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Hey, friends! In this week’s lesson I’ll teach you how to play Melissa, the Allman Bros classic from 1972. I’ll break down the chord shapes, talk about the progression & rhythm, and show you a few different strumming options (for both beginners and more intermediate players). This is one so many of you have requested over the years… it’s been a joy to learn, and I hope you enjoy!
Free Video Lesson
Slow Strum-Along
Requires membership to Song Notes Premium. Here’s two videos showing play-throughs of each section, played at a slower pace (70 bpm), without any singing. Once you’ve learned the chords & the overall progression, use these videos to get practice playing along & maintaining a steady tempo.
Strum-along with a very simple strum. Start here if you’re just getting started with this song:
Strum-along with a full (intermediate) strum, matching what Gregg Allman plays:
Vocal Melody Notes
Requires membership to Song Notes Premium. If you’re interested in learning the vocal melody notes this song uses, check out this tutorial. I begin by showing a summary of the melody in tab form, before showing the real-time process of transcribing it (1:26). If you’re interested in singing this song and need help knowing which exact notes to hit (like me!), this video will be incredibly helpful.
Song Sheet with Lyrics 5 pages
A printed arrangement with the lyrics, chords, and other guitar parts taught in my video lesson. Available for purchase through Musicnotes.com.
Have questions? Read this help page to learn how buying & printing works, with answers to many common questions about my song sheets.
Buy at Musicnotes.comLesson Discussion
Allman Brothers Recordings of Melissa
Album version (1972):
Live version (1991):
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