Studio Director Rick Imus recently performed on acoustic guitar, performing three instrumental versions in a chord-melody style.

The arrangements utilized harmonization of the melodies using parallel 3rds, 6ths, and 10ths. Let’s take a look at these intervals in turn.

For 3rds, they work when the 3rd degree of the scale is the melody, and the harmony note can be placed under the melody. For example, if the melody is E F G, then the harmony might be C D E below.

Sixths are the inversion of 3rds. Using the above example, if the melody goes C D E, then E F G can be voiced below (E going up to C, for example, is a 6th.)

Tenths are a compound interval, they are one octave plus a third.

The key idea is to position the melody as the highest note to keep it prominent in the listeners’ ears.