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Chord Melody Part 1

Group guitar class taught by Molly Miller

1 hour per week · intermediate

In my opinion, chord melodies are one of the most challenging things you can do on the guitar - you have to hold down melody, harmony, groove, and tempo, while making it all sound good at the same time. In this course we will dive into chord melody playing. What are some of the key elements into taking a song and making it sore in a solo guitar setting. We will look at different approaches from right hand technique, to harmonic options, to phrasing, to chord voicings. Chord melody is a bit endless, so in the course there will be clear guidelines of how to start on this magical and challenging journey. We will look at specific arrangements, dissect them, and understand them so you can then make your own. Chord melodies changed the way I play and see my instrument - I am excited to show you what I have learned in my 15 years of studying and obsessing over it. As a note: we will study a mixture of genres. This will not be just jazz - we will also check out pop, soul, and r'n'b. I know sometimes when we hear "chord melody" we go right to Joe Pass- we will be using chord melodies to look at a variety of genres.

What's included

Video chat lessons

Learn and ask questions with Molly Miller every week.

Lesson replays

Unlimited access to recordings from class.

Private community

Practice with people who share your love of guitar.

Taught by Molly Miller
Teaching on Til since 2021

4.96 · 455 students · 127 lessons

I am a lover of guitar. I have been playing since I was 7 - I grew up playing with my 4 siblings. I studied at USC, where I received my Doctorate in Guitar Performance and now am a professor. I play constantly- touring with artists such as Jason Mraz, Molly Miller Trio, and all over the internet!
What you'll do

Phrasing

How to get your melodies to sing!

Hybrid Picking/ Right Hand Technique

I found this technique super helpful for chord melodies. You have more control over what notes are being played and more options when you can hybrid pick. We will work on some right hand technique through different exercises as well.

Triadic Chord Meldies

You can do a lot with just a few notes.

Seventh Chords in Chord Melodies

Using these slightly larger chords can help fill out the sound- let's investigate!

Arranging For Chord Melody

While this is endless (which I love!), let's look at some key elements of how to arrange a chord melody

Who you are
Strong Intermediate to Advanced Player: Have a strong understanding of the fretboard. I would recommend having taken my String Theory 2 course. You should know: - Some seventh chord voicings - Some triads throughout your instrument - Basic theory knowledge (major scale) - Barre chords and open chords
What to bring
Guitar, zoom, and time to dig in! I would recommend having 1.5+ hours throughout the week to work on the material. I understand life is crazy, but if you can spend three sessions of at least 30 minutes a week diving into the material, you will be so solid in this course!
5.0 (120 reviews)
J

Jose

January 2025·

Dr Miller gives great importance to the fundamentals and has very effective ways to allow her students to internalise them not just mentally but also by execution. Not just a great guitarist but also a great teacher!

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LesB3

November 2024·

As a newcomer to Jazz, this was an easy to follow course that covered some essential pieces while still allowing us to dive right in and start playing. I had been taught some of these "pieces" before, but was able to finally "connect the dots" here -looking forward to "Part II" in the new year.

M

Matt H.

October 2024·

She's a great, organized and knowledgable teacher. She always had a plan for the class, and was willing & able to pivot if we needed it.

B

Brian B.

October 2024·

Molly's classes are truly the best there is if you want to get better. She encourages discussion and questions. She wants her students to get better which is saying a lot compared to other guitar teachers out there. She is an amazing player and the class is very interactive. I couldn't be happier with this class.

V

Vito F.

October 2024·

There is a difference between an outstanding musician/player and an outstanding teacher. Molly Miller is both. Her lessons were extremely practical as she balanced the theory with the soul of guitar playing. I’ve taken other online classes from nationally renowned institutions and Molly’s classes were a notch above.

L

Lauren

May 2024·

Molly is a great teacher! She’s fun, extremely knowledgeable and flexible to the needs of her students.

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Guitarintermediate

Chord Melody Part 1

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