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Lesson 19 Intermediate Chapter III — Intermediate Skills

Playing Melody with Guitar Chords

When melody and chords are woven together, the guitar sounds like two instruments at once. This lesson teaches you the brush stroke technique that makes this possible — one of the most satisfying sounds in solo guitar playing.

How Melody-with-Chords Works

In the brush stroke patterns you have already learned, your thumb (or pick) plays a bass note and the 1st finger provides the chord stroke. To play melody with chords, the bass note position is replaced by a melody note — you pluck whichever string contains the next melody note, then brush the chord stroke as usual.

The result sounds like two guitars: one carrying the melody and one providing rhythm backing. It is one of the most impressive and satisfying sounds a solo guitarist can produce.

Melody Notes Inside the Chord Shape

Many melody notes already exist within the chord you are holding. A C chord, for example, covers strings 1 through 5 — so any melody note on any of those strings can be played by simply plucking that string before the chord stroke, without changing your left-hand position at all.

This is the most common situation. Identify which string carries the melody note, pluck it on the appropriate beat, then brush the remaining strings for the chord stroke. The timing is: melody note → chord stroke → melody note → chord stroke.

✦ Play Melody Notes More Strongly

In printed guitar arrangements, important melody notes are underlined or specially marked. Play these notes slightly more firmly than the chord strokes so the melody stands out clearly above the accompaniment. Think of the melody as the 'singer' and the chord strokes as the 'backing'.

Melody Notes Outside the Chord Shape

Sometimes the melody requires a note that is not in the chord shape — perhaps on a string your chord fingers are pressing, but at a different fret. In these cases:

  1. Keep your other chord fingers in place
  2. Temporarily lift the finger that is on that string
  3. Play the melody note with the appropriate finger
  4. Put the chord finger back and play the chord stroke

This happens quickly and smoothly with practice. The key is to always put fingers back immediately after the melody note — the chord stroke must sound full.

Guitar Runs Between Chords

A run is a short sequence of 2–4 single notes connecting one chord to the next. Runs fill the musical spaces between chord changes and make progressions sound professional rather than mechanical.

A simple run from C to F chord: as you play the last beat of the C chord bar, move to a passing note (often one or two frets below the first note of the F chord), then land on F. Common runs move stepwise — each note one step higher or lower than the last — toward the landing note of the next chord.

🎵 C to F Run

End the C bar with string 4 open (D), then string 4 at fret 2 (E), arriving at the F chord. Two notes, smooth transition.

🎵 G7 to C Run

End the G7 bar by playing string 5 open (A), then string 5 at fret 3 (C), landing on the first beat of C. Clean and musical.

The String Number Notation System

Many guitar music arrangements use a simple system to show exactly where each melody note should be played on the neck. A superscript number next to a note name gives the string:

This system is used when a note could be played on more than one string — it removes all ambiguity about where on the neck to find each note. When you encounter unfamiliar notation, look up the note position from the complete fingerboard chart in Lesson 25.

What's Next?

Lesson 20 adds four essential new chords — G major, B7, E minor, and D major — giving you eight chords in total and opening up a huge new range of songs to play.

Questions & Answers

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about playing melody with guitar chords

Play the melody notes instead of the bass notes in a brush stroke pattern. If the melody note is within the chord shape, pluck that string. If not, temporarily remove a finger to play the note, then replace it for the chord stroke. The thumb or 1st finger provides the chord strokes underneath.

A run is a short sequence of single notes — usually 2 to 4 notes — that connects one chord to the next. Runs fill the musical space between chord changes and make the progression sound more fluid and professional. Common runs move stepwise up or down toward the first note of the next chord.

Look at which strings your chord fingers are pressing, plus which strings are ringing open. Any note on those strings is available within the chord. For example, a C chord covers strings 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 — any melody note on any of those strings can be played without changing your chord hand position.

In chord-melody notation, a superscript number after a string or note name tells you the string to play on. The other number tells you the fret. So 4° means 4th string open, and 4² means 4th string at the 2nd fret. This system precisely locates every note on the guitar neck.

This technique is for players who have solid chord shapes and a steady brush stroke rhythm — usually after 2 to 3 months of practice. Work through lessons 1 to 18 first. Once your chords are automatic and your right-hand rhythm is steady, this technique will come much more naturally.