One of the ways you can start embellishing melodies is by varying the pickups to lines of the melody. In “Worried Man Blues” the vocal pickup is just one word/note: “it.” In this video, Lauren shows you how you can start varying the pickup rhythmically and melodically.
| “Keep on the Sunny Side,” Key of G |
| “Keep on the Sunny Side,” Key of G, Part 2: Solo Ideas |
Lauren demonstrates numerous ways to embellish the basic melody of both the verse and chorus with pickups, bow ornaments, blue notes, drones, and harmonies.