Barney Kessel’s Guide to Mastering Chord Melody (Harmonize Anything)

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Here is Patreon link for "There Will Never Be Another You" chord melody (with guitar pro, PDF, and XML files): patreon.com/NathanBortonMusicPatreon?Link

[@rickjensen2717]

Great lesson Nathan - I studied classical guitar at college (many years ago) and I found his approach very relatable and made a lot of sense - thank you for taking the time to summarise the thoughts of this wonderful musician.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

No problem Rick! Always glad to see you on the lessons and hope this video helps you!

[@williamschifke8354]

Great break down! Quick, clear and concise. I have hours of material to practice in this 10 minutes of video. Thanks!

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Glad it was helpful!

[@tristanwatson8882]

Good stuff Nathan. That was a really great condensed version of Barney's video covering all the relevant info. I'm amazed how organised and effective Barney's approach to chord melody was right from early in his career. He really studied this approach in an era when there were no guitar books or teachers to show you this stuff. Keep up the good videos.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Thanks so much! Yes, it really is incredible how much of a master teacher he was at a time where there were not many formalized methods. Hopefully this video brings to light some of this masterful teachings!

[@steveleeds8212]

Thanks, Nathan. That was an excellent exposition of what Barney taught.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Appreciate that! Barney was a true master!

[@josephkantor2548]

Thanks!

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Very much appreciate your support! Thanks!

[@marlowepi7788]

as i am a solo player with no band this kind of playing is very interesting. thanks for the reminder that kessels tape exists!

[@NathanBortonMusic]

No problem! Hope this video (and Barney's) helps you. Make sure to check out the other videos mentioned in this one (my Wes Montgomery block chords video and the Joe Pass one).

[@fouroutoffour]

That’s a deep lesson. Thanks to Barney and to you for summarizing it so thoroughly and beautifully. Also, that was a well-timed message to not get discouraged. Ha ha

[@NathanBortonMusic]

No problem! Hope this lesson helps you! and yes... in Barney's video he also says the same thing around that time in the original video as well. I thought it was a good reminder that this stuff is hard, BUT here is how to do it :)

[@klangfarben6]

This is an incredible lesson. Thank you

[@NathanBortonMusic]

You're very welcome!

[@ElDami]

This lesson reminded me so much about classic counterpoint! Great video

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Yes! Thank you!

[@matt_greene]

great lesson! gilad hekselman has a method of thinking about chords from the bottom up, or from the melody or highest note and not from the bass. Then, when creating chord melody he is able to choose any triad inversion or drop2/3 voicing which both works for the song harmonically and contains the melody note on the bottom. Obviously easier said than done, but would love your thoughts on an approach like his!

[@SeanMcQuilter_Music]

Hey man this is cool. I just listened to his Live at the Village Vanguard album this last week. Some killer playing, and it’s an interesting concept you’d bringing up! What a killer player.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Yeah that for sure works! That fits well with Gilad's style, as he's always playing over things both harmonically and rhythmically. This is of course Barney's take on harmonization and comes from a different place. My personal take is anything is fair game. If you check out the harmonization I did of "There Will Never Be Another You," on my patreon, you'll see I used Barney's method but the end result came out sounding like me! Find what works for you and make it our own :)

[@alanblakeguitarist]

Nice brother!! I know all of this but never think about it.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

It's simple and straight forward, but useful and effective!

[@JimmyGallowayGuitar]

Excellent video, very well done

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Thanks! Appreciate the kind words

[@patrickteiho1930]

Magnifique merci beaucoup.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Thanks so much for watching!

[@sgazzz]

Solid lesson...🙏🏽

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Thanks so much!

[@winterbottom2427]

good stuff man! thanks❤

[@lesliethomas2081]

Hello Brother ,this is so great a channel respect on the chops amazing..wow

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Much appreciated! Thanks!

[@lawrencetaylor4101]

This is out of my pay grade. Like way out. I'm still learning triads and consider myself ready to soon be a beginner. And I've heard that a Jazz musician should be level 8. I agree. No one likes to listen to a mediocre jazz player. I'm trying to learn Thoroughbass and Bach Chorales. Listening to Barneys' rules, it seems he knew his Bach. Gives me inspiration to keep on the path I'm on.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Yes for sure! The "perfect duet form" is definitely Bach. Also a lot of ways that Bach used chromaticism aligns with bebop, so there is another plus!

[@michaelrichardson2359]

Brilliant Nathan, thank you! Small request, if you can add your guitar strap to the gear list?

[@NathanBortonMusic]

It has been added! Thanks for the request!

[@stratopastor_uk]

Apart from the playing and explanations.... Nice tone.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

It's the Charlie Christian pickup from Lollar... it's amazing!

[@37BopCity]

Very interesting but also for very advanced guitarists, in my opinion.. As an intermediate player I find it's a lot more educational for me to play chord melody transcriptions from the great guitarists. They all have their own unique interpretations. Barney's chord melodies are some of the most sophisticated I've ever attempted to play. Barney, Wes Montgomery, Joe Pass, Herb Ellis, Kenny Burrell, Barry Galbraith, and a long list of other names including Lenny Breau, Chet Atkins, etc are all so uniquely different in their own ways. I try to learn these transcriptions as best I can, and then interpret the chords and melodies in my own way.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

For sure, thats probably the best way to learn! However, videos like this (and Barney's) give some insight into whats going on and give you ways to make either understand fragments of what you transcribed OR just be able to fragments of the method. For example, work out your thirds and sixths harmonizations. That in itself is super useful and can be used for comping. You don't have to do the whole thing, just take want you need and come back when your ready for more :) Thanks for watching!

[@guitariste47]

Amazing and mind blowing!!!!

[@waltertanner7982]

Jim Hall - the coolest

[@mambotime954]

Hey Nathan! Do you have any problems with copyright on KZbin ? I know you don’t use any recorded music so I was wondering if you have any issues. Might start a channel but I’m unsure of how to approach it.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Hey mambo, thanks for the question. I have had some problems in the past, but learned that if you create all the music it's fine. The choice for no recorded background music was actually due to feedback from my subscribers. If you have any questions about KZbin I'd be happy to help. Send me an email a [e-mail].

[@kenster3554]

Call me crazy, but having watched Barney’s instructional video on VCR tape, I found the quality of Nathan’s voice, and cadence eerily similar to Barney.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Well I did watch the video again in order to make this one… maybe it subconsciously got into my speaking haha

[@kenster3554]

@@NathanBortonMusic You should have asked Bruce Forman if you could’ve borrowed Barney’s old guitar, then the picture would have been complete! 😜

[@JoséJorge-b8h]

VOCE FALA MUITO.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Well it is a lesson not a performance

[@thomasewart-c9g]

Sorry BopCity, but you will learn faster by making your own chord Melody arrangements. It's not THAT hard. I started after three months of lessons, at age 15, when encouraged by my teacher. Try it.

[@brahmabile]

hater talk

[@thomasewart-c9g]

No, encouragement. Just try, and grow as a musician.

[@NathanBortonMusic]

It’s always good to try, fail, and try again!

[@niceperson5962]

3rds, 6ths and 5ths without the apostrophes - they are plurals not genitives

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Thanks for the correction!

[@niceperson5962]

@@NathanBortonMusic Sorry for being such a pedant!

[@jburn007]

Thanks!

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Thanks so much for your support!

[@winterbottom2427]

good stuff man! thanks❤

[@NathanBortonMusic]

Glad it helped!