Theory
At last, the final day of Week 4 — Month 1 complete. Think back to the day a month ago when you first laid the core grip on the hand. From there you dyed the chords with tension, glided with chromatics, and this week laid a melody on top with the top note. Today you gather those four steps into one vamp and make Month 1's finished piece.
The finished piece is chord melody. Lay Dm9 and G13 on beat 1 and move the top-note melody above them like a song. Over Dm9 the top line walks 5→b7→root; over G13 it walks 3→5→3. Keep the chord as a minimal background, and let ear and hand follow the green top note.
Today isn't about speed — it's the day you confirm a month's harvest. Roll it slowly at BPM 72 and listen for the song flowing over the chord. When the top-note melody vamp rolls in a round, unbroken loop, you've taken the first step of neosoul chord melody. First, lay the home chord Dm9.
▶ Bar 1 is Dm9. Lay the chord and the top line starts from the 1st string fret 5 (green 5th).
See it
Bar 2 is G13. Lay the chord and the top line starts from the 1st string fret 7 (the 3rd). Link Dm9's 5th line with G13's 3rd line and the two bars flow as one song.
▶ Bar 2 is G13. Lay the chord and the top line starts from the 1st string fret 7 (green 3rd).
Now here's Month 1's finished piece, the top-note melody vamp, with the two bars joined into one. A month's journey is held in these two bars. Chord minimal, green top note walking like a song — that's today's lead role.
▶ BPM 72. 코드를 1박에 깔고, 1번줄에서 탑노트 멜로디(초록)를 노래하듯 움직여요. 코드는 최소로만, 귀는 탑 라인을 따라가요.
Today's practice
0–10 min · Warm-up BPM 65. Grab Dm9 and G13 and slowly trace the 1st-string top line (5·8·10, 7·10·7). Check that the top note links clearly above the chord-holding hand.
10–20 min · Brain training (drawing the top line) Silently move between the two chords and draw with your eyes where each bar's 1st-string top note walks.
20–40 min · Real top-note melody vamp (BPM 72) Repeat the four bars below without a break. Watch just one thing: whether the green top line walks over the chord like a song.
▶ BPM 72. Loop the top-note melody vamp twice. Keep the chord minimal and let the green top line sing.
40–50 min · Recording / self-feedback (recommended) Record 30 seconds and listen back. Compare the core-grip-only sound of a month ago with today's top-note melody vamp — how much it has grown into a song.
Done when: You can loop the top-note melody vamp (Dm9·G13 + green top line) at BPM 72 without a break and make the melody that walks over the chord sing. (Month 1 complete!)
Here are just the mistakes that show up most as you roll the top-note melody vamp.
▶ On the 1st string, frets 5·10·7 (green) are the top line's landings; fret 8 is the passing note that links between them.
- All the force goes into the chord. The chord is background. Ring the 1st-string top note a touch clearer and put the song out front.
- The chord breaks while you move the top note. Keep the chord fingers pressed and walk only the finger fretting the 1st string.
- The beat drags. Lay the chord briefly on beat 1 and move straight to the top note, and the rest won't drag.
- You raise the speed first. Month 1's harvest is the singing flow. Drop to BPM 65 and make the top line clear first.