online,” we profile WorkshopLive, a site that specializes in music education online, with a strong focus on the guitar. WorkshopLive has recently announced that its library of video guitar lessons is expanding to include exclusive content taught by noted shredder Joe Satriani. While nobody would confuse Mr. Satriani’s electric explorations with acoustic guitar music, there is some good material there for musicians of all stripes. Check out workshoplive.com/satriani for some free video demo clips.

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