Playing a Song
INTRODUCTION
A song will be used to practice the concepts learned so far. The song will be played five different ways:
- Melody in two different octaves
- Melody in octaves ("Wes Montgomery" style)
- Chords accompanient
- Chord Melody
- Improvisation
MELODY IN TWO OCTAVES
It is important to play the melody in two different octaves because of the following:
- The guitar sounds 1 octave lower than written; therefore, to achieve the actual written note, you must play 1 octave higher than written.
- Playing "in the wrong octave" (not playing one octave higher) usually has a warmer sound.
PLAY THE CHORDS
- Playing the melody in octaves will help develop the student’s dexterity and offer an additional texture.
CHORD MELODY
- Chord melody involves playing the melody and chords at the same time. Usually, the melody note is the top note on the chord.
IMPROVISATION
- A common practice in song playing is to improvise after the melody has been played. More on this in the IMPROVISATION section.