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Thread: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

  1. #1

    Default Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    I kind of admire Eddie Davis and his way of playing chord melody style on the tenor banjo but also on the electric tenor guitar.

    Or this guy


    Not to forget David Cavage


    In order to play a bit in this style, I ordered the book "Riveboat Banjo" by Mel Bay.
    http://www.melbay.com/Products/93312...rum-banjo.aspx

    It has 20 tunes, mostly Dixieland, some Folk tunes arranged in chord melody style for plectrum and tenor banjo.
    The tenor banjo arrangements also work on tenor guitar.
    Such as "My Gal Sal" https://soundcloud.com/tele1310/38-mygalsag
    Or "Wait till thes Sun shines Nelly" https://soundcloud.com/tele1310/wait...n-shines-nelly

    To learn how to come up my own arrangements, I bought Mel Bay's "Tenor Banjo Chord Melody System" .
    http://www.melbay.com/Products/93629...ystem.aspxwith

    I'm still at the very start, where a simple melody is filled out with the I, IV and V7 chords of a scale but to me it's fun to be able to harmonize a simple melody.
    I still got to learn to change those closed chord shapes up the neck more fluently but it's nice to at last know how to play them.

    If you want to know about the toils I committed myself on my own free will you can listen here: https://soundcloud.com/tele1310/old-black-joe

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  3. #2
    Registered User Charles E.'s Avatar
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Yea, Eddie is really fun to watch. I like this guy too......


    Charley

    A bunch of stuff with four strings

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  5. #3
    coprolite mandroid's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Adopt Liberally from the decades of Tenor Banjo techniques , of the Trad Jazz era.

    those solos were Great.
    writing about music
    is like dancing,
    about architecture

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    I may be old but I'm ugly billhay4's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Nice version of "St. Louis Blues" on a nice sounding instrument.
    IM(NS)HO

  8. #5
    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Chord melody is something I aspire too, top of the game from my perspective!

  9. #6
    Registered User bigbendhiker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Quote Originally Posted by crisscross View Post

    In order to play a bit in this style, I ordered the book "Riveboat Banjo" by Mel Bay.
    http://www.melbay.com/Products/93312...rum-banjo.aspx

    It has 20 tunes, mostly Dixieland, some Folk tunes arranged in chord melody style for plectrum and tenor banjo.
    The tenor banjo arrangements also work on tenor guitar.
    Such as "My Gal Sal" https://soundcloud.com/tele1310/38-mygalsag
    Or "Wait till thes Sun shines Nelly" https://soundcloud.com/tele1310/wait...n-shines-nelly

    To learn how to come up my own arrangements, I bought Mel Bay's "Tenor Banjo Chord Melody System" .
    http://www.melbay.com/Products/93629...ystem.aspxwith
    Thanks for the heads up on the books! I just ordered both of them.
    Scott

    Tenor Guitars, 1959 Martin 5-15T, 2007 Fletcher Tenor tuned cgda, Blueridge BR-70T
    Mandolins, Jacobson Nautilus #15, 2013 Eastman MD305, 2002 Weber Aspen
    Banjo, 1925 Oriole "by Gibson" Tenor Banjo

  10. #7
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Quote Originally Posted by bigbendhiker View Post
    Thanks for the heads up on the books! I just ordered both of them.
    Hey Scott, I noticed in your signature that you have tuned your Fletcher tenor CGDA. As someone who was considering a Fletcher before buying a 23" scale Newton tuned GDAE, I was wondering why you moved off of the Irish or octave tuning and if it had anything to do with the 21" scale (which was one of my reservations about the instrument).
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  12. #8
    Registered User bigbendhiker's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Quote Originally Posted by pheffernan View Post
    Hey Scott, I noticed in your signature that you have tuned your Fletcher tenor CGDA. As someone who was considering a Fletcher before buying a 23" scale Newton tuned GDAE, I was wondering why you moved off of the Irish or octave tuning and if it had anything to do with the 21" scale (which was one of my reservations about the instrument).
    Well, I had been eyeing a new Martin tenor guitar along with the Fletcher at Elderly Instruments. My wife surprised me with the Fletcher around Valentines Day. The Fletcher was already tuned CGDA from Elderly's and as that's the same tuning as my Blueridge I left it that way. I've thought about restringing it GDAE, but haven't done it yet.
    I'm still tempted by the Martin BTW. Either it or one of the older models.
    Scott

    Tenor Guitars, 1959 Martin 5-15T, 2007 Fletcher Tenor tuned cgda, Blueridge BR-70T
    Mandolins, Jacobson Nautilus #15, 2013 Eastman MD305, 2002 Weber Aspen
    Banjo, 1925 Oriole "by Gibson" Tenor Banjo

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  14. #9
    My Florida is scooped pheffernan's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Quote Originally Posted by bigbendhiker View Post
    Well, I had been eyeing a new Martin tenor guitar along with the Fletcher at Elderly Instruments. My wife surprised me with the Fletcher around Valentines Day. The Fletcher was already tuned CGDA from Elderly's and as that's the same tuning as my Blueridge I left it that way. I've thought about restringing it GDAE, but haven't done it yet. I'm still tempted by the Martin BTW. Either it or one of the older models.
    That Martin was on my short list, especially when it was on special for $1395 a few months back. I tend to like modern instruments with vintage vibe (but not the headaches that sometimes come with owning vintage instruments). The only thing that prevented me from buying it was the opportunity to acquire a used David Newton tenor modeled on the old Martin Size 2 and built with Carpathian Spruce over Indian Rosewood.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    1924 Gibson A Snakehead
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    2007 Hester A5
    2009 Passernig A5
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    2010 Black GBOM
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    2014 Smart F-Style Mandola
    2018 Vessel TM5
    2019 Hogan F5

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  16. #10

    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    I progress slowly, but I won't give up!
    After one year of folk songs, I finally reachrd swing territory.
    "Ida, sweet as Apple Cider", in my version for tenor guitar chord-melody.
    https://soundcloud.com/tele1310/ida
    OK,OK there's still a uke playing some back-up chords.
    But on the tenor banjo, it felt good enough to leave it alone.
    https://soundcloud.com/tele1310/ida-...as-apple-cider
    I WON'T GIVE UP! no, no...

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  18. #11

    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Excellent crisscross. Perfect.

    dc

  19. #12

    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Thanks a lot!
    Chord-Melody on tenor instruments isn't my main thing musically, but it's a lot of fun!
    I'll never be as good as you or some of the guys at the Banjo Hangout, but as long as I keep remembering just a few of those chords I learned, I will continue...

  20. #13

    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    I'm very slowly progressing in my Mel Bay book, but now, I work out arrangements for songs in Ab.
    The last one was called "How can I leave thee?".
    It turned out to be a German Volkslied: "Ach wie ist's möglich, dann?"
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ctx5CWTqsRs
    Or a little more modern version:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCBKDgsGEGs
    And here's what I worked out according to the advice given in the book.
    I tried to give the ukulele backup some swing feeling:

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  22. #14

    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Sounds great criss. I love the song, and I love your playing. Did you play it on an SG?

    dc

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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar


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  25. #16

    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Sounds great criss. I love the song, and I love your playing. Did you play it on an SG?
    Thanks, David. The guitar is an Eastwood Astrojet, kind of a copy of a Gibson SG.
    One of these days, I'm gonna get a hollowbody like the one John Lawler plays, but for my modest abillities, a solidbody is OK, so no one hears me practice.

  26. #17

    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Trying to learn, how to come up with your own chord melody arrangements is hard work, so I was glad to be able to offer me some relaxation for the holidays in buying a book with written out Chord-Melody arrangements for 10 songs. It was written by Jack Ray of the Jazz Banjo Academy. It's originally for tenor banjo but works on the tenor guitar as well.
    You just have to be able to read tabs to use it, there's a line with tabs under the standard notation.
    http://jazzbanjoacademy.com/new-prod...lo-tenor-banjo
    The first song I tried to play was Just a closer Walk with thee

    Thank god I have my electric tenor guitar, so I can practice without bothering anyone...

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  28. #18

    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Here's a little chord melody arrangement of Aura Lee with a sheet music/tab file.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Registered User fox's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Great stuff Criss, if I were to be critical I would say I miss your little story pictures on the you tube vids.

  31. #20
    Registered User 40bpm's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Nicely done and a great intro to chord melody playing for any 5ths tuned instrument.
    [note to self] Burst not thy brother's bubble ~ unk

  32. #21

    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Great stuff Criss, if I were to be critical I would say I miss your little story pictures on the you tube vids.
    Nicely done and a great intro to chord melody playing for any 5ths tuned instrument.
    Thanks fox and 40bpm!
    I reserve my little story pictures for my favourite 5ths tuned instrument, the tenor banjo.
    But you can play this arrangement of Hello my Baby from 1899 on a tenor guitar as well.
    (You'll probably will sound better than me on the bxxxxo.)
    Click image for larger version. 

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  34. #22
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    I know this is an old thread but I hope the OP is still around..

    I'm impressed with the progress the OP (crisscross) made with the chord melody arrangements. I'm interested in getting this book and I don't have a banjo (yet!). Would this book be useful for someone who plays mainly GDAE instruments? I'm a fiddle player and I have my baritone ukulele tuned GDAE. I also have a concert uke tuned CGDA but I don't play it as much because I'm more used to GDAE.

    If this book teaches how to do my own arrangements I would like to give it a try.

  35. #23
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Excellent old thread.
    Found tips for playing the tenor banjo Fedex is supposed to bring tomorrow.
    Collings MT-0
    1940s Gibson A that needs refretting
    Old bowlback
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    selling my Mid-Mo

  36. #24
    Registered User mreidsma's Avatar
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    Default Re: Chord-Melody on Tenor Guitar

    Quote Originally Posted by cunparis View Post
    I'm interested in getting this book and I don't have a banjo (yet!). Would this book be useful for someone who plays mainly GDAE instruments?

    If this book teaches how to do my own arrangements I would like to give it a try.
    Hello! The OP hasn't logged in for over a year, but I can give you my experience with these books (also bought because of this thread!) I play GDAE tenor instruments and these books were both helpful and not helpful. They don't teach you to do any of your own arranging, but the method book does teach closed chord shapes. You'll have to transpose those chords to the GDAE tuning so it will take some homework. Most of the music presented is in standard notation, but you said you play fiddle so maybe you can read standard notation. I've been playing fiddle for 35 years and mandolin for 10, and I felt like this book was presented a little bit like the "How to draw an owl" tutorial: easing you in with something simple and then the complexity goes off the charts.

    Click image for larger version. 

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    I had better luck with Aaron Weinstein's book and chord melody course for mandolin over at Peghead Nation. I had to still do some work, since some voicings were simply not possible on tenor, but I felt it was easier to modify for voicing than to constantly be running calculations for transposing in my head.

    -Matthew

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