Trying out chord melody - Hallelujah

[breezybellows]

In this video, I take one of the songs that I'm most familiar with. I've been playing this as a single note melody on the right hand. while it sounds good, it is too simple. I'm exploring a method to make it sound more rich.


I'm playing the right hand as a chord melody by adding two extra notes below the melody note. I do this by identifying two notes from the inversion of the chord that is right below the melody note. For example, if the melody note is A and the chord is F major, I add the F and C notes below the A (from the F major second inversion).


I'm also discussing a few more ideas to make the right hand more interesting. I'm going to be spending time with Hallelujah to try to make it sound more rich. The goal is to be more aware of the inversions so that I could improvise at play time to develop the ability to do something different every time I play it.


Is there a favorite song of yours that you've been playing for a long time as a single note melody on the right hand? Join me in adding more notes to the right hand and start improvising. I would love to hear from you about how it works for you.

 

[saundersbp]

I'm going to be spending time with Hallelujah to try to make it sound more rich.

I'd suggest an alternative use of musical time might be to make it sound more flowing rather than overloading the melody for 'richness', especially as you play freebass. Just two notes in treble and one in bass.

Here is an example from an eccentric English bathroom accordionist.

 

[breezybellows]

I'd suggest an alternative use of musical time might be to make it sound more flowing rather than overloading the melody for 'richness', especially as you play freebass. Just two notes in treble and one in bass.

Here is an example from an eccentric English bathroom accordionist.

I also felt that the treble notes were to crowded in my attempt. Your version sounded much more cleaner and interesting. For now I'm going to practice the triad inversions so that I can recognize these positions and be able to do it as second nature. Then I hope I'll be able to leave out notes and make it sound more musical.

I previously tried to play the left hand as open chord arrangement (asking with single note treble melody). I'm looking at these as drills. At some point I should be comfortable enough to make it flow.