Melody using dotted half note

Understanding Dotted Notes

Example 2 is our first look at dotted notes. We can think of this easily as the note value you're seeing. The dot is half of that note's value:

• If we had a dotted half note, it would be:
  2 beats + 1 beat = 3 beats.

• If we had a dotted whole note, it would be:
  4 beats + 2 beats = 6 beats long.

• A dotted quarter note would be:
  1 beat + ¬Ω beat = 1.5 beats.

Analyzing the Example

In bar one, the first note is C. We've got a dotted half note, so let's work that out together:

• Half note = 2 beats
• Half of a half note = 1 beat

Adding them together gives us 3 beats.

Therefore, we're going to count to three and play that C again on beat four. It will sound like this:

1, 2, 3, 4.
1, 2, 3, 4.

You can hear that we have an extra beat on that dotted half note.

Breakdown of the Bars

• Bar 1: C played as a dotted half note
• Bar 2: C played as a quarter note
• Bar 3: F
• Bar 4: C (again)

As we mentioned previously, we're rolling our finger down to the third fret. We're not going to lift our finger up; we're just rolling it down to the D string and back up to the A string.

Example Practice

To practice this, we'll play it together:

1, 2, 3, 4.
1, 2, 3, 4.
1, 2, 3, 4.
1, 2, 3, 4.
1, 2, 3, 4.

The Importance of Rolling Fingers

Hopefully, you can hear why the rolled finger technique is beneficial.

Watch what happens when I lift my finger:
(Play with a big gap)

You can hear the time it takes for me to lift my finger and put it back down.

Now, here's when I roll my finger:
(Play with a smooth transition)

You can hear much more blending between the two. This technique reduces the gap, minimizing pauses between notes.

It's a good idea to experiment with this approach‚ not all the time, but look for little shortcuts to make each note blend into the next.