Music in Two Parts
The following exercises introduce music played in two parts. The melody parts has the stems pointing downward and the chord accompaniment part has the stems pointing upwards.
It is important to remember that the melody notes must be held for their full value of 3 counts. Thus in bar 1, the C note is played on the first count and then held for the next two counts, while the chords are being played. Do not release pressure on the C note.
The quarter note rest which appears above the dotted half note (C in bar 1) indicates that there is no chord being played on the first beat. This style of playing notes and chords together can be extremely effective and will be examined in close detail in the lessons to come.
The steady bass rhythm which the melody creates in this exercise reflects a style of playing called bass note picking. It is very common in all styles of music, including country, folk and contemporary pop. Be sure to hold each of the bass notes for their correct value of 2 counts.
