TOPIC: LEADS!

I feel your pain. I think they're harder because play them out of the chord form but in a flat picked song, you can sort of abandon the chord positions and just play the melody. Also, with a flat picked song like Old Joe Clark, you can just plant your pinky and keep your right hand in position throughout the song - but I have trouble if I have to strum chords and then get my hand back into position - I miss alot of melody notes in between the chords. Finally, the flat picked songs are all usually the same notes (quarter notes, eighth notes or whatever) but the chord songs seem to mix up the up and get complicated to keep timing in the leads. I've been working on Loch Lomand and have trouble with this song for that reason.

I'm with Tigerpaws, it's easier (for me) to learn the songs not in the chords. But I have been working hard with the Fretmentor to change this bad habit of mine. Someday, I might actually accomplish this feat!

I agree that it's easier to do the flat picking songs without chords. In fact, I usually first learn the chords and then I try to learn the melody without chords for all the songs, whether the tabs include chords and melody mixed or not. When I get to a point that I think I know the melody well enough, then I add the chords back in. I've actually been able to do that with a couple of songs now and they sound half-decent, at least in my living room. I do like how the songs with both melody and chords sound so much more complete than just those with melody. If I squint really hard, it sounds like I'm my own backing band.

It's all about holding yur tongue right... and the hat(which I need).

Don't forget something to write with

Got together with a couple of class members to do some pickin' this weekend, and as I was really struggling to get thru Loch Lomond, with all those chordy strums sprinkled in there:S , then Edbird says forget the strums for now, just do the melody. Tried it again hitting just the main melody notes and it came out almost perfect. Goes along with some of the things folks have been saying on this thread. Next I'll try to spice it up with a few strumms, but getting the melody down first is definitely a good way to learn a new song.