Intro to Chord Melody Self-Paced...• Review the melody on its own • Use the play along video on...

Introductory Notes

Welcome! As you work your way through this self-paced course, you may refer to the Syllabus provided below for recommendations about pacing yourself and organizing your practice of the included material. Feel free to adapt and adjust as feels appropriate for you, your goals for your practice, and your day-to-day assessment of your own progress.

I imagine two different kinds of students attracted to this course. Perhaps you are a sing’n’strum student looking for opportunities to vary your playing and integrate melodic lines into the songs you enjoy singing and playing. Or, perhaps you are an instrumental player looking to expand your repertoire of solos. Either way, the material provided in this course aims to help you improve both your playing and your musicianship.

I recommend you take a moment before starting to decide what your initial goals are for this course. Keep in mind that the materials provided give you a lot of options for your practice - you do not need to take on everything if it doesn’t feel right! Pick the things that feel most aligned with your goals, and remember you can always return the material again later to go a level deeper. Think about what challenge will fill that sweet spot between boringly easy and frustratingly difficult.

Please make use of the video tutorials and play alongs on the Chord Melody Practice Page in your practice. If you encounter an exercise in the Syllabus below that you would like to see a demonstration of, let me know! I am always working on new videos and am happy to provide more concrete examples of what I describe.

Enjoy!

© 2020 Avery Hill, Song by Song LLC 1

Intro to Chord Melody for Ukulele with Song by Song™

Avery Hill, Instructor | www.learnsongbysong.com

https://learnsongbysong.com/intro-to-chord-melody/

http://www.learnsongbysong.com

Syllabus

Week 1 • Review the notes of the C Scale (p.4)

• Take note of note placement on music staff and/or tablature system, as well as on the fretboard. Play up and down the scale without rhythm, naming / singing the notes as you go. Try playing the scale up and down looking just at your fretboard, to support your muscle memory.

• Exercise: Add rhythm to your scale practice by plucking each note 4 times at a steady beat (C C C C - D D D D - E E E E … ). Each day of practice, lessen the number of plucks by 1 (3 plucks, then 2 plucks, then 1 pluck each). This helps your fingers master the “choreography” of the scale while gradually bringing in the walls of rhythmic context.

• Experiment with Creating Melodies (p.5) • Learn Early Morning Round (p.5)

• Use the notes provided as needed to learn to play this short melody. Don’t worry about the “round” part - that will come next week. Your focus at first to learn the melody by itself.

Week 2 • Warm up with the C Scale (p.4)

• Try one or both exercises provided to continue working with the notes of the C scale in different variations. Aim to play through these exercises looking just at your fretboard.

• Play Early Morning Round (p.5) • Review the melody on its own • Use the play along video on the Chord Melody Practice Page to play with me in a

round. Let me start, then begin the melody when I reach the third measure (look for the asterisk above the staff). By the end of the week, try playing without looking at the music.

• Learn The Blackest Crow (pp. 6-8) • Use the play along on the Chord Melody Practice Page to learn how this song

goes, as a whole. If you’re not familiar with the song, just listen a few times through and sing along. If you aim to play this song as a sing’n’strum with an embedded solo, use this play along video to practice just the sing’n’strum portion of the song, as well as to note where melody lines will be incorporated.

• Use the video tutorials on the Chord Melody Practice Page to learn the three main melody patterns of the solo for this song. This may take more than one week, and that’s ok. Your goal is to be able to play the entire solo all the way through by “chunking” it out in your mind as an arrangement of three basic melody patterns.


Week 3 • Warm up with Early Morning Round (p.5)

• Use the play along video on the Chord Melody Practice Page to play with me in a round.

• Play The Blackest Crow (pp. 6-8) • Depending on your goals for learning in this course, you may use the play along

video to: 1) play through the song as I do, combining sing’n’strum with instrumental intro, solo, and outro; or 2) loop through the solo instrumental with each verse for repeated practice.

• Use the video tutorials for individual melody patterns to smooth out any rough spots within those patterns. Loop transitions between these patterns on your own as needed, too.

• Learn Shenandoah (pp.9-11) • Use the play along video to learn how this song goes, as a whole. • If you’re not familiar with the song, just listen a few times through and sing along. If

you aim to play this song as a sing’n’strum with an embedded solo, use this play along video to practice just the sing’n’strum portion of the song, as well as to note where melody lines will be incorporated.

• If you prefer to focus on the opening solo, use the play along as a guide for learning it on your own. Tip: As you string the different phrases together, use the held notes as a mental break to look ahead and prepare for the next phrase.

Week 4 • Warm up with The Blackest Crow (pp. 6-8)

• Try playing this song without the practice videos this week, and continue to smooth out any rough spots as needed.

• Play Shenandoah (pp.9-11) • Depending on your goals for learning in this course, you may use the play along

video to: 1) play through the song as I do, combining sing’n’strum with the instrumental intro; or 2) loop through the solo instrumental with each verse for repeated practice.

• Smooth out any rough spots and loop transitions between these patterns on your own as needed.

Moving Forward • Try playing through both songs without the practice videos, and continue to smooth

out any rough spots as needed. • Keep The Blackest Crow and/or Shenandoah fresh in your repertoire by playing them

through daily, either at the beginning or end of your practice. • What opportunities might you have to playing these pieces for an “audience”? No

matter how informal, preparing to play for someone is a great goal to work toward.


Intro to Chord Melody for Ukulele

1. Let’s review the C Scale …

To help familiarize yourself with the notes further, try them in variations:

(From Ukulele in the Classroom, Book 1 by James Hill & J. Chalmers Doane)

2. Tablature … The tablature system is a way one can double-check one’s finger position for each note and/or relieve themselves from the pressure of reading notes at all. Unlike the musical staff, the horizontal lines correspond to the strings of your instrument:

Let’s add tablature to the C Scale: C D E F G A B C C B A G F E D C


A E C G

Numbers indicate which fret to press

on that string

Lines below indicate rhythm, i.e. how long

to play each note

3. Creating Melodies …

Try picking out familiar melodies by ear with the notes above. For example: • Row, Row, Row Your Boat: Begins on C • Mary Had a Little Lamb: Begins on E • Twinkle, Twinkle, Begins on C, jumps to G

Early Morning Round by D. Attneave, adapted by me

When encountering a new piece like this, I recommend breaking it down first into layers: • Rhythm: Without worrying about the notes, what beats make up the piece? Clap through

each phrase and/or the whole piece several times to put the rhythm in your body first. Feel free to count out loud each time, but also trying counting internally when you can. If you already know how the melody goes, sing along with your clapping.

• Melody Patterns: What parts of the melody repeat? Are there ascending or descending lines taken right from the scale? How do these patterns correspond to rhythmic patterns?

• Naming Notes: Go through and name each of the notes to yourself, 1-2x. (Skip if just following tablature.)

• Melody and Finger Choreography: Play notes phrase by phrase, repeating 2-3x each. Your goal here is to learn how the notes sound (sing along) and how they feel moving your fingers. (Rhythm isn’t necessary at this point, unless it comes naturally.)

• Melody and Rhythm: Once you’re familiar with how the melody sounds, sing and clap through a couple times to fuse melody and rhythm together. Then, play through on your instrument 2-3x.


The Blackest Crow - Notes

Like many traditional tunes (especially fiddle tunes), there is a repeating phrase through much of this song. Not only is it a ballad, in which one verse pattern is repeated over and over, there is a main melody phrase that repeats three times within each verse.

Let this knowledge and understanding of the song be an advantage to you! As you practice, take each pattern on its own, perhaps allowing each its own day’s worth of practice. As you work to put the phrases together, keep the general organization of each verse in mind, so as not to get lost in the individual notes.

For sing’n’strummers, I recommend starting with the Intro Melody, which can also be used an as Outro Melody. For solo players, I recommend diving right in at the beginning of the solo and working your way through, phrase by phrase.

If you’re not up for the picking pattern provided in the song chart, you’re welcome to try these other options:

Enjoy!


The Blackest Crow Traditional, heard through Appalachia and The Ozarks after the Civil War

Melody made known by fiddler Tommy Jarrell (1901-1985)

Waltz time - 3 beats per chord - Waltz strum or pick

Intro Melody: Intro: (C C) Am Am C C Am Am

G G C C C C Am Am Verse 1: As time draws near my dearest dear when you and I must part G G C C C C Am Am How little you know of the grief and woe in my poor and aching heart C C Am Am C C Am Am Each night I suffer for your sake, the one I love so dear G G C C C C Am Am I wish that I was going with you or you were staying here C G C C Am Am C C Am Am Or you were staying here

Verse 2: The blackest crow that ever flew would surely turn to white If ever I prove false to you bright day would turn to night Bright day will turn to night my love, the elements will mourn If ever I prove false to you the seas will rage and burn The seas will rage and burn

Instrumental / One verse without lyrics

Verse 3: And when you’re on some distant shore, think of us left be-hind We watch the waves and mark the days, the ebb and flow of time So when the wind blows high and clear pray send your love to me That _I_ might know just by your sign how time has gone with thee How time has gone with thee … (Close with Intro Melody or) End on C



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Shenandoah - Notes

Unlike The Blackest Crow, the melody of Shenandoah does not have any repeating phrases. However, my hope is that your experience learning the patterns of The Blackest Crow leave you better prepared to take on the challenge of a patternless melody.

Even if none of these phrases repeat, you can still build your playing the same way you have previously: take each phrase at a time - a day at a time, if you need - always building one on top of the next. Loop these phrases as much as you need, but also remember to take breaks to allow your brain time to absorb it all between practice sessions.

Each phrase ends with a chord held out for a measure or so. This offers a great opportunity to practice the superpower of every musician: playing one thing and thinking about the next thing. When you strum the final chord of each phrase, let your mind prepare your fingers for what’s coming next by looking and/or thinking ahead.

Finally, a note about the chord variations provided: I always use the C/F chord as part of my intro / interlude vamp, and I would recommend you do the same. As for the C5, F/C and Am/C chord options, notice that all of these chords include a high C in the chord. I like playing these chords in place of the conventional chords in the verses, because they provide this high C drone throughout the entire verse, and I like the sound of it. However, it means I have to shift my chord shapes and keep my pinky finger on that C the whole time. This is an adjustment, to be sure, but if you like the sound of it as much as I do, I think you’ll find it’s worth the effort.

Enjoy!


Shenandoah Traditional, arr. Avery Hill

Use conventional chords, or try these:

Standard time - Each chord = 4 beats - Standard strum or pick

Intro: C C C/F C/F C C C/F C/F

Verse 1: C C F C F F C C Shenandoah… I long to hear you, a - way… you rolling river Am Am F F Oh Shenandoah… I long to hear you C C C C Am F C C (Intro chords) A - way… I’m bound a-way… cross the wide Miss - our - i Verse 2: Shenandoah, I love your daugh - ter, a-way, you rolling river I’ll take her ‘cross the rolling water A-way, I’m bound a-way, cross the wide Miss-our-_i_

Verse 3: He sold the chief that fire-wa - ter, a-way, you rolling river And ‘cross the river he stole his daughter A-way, I’m bound a-way, cross the wide Miss-our-_i_

Verse 4: Shenandoah, I’m bound to leave you, a-way, you rolling river Shenandoah, I’ll not de-ceive you A-way, I’m bound a-way, cross the wide Miss-our-_i_

Am F C C Outro: Cross the wide Miss - our - i Am Am F F C C (Intro chords) End C Cross the wide … Miss - our - i© 2020 Avery Hill, Song by Song LLC 10


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