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Melody or chords first for a beginner?

Posted by Bruce Young on November 13, 2018 at 4:40pm in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts

As a someone who never played guitar, I’m teaching myself three string. Playing fretted at the moment. 

Ive been working on melody, playing about twenty of the simple tunes in CB GITTY’s song book volume one. 

I haven’t spent much time with chords, reasoning that by playing melody, I’ll develop the muscle memory to find my way around the soundboard, and learn the simple patterns that seem to crop up often. Very much in keeping with CBG philosophy, there are no rules. I just wonder how anybody else did it. 

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Replies

  • Cause the Blue rat November 14, 2018 at 11:53am
    If you have the idea of playing melodies down try this. Learn a few you know by ear. Simple songs. happy Birthday, Jingle Bells, songs you know by heart. Once you get the hang of it try melodies form songs you like.

    Wile learning the simple bar chords try adding lines of notes with them as well. Hit a chord, play a few notes that sound good with that chord.Let your ears be your guid. This will help open up more possibilities. Because the more you can do the more fun playing becomes.
  • Korrigan November 13, 2018 at 9:23pm

    I'd say tune DGB and learn both at the same time. DGB is open G major so great for slide, it's good for melody, offers many easy chords and if you ever move up to 6-string you'll already have 3 of the strings mastered.


    Here's a chord chart for DGB if you're interested.

  • Taffy Evans November 13, 2018 at 7:07pm

    Hi, I must have played CBG slide style for about 5years now and just yesterday sat down to learn some cords, fingered. I am of course playing some basic cords with my slide.

    If you can and want to sing songs then I would suggest cords, if you can't/don't sing then melody. Or do what I and many others do, is do both. Makes the song more interesting too.

    Taff

    • Bruce Young > Taffy Evans November 13, 2018 at 8:24pm

      Thanks. I intend to tackle both eventually. I just wondered how people go about the process of learning. My only previous thoughts on the subject were when my then 13 yr old taught himself guitar, I insisted he learn melody first, because I’ve known lots of people who say they play, but are three chord wonders who couldn’t play lead if their lives depended on it. 

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