The banjo is capable of producing arrangements of songs where the melody and accompaniment are combined. Usually a roll or vamp is played along with the melody. To begin with, here is a melody in G major.
A simple way to add accompaniment is to pick the high G string between the melody notes.
Another option is to play a roll or vamp between the melody notes, as shown in this next example.
Before attempting to combine melody and accompaniment, it is essential to know the melody from memory. Here is the melody to the song "Comin’ Round the Mountain". In the following pages, you will learn a more complex version which combines the melody with finger rolls.