Music Theory Monday | 19: Melody Arrangement
Added 2021-01-04 18:30:11 +0000 UTCWhere to Start • Lesson Archive • Recommended Lesson Plan • Book a Private Lesson
Hi Everyone!
In this third melody-writing lesson I get into how to arrange melodic phrases into sets. Things start sounding a lot more like a melody from a song, especially when we tackle C Phrases. I get into details about how to arrange melodic phrases over a handful of different chord progressions, including how to sneakily play the same melody over two separate chords!
If this lesson feels difficult (I expect it will for many folks) I recommend reviewing the previous two MTM lessons: Melody Making Basics first, then Melody Morphs - really try to dig in on the homework assignments for these two lessons. It can be challenging but the reward is really worth it. Understanding how to deliberately make a nice melody can change your whole perspective on how music works!
I would LOVE to hear your melodic creations. Please post your homework at the community forum.
I used these four jam tracks in this lesson
More from this series:
Other helpful links:
Scott's Recommended Lesson Plan
Searchable Lesson Archive
How to Join the Community Forum
Scott's Jam Tracks
SPJ Live YouTube Channel
Scott's Main YouTube Channel
Comments
They are basically the same thing, except CAGED is more general and pentatonic is more specific.
Scott Paul Johnson
2021-08-20 20:20:41 +0000 UTCHi Ken! I think CAGED, but I also know where the G minor triads are because of CAGED. It's the same thing, really, it's just that CAGED gives you names for it that knowing the triads doesn't.
Scott Paul Johnson
2021-08-20 20:20:12 +0000 UTCSorry, I said CAGED position, but I think I meant pentatonic position! I have a hard time keeping the two apart.
Ken Keffer
2021-08-20 19:57:20 +0000 UTCGreat series on melody! When you go for notes in a higher range, say in the Gm, do you immediately think CAGED position to get down there? Is that the way you orient yourself or do you just plain know where the Gminor triad is lying on the fretboard? Also, the jam tracks you make are special, worth a year's subscription in themselves!
Ken Keffer
2021-08-20 19:52:30 +0000 UTCMy favorite stoner guitar teacher!
pops
2021-05-19 03:03:49 +0000 UTCChristian - you are getting it right! Traditionally, the major or minor scale was the only scale that people used for these "rules." However, the pentatonic scale has become a completely acceptable scale to use as well, and an F Pentatonic Scale goes F G A C D F, which would follow the "rules." Music is so complex that it's hard to add so many asterisks to the end of a lesson. Everything I said in this lesson is a good starting point to understand the core of what makes melodies work, but there are many ways to get around these rules as well. Its like Language - there are so many rules, and then so many works and phrases that break those rules. I recommend watching my "Why Pentatonic" series and that might help put a bit of context to why you can swap pentatonic for major/minor whenever you want when writing melodies!
Scott Paul Johnson
2021-02-23 00:31:01 +0000 UTCHi Scott, thank you for this great lesson. Just a short question to the first C phrase in the C major (I-IV) progression (FCDF). Doesn't this violate your soloing rules: When you play a note which is not in the chord you have to walk through the scale until the next note of the chord. In this case, the scale is C major (or C major pentatonic), and D is not in the F chord. So wouldn't your rule require you to go CDEF? Am I getting something wrong?
Christian
2021-02-22 20:28:34 +0000 UTCAre you talking about that little bit of buzz that happens on the B string sometimes? I should give my guitar a little adjustment
Scott Paul Johnson
2021-01-09 23:34:27 +0000 UTCplease fix the action of the guitar! :)
Mauro Castelnuovo
2021-01-09 18:01:04 +0000 UTCAwesome. Thanks for joining.
Scott Paul Johnson
2021-01-04 18:51:52 +0000 UTCYeah! Way to far for me. Still on MTM 4. I will get u guys soon. ☝🏻
DeDé
2021-01-04 18:32:28 +0000 UTC
