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#1
10-17-2019, 11:00 AM
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Arpegiating a song's chords
Imagine you for whatever reason you want to arpegiate a song's chords. There are various ways to arpegiate a chord and you also want the notes to match the pitch of the lyrics as well. How would you do that?
The particular song I have in mind is an old French song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ICFtXx546A Chords here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOa3GlAf8uM Sheet music here: https://musescore.com/user/5060416/scores/4903266 
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#2
10-17-2019, 11:17 AM
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There is really no canned answer for using your ears and having good taste, though try not to be totally repetitive (for example you can vary picking patterns, strum some chords, solo melody note in some places).
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Derek Coombs Youtube -> Website -> Music -> Tabs Guitars by Mark Blanchard, Albert&Mueller, Paul Woolson, Collings, Composite Acoustics, and Derek Coombs "Reality is that which when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." Woods hands pick by eye and ear
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#3
10-17-2019, 12:52 PM
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I'm playing around with a pop tune right now, "Silent Running" by Mike and the Mechanics. It's a very unusual tune for me, as I normally play bluegrass and Americana pretty much exclusively, and so it's been an interesting journey.
I listened to the tune many, many times to really internalize the melody and how the vocals go. I then sat down with my guitar and studied the chords. The song's progression is strikingly, unexpectedly simple, three chords over and over, but to me, there were new chords in the mix: in addition to Dm, which I am familiar, there are C/D and Bb, played arpeggiated and not the full chord shape, only on the upper three strings, with the occasional D string on the bottom. Where am I going with all this? Well, I found out that when I sing it, the vocals sometimes match the pitch of notes that are arpeggiated in the chord, but more often than not, the vocal melody uses notes that are in the chord, but not played on the guitar. So in a way, the voice complements what the guitar plays. I have no idea if this is helpful at all. I guess what I'm trying to suggest is that it may not be necessary to match the pitches of the vocals and the chords, as long as the vocals are on notes that are part of the chord, even if you don't actually play that note on the guitar.
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#4
10-17-2019, 03:09 PM
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#5
10-17-2019, 04:15 PM
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#6
10-21-2019, 05:45 PM
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If you can sing a melody and match it with arpeggios then the matter is simply at hand to give both their due without crowding them into the same space at the same time. Syncopation and ghost notes can help there, as well as mixed-pattern dynamics. This is all predicated on be wholly familiar with the melody. It would be a fun project to arrange.
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#7
10-22-2019, 11:42 AM
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(1) arpeggiate the chords - easy; (2) incorporate the vocal melody - trickier. I'm guessing you want to perform it as a fingerstyle instrumental? Or to play the melody while you sing, perhaps to help you tune in? (1) arpeggiating the chords is easy enough as an accompaniment to the vocal. Just pick the root with your thumb on beat 1, and any combination of other chord tones in any order with your fingers, or a combination of thumb and fingers. Ideally on steady 8th notes (or triplets or 16ths) if it's important to keep a beat, and usually it is. (2) you'll need to work out the melody and how (and where) to play it on guitar. That's easy enough if you can read sheet music (and you have it here). If not... you need to use your ear, note by note... Then you need to work out how much of the chord you can add beneath the melody (always keep the melody as the highest notes you play). You should be able to get the chord root at least (again on beat 1), and then any other chord tone you can fit it. You don't need complete chords this way. Melody and bass line is enough, but the melody rules, so everything else has to be able to fit around it. Sometimes you need the tune to be transposed to a key that suits the guitar better, but this is not too hard in the given key (D minor).
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