Alan Barnosky

A handful of smartly placed harmony notes in a melody can transform a flatpicking arrangement from simple to stunning. While speedy licks have their place, I find that a slower song with a hummable melody is best served by a solo that builds off the vocal line. In this lesson, I walk through how I approach the task, using strums, arpeggios, and cross picking over the classic song "Little Darling Pal of Mine." Example 1 presents the melody and chords in the key of G major.

Like many Ray Davies songs, “Sunny Afternoon,” the Kinks’ hit released in 1966 on Face to Face, isn’t quite what it seems on the surface. Over bouncy, cheerful music, Davies sings in the voice of a rich man loafing in the sun while complaining about taxes, the loss of his yacht, and the girlfriend who fled his drunken cruelty. Musically, the song’s highlight is its descending bass line, heard in the intro and the end of the chorus.

James Taylor and Carole King, Courtesy of Columbia Records, Capitol Records Singer-songwriter Carole King wrote “You’ve Got a Friend” in 1971 and recorded it for her album Tapestry, but it was James Taylor’s version—cut that same year for Mud Slide Slim and the Blue Horizon—that most listeners know best. King played piano and sang harmony on Taylor’s take, which went on to top the Billboard charts and earn both artists Grammy awards.