Phase 2 Checkpoint: Open Chord Foundation

Sessions covered: 7–12 (cumulative: Sessions 1–12)

You have completed Phase 2. You now have seven open chords, two power chords, palm muting, two time signatures, the 12-bar blues, and songs spanning rock, folk, and Hindi film music. Your chord vocabulary has more than doubled since Phase 1, and your fingers are moving across the fretboard with increasing confidence.

This checkpoint covers everything from Phase 2 plus key skills from Phase 1 that you should still have.

How to use this checkpoint: Play each item. Record yourself if possible. Be honest in your self-assessment — this is for you, not for a grade.

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What You Have Learned

In Phase 2 you added:

• Four new open chords: D major, A major, G major, C major
• Two power chords: E5 and A5
• Palm muting technique
• 3/4 time signature and waltz strumming (D d d)
• 12-bar blues structure (I-IV-V progression)
• A-D-E chord progression
• G-Em-C-D pop/rock progression
• Verse-chorus song structure
• Songs: “Scarborough Fair,” “12-Bar in A,” “Iron Man” riff, “About a Girl,” “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” “Ye Shaam Mastani,” “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas”

Your complete chord vocabulary is now: Em, Am, E, D, A, G, C, E5, A5

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Skills Checklist

Chords — New in Phase 2

1. Play the D major chord — strings 4 through 1 ring clearly

• Mastered — Strum strings 4 to 1 only. All four strings ring clearly with no buzzing. Chord formed in under 2 seconds.
• Needs Work — Some strings buzz, or you accidentally hit strings 5 or 6. Review Session 7. Check that finger 1 is on string 3 fret 2, finger 2 on string 1 fret 2, finger 3 on string 2 fret 3.
• Not Yet — Cannot form the chord reliably. Return to Session 7.

2. Play the A major chord — strings 5 through 1 ring clearly

• Mastered — All five strings ring. The three fingers on fret 2 are neatly placed without muting adjacent strings.
• Needs Work — Strings buzz or the chord sounds muffled. Review Session 8. Make sure fingers arch so they do not touch neighbouring strings.
• Not Yet — Cannot form the chord. Return to Session 8.

3. Play the G major chord — all six strings ring clearly

• Mastered — Full six-string chord rings clearly. Fingers 2, 3, and 4 are in position (or your preferred fingering from Session 10). Chord formed in under 3 seconds.
• Needs Work — The chord sounds thin or some strings buzz. Review Session 10. G major requires a wide stretch — practise the finger placement slowly.
• Not Yet — Cannot form the chord. Return to Session 10.

4. Play the C major chord — strings 5 through 1 ring clearly

• Mastered — Five strings ring with no buzzing. String 6 is avoided or muted. Chord formed in under 3 seconds.
• Needs Work — String 1 (open) is muted by a nearby finger, or other strings buzz. Review Session 11. Check that finger 1 on string 2 fret 1 does not touch string 1.
• Not Yet — Cannot form the chord. Return to Session 11.

5. Play the E5 power chord with palm muting

• Mastered — Strings 6 and 5 ring with a tight, chunky sound. Palm rests lightly on the strings near the bridge. No open string overtones.
• Needs Work — Palm muting is inconsistent — sometimes too heavy (dead sound), sometimes too light (strings ring fully). Review Session 9, palm muting section.
• Not Yet — Cannot combine the power chord with palm muting. Return to Session 9.

6. Play the A5 power chord with palm muting

• Mastered — Strings 5 and 4 ring with a tight sound. String 6 is muted or avoided.
• Needs Work — String 6 rings accidentally, or the muting is uneven. Review Session 9. Practise resting the edge of your picking hand on the bridge while strumming only strings 5 and 4.
• Not Yet — Cannot play A5 cleanly. Return to Session 9.

Chord Transitions

7. Transition between G and Em within 2 beats at 70 BPM

• Mastered — Clean switch, no gap, both chords ring fully.
• Needs Work — Slight pause or a buzzing string after the switch. Practise Session 10’s transition drills. Focus on which fingers move and which can stay.
• Not Yet — Cannot switch smoothly. Return to Session 10.

8. Transition between G and D within 2 beats at 70 BPM

• Mastered — Clean switch with full sound.
• Needs Work — Hesitation on the switch. Practise at 50 BPM first, then increase. Review Session 10.
• Not Yet — Cannot switch reliably. Return to Session 10.

9. Transition between C and G within 2 beats at 70 BPM

• Mastered — Clean switch. Both chords ring fully after transition.
• Needs Work — C chord is slow to form. Review Session 11. The C-G transition is one of the hardest — give it extra daily practice.
• Not Yet — Cannot switch reliably. Return to Session 11, and review Chord Transitions.

10. Play the A-D-E progression (one measure per chord) at 70 BPM

• Mastered — All three chords ring cleanly. Transitions happen on the beat with no gaps.
• Needs Work — One transition is rough. Identify which transition is weakest and drill it 20 times at 50 BPM. Review Session 8.
• Not Yet — Multiple transitions fail. Return to Session 8.

Strumming and Rhythm

11. Play a waltz strumming pattern (D d d) in 3/4 time at 70 BPM

• Mastered — Beat 1 is a strong downstroke, beats 2 and 3 are lighter. The three-beat feel is clear and steady.
• Needs Work — All three beats sound the same volume, or you drift into 4/4 time. Review Session 7. Count “ONE two three, ONE two three” aloud while strumming.
• Not Yet — Cannot maintain 3/4 time. Return to Session 7.

12. Play the D D U U D U pattern on any chord at 75 BPM

• Mastered — Pattern is automatic and steady for 8+ measures.
• Needs Work — You lose the pattern after a few bars. Review Session 5. Say the pattern aloud while playing.
• Not Yet — Cannot play this pattern at tempo. Return to Session 5 and build up from 50 BPM.

13. Play palm-muted power chord eighth notes at 70 BPM for 4 measures

• Mastered — Even, tight eighth notes (down-up) on E5 or A5 with consistent palm muting. No breaks in rhythm.
• Needs Work — Muting is inconsistent or rhythm wavers. Review Session 9, palm muting drill.
• Not Yet — Cannot maintain palm-muted picking. Return to Session 9.

Theory and Structure

14. Identify and play a 12-bar blues in A (A-D-E)

• Mastered — You know the 12-bar structure (4 bars A, 2 bars D, 2 bars A, 1 bar E, 1 bar D, 2 bars A) and can play through it without a chart.
• Needs Work — You need to look at the chart partway through. Review Session 8. Write out the progression from memory, then check.
• Not Yet — Cannot remember the structure. Return to Session 8.

15. Explain the difference between 4/4 and 3/4 time

• Mastered — You can explain it (4/4 has four beats per measure, 3/4 has three) and demonstrate both by strumming.
• Needs Work — You understand the concept but mix them up in practice. Review Session 7 and Rhythm And Time.
• Not Yet — The concept is unclear. Return to Session 7.

Songs

16. Play “Iron Man” riff (Black Sabbath) at 70 BPM

• Mastered — Power chords are clean, palm muting is consistent, the riff is recognisable and in time.
• Needs Work — Some chord positions are missed or palm muting drops out. Review Session 9. Practise the riff in two-bar sections.
• Not Yet — Cannot play the riff. Return to Session 9.

17. Play “About a Girl” (Nirvana) — Em and G with strumming at 75 BPM

• Mastered — Em-G transitions are clean, strumming pattern is steady, the song is recognisable.
• Needs Work — Transitions are slow or strumming breaks down during chord changes. Review Session 10.
• Not Yet — Cannot play the song. Return to Session 10.

18. Play “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Bob Dylan) — G, D, Am progression at 70 BPM

• Mastered — Three-chord progression is smooth, strumming is gentle and even, song has a musical flow.
• Needs Work — One chord transition is rough. Identify the weak transition and drill it. Review Session 10.
• Not Yet — Cannot play the full progression. Return to Session 10.

Phase 1 Retention

19. Play the “Come As You Are” riff at 60 BPM

• Mastered — Still clean and in time.
• Needs Work — Rusty. Quick review of Session 4 — play the riff 5 times to refresh it.
• Not Yet — Forgotten. Re-learn from Session 4.

20. Play Em, Am, and E chords cleanly with smooth transitions

• Mastered — All three Phase 1 chords are still solid.
• Needs Work — One chord is weak. Spend 2 minutes on that chord daily.
• Not Yet — Phase 1 chords have deteriorated. Revisit Sessions 2, 3, and 5.

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Overall Phase Assessment

Count your “Mastered” items: _____ out of 20

Result	What It Means
16–20 Mastered	You are ready for Phase 3. Your chord foundation is solid.
12–15 Mastered	Nearly ready. Spend 3–5 days on your “Needs Work” items before starting Phase 3.
8–11 Mastered	Review the specific sessions listed next to your weak areas. Give yourself a week of focused practice.
Below 8	Revisit Sessions 7–12 at a comfortable pace. Solid chords are essential before Phase 3.

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Encouragement

Look at what you can do now. Seven open chords, two power chords, palm muting, two time signatures, the 12-bar blues, and a repertoire that spans Nirvana, Black Sabbath, Bob Dylan, and Kishore Kumar. You can play in 4/4 and 3/4 time. You understand song structure — verse, chorus, progression.

Phase 3 introduces the C major scale, fingerpicking, the pentatonic scale, syncopated strumming, and your first barre chord. These are the tools that turn chord players into real guitarists. Everything you built in Phases 1 and 2 makes them possible. Keep going.