Chord Melody Masterclass
Beautiful Love
“Randy presents an easily playable, but harmonically challenging arrangement of Beautiful Love. Throughout the lesson he demonstrates a variety of Harmonic Textures by restructuring…”
About this masterclass
Randy Johnston uses the standard "Beautiful Love" as the basis for a practical, hands-on class, opening with a solo rendition and then taking the tune apart step by step. It's a 32-bar minor tune that people call easy — Randy makes the case that it isn't, and shows you how to handle it on the guitar.
What's covered
- The melody, with position-shifting techniques — including why sliding with the third finger beats the little finger
- A chord solo version with several variations, covered step by step
- Alternate chord choices and the theory behind them
- Demystifying the half-diminished (m7b5) chord that opens the tune
- Choices for the i chord in a minor key
- The minor scales in play — harmonic minor, Dorian, and melodic minor — with a scale chart
- Constructing solo lines, with chords and solos covered in 3 positions
Chord diagrams, a scale chart, and the lead sheet are included. Running time: 1 hour. A natural follow-up to Randy's classes on Stella by Starlight and Green Dolphin Street.
Lessons in this masterclass
Lessons
- 1Beautiful Love57s
Reviews & Ratings
"Thanks for all your help and advice with showing us a pathway through this beautiful tune."
Randy presents an easily playable, but harmonically challenging arrangement of Beautiful Love. Throughout the lesson he demonstrates a variety of Harmonic Textures by restructuring the original underlying harmony of the song. This was a big help in making several of the passages very playable on the guitar. What's really great, is that Randy provides a methodology for analyzing the content, he breaks down his solo into logical, 8-bar sections, then specifically addresses what takes place over each chord. His method is instantly transferrable to other tunes. Randy, presents the jazz improviser with new avenues of expression via traditional forms of this standard tune. The power and depth of his compositions (chord melody) has been an inspiration to me both as an improviser and a guitarist. An added benefit is this tune, it introduced me to artist that I haven't spent that much time with: Anita O'Day, Hank Jones and Kenny Barron. Plus musicians that I know very well - played great renditions of this tune: Kenny Burrell, Joe Pass, Bill Evans, etc.. I hope everyone will give Beautiful Love a try, you will not regret it.
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