Are You Missing Me

Hi, 
The song of the week is 'Are You Missing Me' in the key of G.


Recording
Jim & Jesse - key of G
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Phh1fvTFb8


Progression
The progression for the verses and breaks is:
1411
5511
1411
5511

The progression for the chorus is the same as that for My Home's Across The Blue Ridge Mountains, and the verses of How Mountain Girls Can Love and Columbus Stockade Blues:
1111
5511
1111
5511

Notice that the verse and chorus progressions differ from each other only by two measures. For helping to get the song off to a strong start at the jam, the main thing to remember about the verse progression is that there is a change to the 4 chord in the second measure of lines 1 and 3.


Melody & Harmony
The melody for the chorus has little in common with the melody for the verse, and is not nearly as straightforward as the melody for the verse. Each line of the chorus starts with a different melody note (disregarding the nonessential grace notes that the first and third line begin with). The melody for lines 1 and 3, which one might expect to be similar, are significantly different from each other, and line 4 begins with a uncommon starting note for a line, the 7th note of the major scale (F# note when in the key of G). 

On the recording, the harmony part is prominent in the mix, and in certain spots, most notably the beginnings of lines 2 and 4, the harmony notes form wide intervals with the melody notes (a major 6th for the beginning of line 2 on the word 'with': the  notes are separated from each other by 9 half steps: A is the melody note, and the F# above it is the harmony note; a minor 6th for the beginning of line 4 on the word 'are': the notes are separated from each other by 8 half steps: F# is the melody note, and the D above it is the harmony note). 

For all these reasons and more, it is very easy to misidentify many of the melody notes for the chorus. So, in addition to the melody sheets for the verse which are intended to give people a good starting point for coming up with melody-based breaks on their instruments, I have also included in the attachments a chorus melody and harmony sheet for the benefit of singers which is based upon the first chorus on the recording. The lower of the two parts shown on the sheet is the melody, and the higher of the two parts is the harmony. 


Song List
16 songs were played at last night's jam:

Are You Missing Me - G
Ashes Of Love - G
Cherokee Shuffle - A
Clinch Mountain Backstep - A
Cry, Cry Darlin' - Bb
Down In A Willow Garden - A
I Can't Feel At Home In This World Anymore - G
Little Cabin Home On The Hill (played twice) - A & G
Little Liza Jane - D
Love Of The Mountains - A
Reuben - D
Steel Rails - C
Why Don't You Tell Me So - G
Bill Cheatham - A
Lonesome Feeling - C
Long Journey Home - A

Happy Pickin',
Jason

Are You Missing Me - banjo tab (verse)
Download File

Are You Missing Me - guitar tab (verse)
Download File

Are You Missing Me - mandolin tab (verse)
Download File

Are You Missing Me - verse in G
Download File

Are You Missing Me - chorus & harmony
Download File