JAzz
These chord/melody examples show a number of different ways of spelling out harmony. They are particularly useful when playing solo, or when backing a singer or other instrument. The first example shows a moving line against a sustained chord. Barney Kessel was a master of this style, as you can
hear in his recording of “Cry Me a River” with vocalist Julie London.
solo Jazz Guitar
By HUGH BURNs
Combining Melody and Harmony for a Bigger Sound
The next example demonstrates the famous style of Joe Pass, which creates the impression of a walking bass line with chords as punctuation.
Next up is a ballad-style introduction. This time it’s the inner voice that moves.
The block chords in this example can be moved up a fourth to create an introductory sequence reminiscent of Tal Farlow’s pianistic style.
