The Lead-in
Sometimes a song does not begin on the first beat of the 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. When you are playing chords do not strum until the first full bar, after the lead-in notes.
First and Second Endings
The next song contains first and second endings. The first time you play through the song, play the first ending, (Z ), then go back to the beginning. The second time you play through the song, play the second ending (X ) instead of the first.
This example incorporates a lead-in and first and second endings. It also contains a quarter rest in bar 2.
Staccato
A dot above or below a note indicates that the note is to be played staccato, which means short and separate from other notes. This is the opposite of legato.
To play a note staccato, lift your finger off the fretboard (but not off the string) as soon as the note sounds. In the case of open strings, you will need to mute the note with the left hand as soon as it sounds.
To gain control of the way you play notes, it is a good idea to practice alternating between ordinary notes and staccato notes as shown in this example.
Here is a melody which features the use of staccato.
