Playing and improvising with confidence during a ballad requires a knowledge of the chord progression and sensitivity to the melody. Melodies are more specific than chord progressions as they distinguish one song from another. For this reason chord progressions can't be copyrighted but melodies can.

The following examples and jamming spots relate to chord progressions as they can be easily applied to many tunes.

Example I1

The chord progression for this jamming spot is:

D ‘ ‘ ‘ A/C# ‘ ‘ ‘ G ‘ ‘ ‘ A/C# ‘ ‘ ‘

Example I2

Example I2 has a country type feel because of the notes from the major key and from sliding into those notes. The chord progression is G to C.

Example I3 (Major)

Melody

Harmonics can easily be incorporated into ballads as chords or single notes. Examples I3 and I4 fit together as part of the same song but they switch from G major (Example I3) to the relative minor (Emin) (Example I4). Each example has two bass parts.

Example I4 (Minor)

Melody