Topic: Chords and Vocals

I just posted my first song

writing it raised some questions about guitar and vocals

1)
what these boil down to is where does the melody line sit in the chord

for example in Jame's Drivers blues the fisrt chord is G

I would take as the starting point for the melody the open G on 4th string

the G on the bottom string is a bit low for me

is that how most  people pitch the vocals

 
2)

second is about composing the melody

my broad approach was to find a chord progression in my vocal range and which was appropriate for the subject of the song so I choose Am and some chords in the Am key (partly using theory and partly by ear)

but I didn't then have a melody

by trial and error I came up wth a tune which fitted the chords (its sort of the chords but wobbles around  a bit more)

is that a sensible approach

Re: Chords and Vocals

Hi Johncross21,
I know he has a big workload but {SHUSH} Dont say i said! " Roger Guppy is a whizz at this" Just ask him, he is very generous with his time!

Old Doll.

Why Blend in with the Crowd ? When you were made to stand out !

Re: Chords and Vocals

Hi John,

The absolute beauty of songs posted with just the chords is that there is no given melody. You make your own melody to suit the chords.

A while ago Ken (upyerkilt) and I both recorded 'So Vivid' one of James's songs. Both were completely different and both our versions were different to James's.

There is no right or wrong melody, if you are singing in key with the chord you are playing you have got to be right. I find it great fun.

I think your approach was right. There are, to me, two ways of coming up with a melody for a song. 1/ Play a chord progression and let the melody come freely, or the harder way 2/ Think of a melody and then find the chords to suit it.


Roger

"Do, or do not; there is no try"

Re: Chords and Vocals

thanks

Re: Chords and Vocals

thank you for your comment on my song,i write my music both ways,but it is harder finding chords to a pattern you have already worked out in your head so most of the time i now pick some chords and play them together then pick the vocal to suit the chord.but then my playing is not brilliant i just do it for background sound.

power to the foxes. d x