Strategies for Chord Melody, Voice Leading and Comping, Part 2

John Stowell joins Sheryl for an advanced conversation on chord melody, voice leading, and reharmonization, built around the Gershwin ballad Embraceable You in G. The two trade performances of the tune, then dig into the voicings and harmonic ideas behind what they played.

What's covered

• Open string voicings — using the top three open strings as chord tones or tensions to expand your interval palette, with ideas John traces to Gene Bertoncini
• Chord melody arrangements as a context for developing voice leading in both accompaniment and soloing
• Interpreting diminished chords as altered dominant chords
• The importance of melody in creating context for improvisation
• Going back to the original sheet music to discover harmonic variations
• Why ballads are challenging and worth keeping in your repertoire

This is a thoughtful, player-to-player class for advanced guitarists who want richer voicings and stronger voice leading in their ballad playing.