Pick-Up Notes
Sometimes a song does not begin on the first beat of the bar. Any notes which come before the first full bar are called pick-up notes. When pick-up notes are used, the last bar is also incomplete. The combined notes in the pick-up and last bar add up to one full bar.
The following tune Banks of the Ohio begins on the second beat of the bar. The melody is relatively simple and can be played solely on the first and second strings. The chord progression to Banks of the Ohio is a common sixteen bar Country progression similar to the sixteen bar progressions that featured throughout the book. Practice the melody to this song first before trying the accompaniment in example 32.
Banks of the Ohio features the chords C, F, G and G7. Several of the fingerpicking patterns studied throughout the book are used including Country bass patterns. Bass runs are also incorporated on some chord changes. The following accompaniment includes the melody from example 32.
The next song, Red River Valley, is also a sixteen bar progression. This time the song is in the key of G, using the chords G, G7, C, D and D7.
