How is it possible to add a little lead guitar/mandolin, etc. to a particular song that i know the chords for. I play the guitar and mandolin and can read sheet music and apply it to either or, but I just can't make up the melody. What I mean is that I can pick different notes around a chord but it doesn't sound like the voicing for the song. Like take happy birthday if you pick the notes you can tell what it is, but you can pick a lot of notes around the chords but it doesn't sound like happy birthday. Any suggestions????

Clear as mud
Jeff Jacobs
newfiejeff@hotmail.com