The Lead-in
Sometimes a song does not begin on the first beat of a bar. Any notes which come before the first full bar are called lead-in notes (or pick-up notes). When lead-in notes are used, the last bar is also incomplete. The notes in the lead-in and the notes in the last bar add up to one full bar. The following song begins with two lead-in notes.
As well as memorizing the melody of the song, it is important to be able to play through the chord progression using rolls before attempting to combine melody and accompaniment. Here is an example using a pattern you learned earlier.
Now try the following version which combines the melody with rolls. Use the process shown in this lesson to play other songs from earlier in the book or any other songs you know. This can be difficult at first but the more you practice it the easier it gets.
