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So i'm trying to make an arrangement of some song but i'm confused which note should i play. I've tried to listen the voice and the lyrics from that song then match my humming with the guitar and i found 3 ways to play the melody which is :

a.

-----------3------------   1st string

--0--0--3------3--1--3--    2nd string

b.

-----------3------------

--1--0--3------3--1--3--

c.

-----------3------------

--3--0--3------3--1--3--

The first chord played in G chord

So my questions is

  1. Those 3 ways sounds similar and feels match the vocal melody, so which should i choose?

  2. I've watched on youtube of those fingerstyle cover song but there's people which play melody of option a and the other which play the option b. Why they different in melody? Isn't the song has same note so there should just one melody which is right

  3. Is it alright to play note that not from the triads chord? Let say the lyric is 'naruto' with G chord but the chord starting to play at 'ruto' so can i play note C for 'na' even if the chord is G ? Because G triads is G B D and C is not G triad but 4th

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  • Not easy to fully understand, but don't expect every single note in a song to match those in the chord. Very few songs do that.
    – Tim
    Commented Jun 27, 2019 at 7:30
  • Edited few lines
    – Frds
    Commented Jun 27, 2019 at 7:46
  • I assume that that tab is showing the high E string and the b string. If so the only note not in a G7 is the open e string (0). The 3 is G. The 1 is F (the flat seven of G which turns the G major triad into a G dominant 7 (G7) chord. The open string is an E and as others below say is a non chord tone which is fine. The 3 on the b string is a D which is the 5th of the g major triad. Anyway seems that maybe this is a G7 and if this is a blues song that is very common.
    – b3ko
    Commented Jun 27, 2019 at 11:55

2 Answers 2

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Once a song is written, and most likely recorded, that becomes the 'blueprint' - the original - the definitive- version.

Others, who copy it, may decide to change notes (or even are blissfully unaware that they've done that), so that it isn't exactly like the original. Most tmes, it's just a variation on a couple or a few notes, occasionally it's blatantly wrong. If someone prefers the 'new' version, that's what they like to listen to, or not, as the case may be.

It's happened with music for ever. Bits get changed. Jazz has made a career out of it ! It's often interesting to go back to the very original (usually the written music) and compare that with what someone else has done with it, good, bad or indifferent. Take any 'standard', and you'll hear a myriad of differences between performances - some virtually unrecognisable, but nevertheless music.

It's really down to you to decide which you prefer, and play that. Have the other versions ready too, so when someone may say 'that's not right', you counter with 'how about this, then?'

As in my comment, do not expect every note over a certain chord to be part of that chord. Notes called passing notes are used most of the time - often in non-emphasised parts of the bar - but they're needed in just about every song.

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Those 3 ways sounds similar and feels match the vocal melody, so which should i choose?

If it's important to you to play the melody faithfully, then you should choose the one that exactly matches your reference (such as a sheet music or recording).

If that is not important to you, you can play a variation that sounds good to you.

I've watched on youtube of those fingerstyle cover song but there's people which play melody of option a and the other which play the option b. Why they different in melody?

Are you sure the melody is the same at every point that it repeats in the original song? Does it perhaps vary in the original?

If not, then when people are playing the "wrong" notes, they may be playing a variation that sounds good to them. (Or they may just be making mistakes!)

Is it alright to play note that not from the triads chord?

Yes, it often sounds very good to play these notes - they are called nonchord tones, and can make a melody sound much more interesting.

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