How to Play a Melody on the Guitar

Beginner Grade 3 Module 16: Playing Melodies & Moving Chords Up
41

I am aware David, however Bowie’s version does not do anything special for me :joy:

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42

Coolio, though the comment was as much in jest as wanting to be pedantic :laughing:

Nor me, having just listened to it now, prompted by Gordon’s post of Lulu’s cover.

Of the three I’d pick Lulu’s, based on her vocal and I liked the keyboard interpretation of some of the lines.

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43

I am glad David stepped in to clarify matters in respect Mr B. Think I listened to the Seattle version once. Lulu on the other hand was a very feisty take but heck you get what it says on the tin. Now I have listened to her version many times but I was smitten after her first TotP appearance mid 60s. I’m an old softie at heart!
:sunglasses:

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44

@jkahn

From transcribing a couple of power chords to this…

I don’t understand, why are we transcribing anything other than power chords?
I’ll take let it be and transcribe from there direct to powerchords. Then up the BPM and now its Let It Fkn Be. :metal:

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45

Add loads of palm muting and you’re done :rofl:

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46

Hi Jk,
I don’t have this lesson above in my head anymore and maybe this was given as an option but didn’t see it quickly… but as an exercise to start with you have to start with something that is absolutely in your brain /ears is burned in at all times… so just start with happy birthday, and then another melody that you can keep “playing” in your head even after playing a wrong note… …I hope this helps you, but start nice and simple,…
Greetings

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47

Who needs to transcribe power chords? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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48

Enough gain and it all sounds much the same right? Get the vide and the attitude right and you’re sweet. :crazy_face:

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49

I agree. This is the hardest lesson I have encountered to date. Incredibly frustrating. I feel completely stuck.

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50

Really interesting video this one, obviously Justin makes it look easy but now I’m confused where the lines are drawn between chords, melody lines and solos and what to play where

eg if I’m playing for my friends at a party I guess a mixture of chords and melody line is going to work best

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51

I’m glad I’m not the only one to be struggling. Justin’s lessons have been great and scaffolded nicely but this one seems a little out of place and more advanced. Maybe I need more ear training.

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52

Hey Ringo, nice to meet you. Here’s a good place to start:

Justin has really pumped up transcribing. I jumped into the dedicated course to dive in a little deeper and I’m finding this course extremely helpful.

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53

The notes are important, the means of playing them is not. Use a pick. :slight_smile:

In the Learn more section Justin writes to start using the open position scale. By this he means the scales you have learned in Grades 1-2 namely C major scale and E minor pentatonic scale. If you then learn pattern 1 of the G major scale (a closed pattern, not open) and more patterns beyond, you can use some or all of those.

54

Justin talks in the video about adding vibrato. I don’t remember covering this yet, unless I’ve somehow skipped over it?

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55

Hi Matt, @aliomenti

I can’t find where it is taught for the first time in the course, but there is a lot of attention for it in the Technology section that you have to can do :smile: in between

https://www.justinguitar.com/classes/technique-study

Greetings,Rogier

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56

There is a Grade 3 lesson that comes later than this one. Here’s how to find it (teach a man to fish, and all that):

  1. Go to Justin’s site and do a search on “vibrato”.
  2. You will get results from different categories like “Modules”, “Lessons”, “Songs”
  3. The lesson you want is visible in the “Lessons” category. There are several, but you can see the one labeled “Grade 3”.

You could also google “Justin guitar vibrato lesson”, which also works.

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57

I have a quick question. When practicing for this module, are we supposed to just solo with the melodies or try to arrange a full chord melody? I find nailing the melodies not that hard, but trying to identify what chord goes over it and in which beat it goes super tricky.

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58

Had a view of this lesson as well tonight and it appears to me that you have to know how to sing to get this. As I couldn’t hold a tune in a bucket I’m not seeing the benefit of the practice for this!

Also it appears that we need to know the notes on the neck to be able to do this. I can work them out but couldn’t point to a string/fret and know what note it is straight away. Are we supposed to know this at this point of the beginners course?

Lastly is it just the vocals of a song that is the melody?

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59

You’ve missed the whole point of the lesson @Stuartw. You don’t need to sing or know the notes on the neck. But you do need to be able to hear a melody. Practice humming the melody then try and figure it out on the guitar using single notes. I know you have a hard time hearing but I think you would benefit from learning to hear melodies of songs.

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60

You may well be right but he does talk about singing and notes on the neck!

I can do the first bit but trying to figure out what notes are being played/hummed I’m not so sure about. I know it’s about finding the first note and that knowing the chords will help with this but not being able to sing (in tune) wont help.

Correct and not getting any better!

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