Ukebottom
Active member
Having a terrible time interpreting/reading chord melodies, where notes are stacked and I have to figure out which chord to play. I understand the melody note is stem up, but where do I go from there?
Having a terrible time interpreting/reading chord melodies, where notes are stacked and I have to figure out which chord to play. I understand the melody note is stem up, but where do I go from there?
Having a terrible time interpreting/reading chord melodies, where notes are stacked and I have to figure out which chord to play. I understand the melody note is stem up, but where do I go from there?
This may be very rudimentary but I learn the melody line, then just add the chord (most often they give the name too) where indicated, using an inversion that places the melody note on top. Now recognizing the chord from the grouped notes (with no “name” above) is a whole ‘nother thing. If it’s an easy one I might know it. An app for looking them up my notes would be helpful. if they didn’t put the chord name in I would just put in a double stop nearby.
Not an expert on chord melody. It doesn't really lend itself to what I'm doing with my ukulele. But I have been piddling around with it lately anyway. I think that a lot of people start out making it much harder than it has to be, especially starting out. They want to skip the baby steps and go right to dazzling. I know, because that happened to me. I saw some people doing some really great stuff and I wanted to be like them right away. It didn't work that way. Now I'm starting out with baby steps, playing simple songs and adding simple first position chords and making some progress. I'm trying to lay a foundation to build on. It isn't easy and I can see now that it is going to take some time.
Standard Chord melody, such as those on my blog (free:https://ukestuff.wordpress.com/my-ukulele-tabs/) are meant to be played with the thumb, placing the melody as either part of the chord or single notes (as needed). You can break them apart into more traditional fingerstytle, but Chord Melody is a great way to get into reading tablature AND using the ukulele as a melody instrument. It's kind of boring to just pluck out melodies all the time. And it is also unrealistic to think that we'll pick up a ukulele and sound like Jake Shimabukuro (who has been playing--almost exclusively as a focus--since he was 4).
The chord names are just there for reference; you only play the notes on the tablature...in that case, you strum strings 4, 3, and 2 with your thumb.