TOPIC: Simple Gifts - Confused by Tab vs Video

In your video of Simple Gifts it looks like you are playing chords. When I look at the tab it looks like single notes are played. What am I missing?

Thanks.

Okay, disclaimer: I am by no means a guitarist.

But FM has demonstrated this in class before. All melody lines are based off of the basic chord progression, right? Well, therefore there are many leads that you can fret the chord in the progression and pick the single notes out of it. At least that is my understanding of it. FM can (and will) correct me if I'm wrong.

It is the same for guitar as it is for mando and banjo: fret the entire chord and see if you can pick out the corresponding single notes out the melody line. Banjos can always just roll the chord.

Does that help? Or have I just confused things more?

You play the melody line out of the chord positions. That is the smart way to play a tune that is chordal in nature (which this one is).

FM

So in other words I'm right?

It turns out that I had the wrong tab. I need to get the TEF version.

Yes and no. The chord will contain many of the melody lines notes but not all of them. As a general rule, 2/3rds of the melody usually is within the arpeggio (I iii V).

FM