git add remote branch

I am not sure if you are trying to create a remote branch from a local branch or vice versa, so I've outlined both scenarios as well as provided information on merging the remote and local branches.

Creating a remote called "github":

git remote add github git://github.com/jdoe/coolapp.git
git fetch github

List all remote branches:

git branch -r
  github/gh-pages
  github/master
  github/next
  github/pu

Create a new local branch (test) from a github's remote branch (pu):

git branch test github/pu
git checkout test

Merge changes from github's remote branch (pu) with local branch (test):

git fetch github
git checkout test
git merge github/pu

Update github's remote branch (pu) from a local branch (test):

git push github test:pu

Creating a new branch on a remote uses the same syntax as updating a remote branch. For example, create new remote branch (beta) on github from local branch (test):

git push github test:beta

Delete remote branch (pu) from github:

git push github :pu

You can check if you got your remote setup right and have the proper permissions with

git ls-remote origin

if you called your remote "origin". If you get an error you probably don't have your security set up correctly such as uploading your public key to github for example. If things are setup correctly, you will get a list of the remote references. Now

git fetch origin

will work barring any other issues like an unplugged network cable.

Once you have that done, you can get any branch you want that the above command listed with

git checkout some-branch

this will create a local branch of the same name as the remote branch and check it out.