Picking Melody Notes Guitar Lesson

Chapter 1: (09:59) Picking Melody Notes Jim kicks off Lesson 5 by demonstrating the possibilities of fingerstyle guitar. This arrangement of "Leader of the Band" features a bass line and melody played simultaneously. You have already learned the basic principles of performing an alternating bass line. In this lesson, Jim explains how the index, middle, and ring fingers can be used to play a melody line in conjunction with a bass line.

Review of Previous Materials

Thumb Independence

Up until this point, the thumb has remained independent from the other fingers. The thumb typically strikes a note on a beat when the other fingers are not playing. "Thumb independence" is used in this type of accompaniment pattern. Jim demonstrates such an accompaniment at 00:54 in the lesson video.

Adding Chords

The rhythm of an alternating bass pattern always remains the same. In a previous lesson you learned you that chords can be plucked on various beats in conjunction with a bass line. For example, chords can be plucked on beats 1 and 4 or on beats 2 and 3. This combination of bass and chords creates a stronger accompaniment pattern.

Adding Syncopation

In the last lesson, you learned how to vary this basic accompaniment pattern by adding syncopation. Syncopation is produced by plucking chords on the "and" or weak beats of a measure.

Note: If you have not yet mastered all of the concepts listed above, review the previous lessons at this time.

The next step in your fingerstyle training is to include a melody line within an accompaniment figure. Jim plays through an arrangement of the song "Freight Train" by Elizabeth "Libbis" Cotton to illustrate this idea. He plays the chords, a bass line, and the melody all within a single arrangement.

"Finger Splits"

A "Finger Split" occurs when the fingers pluck the strings at different times opposed to simultaneously plucking a blocked chord. An arpeggio is one example of this concept. In this lesson, Jim will demonstrate how arpeggios can be combined with an alternating bass to create exciting new accompaniment figures.

Exercise 1

This exercise features a two note alternating bass line. On beats 1 and 3, the root note of an "open" C chord is plucked. On beats 2 and 4, the third of the chord is plucked on the fourth string. On the "and" beats of 1 and 3, the index finger plucks the open G string. The middle finger plucks the second string on the "and" beats of 2 and 4. This arpeggio / alternating bass pattern is relatively simple and easy to play. Yet, it creates a complex sounding accompaniment figure.

Practice this figure very slowly at first with a metronome. Focus on keeping the functions of your fingers coordinated. At first, practice the bass line by itself. Then, add in the functions of the other fingers. Also, make sure that the bass line is palm-muted. Play without palm muting at first. Then, add it back in. As you become more comfortable with the exercise, increase the tempo. You will need to use this accompaniment figure to play songs in various tempo ranges.

Thoughts on Fingerstyle Technique

Within the folk, country, and bluegrass styles, the third finger is not used around 80% of the time. Within these styles, the third finger is only used to play a blocked chord such as in the accompaniment figures that you learned in previous lessons. This technique is very similar to how banjo players play fingerstyle. Most banjo players use the thumb, index, and middle fingers exclusively.

Some fingerstyle players such as Steve Howe prefer to use a flatpick instead of a thumb pick to play this style of music. Click here for a performance example of this technique. Since his index finger is holding the pick, the second and third fingers must pluck the chords and melody line.

The right hand techniques listed above are very different from the right hand technique utilized by classical players. Within this style, the third finger is frequently used to play arpeggio lines, chords, and melodies.

Exercise 2

This exercise is very similar to Exercise 1. The bass line remains the same. However, the middle finger now alternates between the second and first strings. On the "and" beat of 2, the second string is played. The middle finger plucks the first string on the "and" beat of four. This alternation requires some additional mental and physical coordination. Most classical players would pluck the note on the high E string with the third finger. Practice the exercise using both fingerings.

Once again, play the bass line by itself. Then, add in the index and middle fingers. Chapter 2: (06:51) Harder Picking Pattern Exercise 3

This exercise applies a three string alternating bass line to Exercise 1. You will see this type of alternating bass line in countless fingerstyle arrangements. Here is a breakdown of the thumb's function on each beat. Once again, the bass line is applied to an "open" C major chord voicing.

Beat 1 - root note
Beat 2 - third of chord (E note played on the fourth string)
Beat 3 - fifth of chord (G note played on sixth string)
Beat 4 - third of chord

In order to play this bass line within an "open" C major chord, you must alter the left hand fingering of the chord. The pinkie now plays the root note on the fifth string. The third finger plays the G note at the 3rd fret of the sixth string. Or, you can alternate your third finger back and forth between the fifth and sixth strings. This leaves the pinkie free to play melody notes.

Practicing the Exercise

At first, practice the bass line by itself. Then, incorporate the index and middle fingers. Practice this exercise very slowly. It requires a great deal of concentration and coordination. If you begin to feel frustrated with the exercise, take a break and practice something else. Come back to the exercise later when you are relaxed.

Exercise 4

This is the hardest exercise of the lesson. However, this exercise will not seem too difficult if you have already mastered the three previous exercises. In Exercise 4, a three string alternating bass line is applied to the arpeggio pattern in Exercise 2.

Applying the Exercises to Other Chords

Practice all of these exercises with a variety of chords. Begin with the IV and V chords in the key of C. Respectively, these chords are D major and G major. Next, go through the remaining chords in the CAGED system. Finally, apply the exercises to a I IV V progression in each of the CAGED keys. Play each chord for a total of two measures.

Jim demonstrates a few of the exercises with an "open" G major chord. Pay attention to the left hand fingering that he uses for this chord. This is the most practical fingering for a G chord when playing progressions in the key of C. When switching from C to G or vice versa, the second and third fingers do not need to move very far. Chapter 3: (16:25) Leader of the Band Sample Jim uses the intro to "Leader of the Band" by Dan Fogelberg to demonstrate how the exercises from the previous scenes fit within a practical musical application.

Key of the Song / Chord Progression

The original recording of the song is played with a capo at the the first fret. This transposes the song to the key of Ab major. Jim teaches the song without a capo in the key of G major. The chord progression features the I, ii, IV, V7, and vi chords in this key. Respectively, these chords are G, Am, C, D7, and Em. Chord charts with proper fingerings can be found under the "Supplemental Content" tab.

Bass Line

This song features an alternating bass line played between two strings. Reference the tablature to see which two strings are used in the bass line for each chord. Sometimes the root and fifth of the chord are used. The root and third are played with other chords.

If a three string alternating bass line is applied to the arrangement, the song loses its signature character. The melody of the song is relatively active. When the melody is combined with a three string bass line, the overall arrangement sounds way too busy.

You can play the bass line over the D7 chord in one of two different ways. You can alternate between the root and fifth of the chord on the open fourth and fifth strings. Or, you can use your thumb to fret the third of the chord, F#, at the 2nd fret of the sixth string. Within this option, pluck F# on beats 1 and 3. Then, pluck the open root note on beats 2 and 4. The latter option is notated under the "Supplemental Content" tab. Compare both options within the context of the song to determine which option sounds best to you. Do not simply choose the option that is easier to play! You will frequently need to use the thumb in alternating bass lines and various chord progression as you progress as a player.

Since the first string is not used within the melody line, you do not have to fret the low F# note with the thumb. Instead, the chord can be re-fingered. Watch at 11:10 as Jim demonstrates this alternate fingering.

Additional Harmony Notes

An additional harmony note is occasionally added to the arrangement. A third string note is played on the "and" beat of 3 whenever a melody note is not played. The inclusion of this note helps to round at the accompaniment pattern.

Right Hand Fingering for the Melody Line

The melody line is played with the index and middle fingers only. You do not need to use the third finger in this arrangement. For the most part, the index finger plucks notes on the second string. The middle finger plucks all melody notes on the first string. Alternate between the index finger and the middle finger when two eighth notes are played consecutively on the same string.

Double Hammer-ons

A hammer-on figure is incorporated into the accompaniment in measure 8 to create an effective transition to the verse section of the song. This double hammer-on figure may take a some getting used to if you are new to this technique. Leave the third and pinkie fingers planted on the sixth and first strings throughout these measures. This will help keep the left hand component as simple as possible.

Practicing the Arrangement

Practice the bass line and melody separately. Then, play them together. Make sure that there is a nice balance in volume between these two parts. Remember that the melody is always sacred. Consequently, it should be placed in the foreground. The bass line should be played quietly in the background. Palm muting the bass line will help create an effective balance in volume and tone between both parts.

Play Along

Pause the lesson video and learn the arrangement. Once you can play it at tempo, return to the lesson video and play along with Jim at 14:15.

Preview of Upcoming Lessons

In the following lessons, Jim will explain how to play melodies and accompaniment figures in 3/4 time.

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