Phase 4 Checkpoint: Performance Ready

Sessions covered: 19–24 (cumulative: Sessions 1–24)

You have completed the entire course. Phase 4 brought together the techniques and ideas of the whole course. You learned moveable power chords, played a simplified arrangement of “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” played an expressive melody study with slides and ornaments, improvised a blues solo, rehearsed the end-of-course run-through, and performed a concert of three short pieces. This checkpoint is your final self-assessment before the End-of-Course Assessment.

How to use this checkpoint: Print this page, or copy the item numbers onto paper, so you can write your marks. Play each item, check it the way the item says, and mark yourself honestly. Record your entire checkpoint session — you will want to hear your progress. This is the most comprehensive checkpoint in the course: if you run out of time, finish on your next practice day. Have your tuner, your metronome, your nine chord cards from Session 23 and a phone that records sound beside you.

Each item says how it is checked. The checks are always of these kinds:

Tuner check: pluck each string of the chord, or each note, slowly; the tuner (in the mode that shows any note) shows the letters listed.
Click check: play with the metronome; you pass if you never stop and you finish with the click.
Count check: so many times in a row without the fault that is named.
Recording check: record the item and listen once for the one thing that is named.
The recorded card test (Session 6): used for the three ear items (15, 21 and 22). They are marked from the three recordings you made in Session 23 and marked during the week after it; if you have recorded them again since, use your latest marks.

For each item, mark yourself Mastered (you pass the check written in the item), Needs Work (you can do it, but not yet to the standard of the check) or Not Yet (you cannot do this yet). Items marked * are must-pass. What that means is explained under “Overall Phase Assessment” at the foot of the page.

What You Have Learned

In Phase 4 you added:

Song arrangement: combining melody, chords, and dynamics in one performance
Moveable power chord shape (root on string 6 or string 5): F5, Bb5, Ab5, Db5
Dynamic contrast: quiet palm-muted verses and loud choruses with no palm muting
Slide technique (ascending and descending)
Expressive melody playing with vocal phrasing
The D minor chord (Dm)
Improvisation: a solo over a 12-bar blues in A minor, using the A minor pentatonic scale, in short phrases with rests between them (call and response)
Reading an unseen TAB passage
Ear tests: major or minor, 4/4 or 3/4, playing back a four-note phrase
What a Grade 1 exam asks, and how the course compares
Concert performance: three short pieces from memory

Skills Checklist

Song Arrangement

1*. Play a piece with both melody sections and chord sections (the arrangement study in E minor from Session 19)

Mastered — With the metronome at 65 BPM, play measures 7 to 10 of the study: the end of the melody, the single Em strum, and the start of the chord verse. The Em strum and the first verse strum both land on beat 1, three times in a row. Then play from the last measure of the verse into the ending melody: its first note lands on beat 1, three times in a row.
Needs Work — The joins between melody and chords are late. Review Session 19, “How to Learn This”, Step 4. Practise measures 8 and 9 alone at 55 BPM.
Not Yet — Cannot combine melody and chords in one piece. Return to Session 19, “How to Learn This”, and work through Steps 1 to 4, 5 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again.

2. Play notes at fret 5 and above on the first string (frets 5 and 7 from the Session 19 arrangement study)

Mastered — Play Phrase 3 of the study slowly. The notes at frets 5 and 7 on string 1 ring clearly (tuner check: fret 5 is A, fret 7 is B), and you reach fret 7 by moving your whole hand, thumb travelling with it, not by stretching. Count check: three times in a row.
Needs Work — You can find the notes but it takes time. Use the fret dots as landmarks: fret 5 has a dot, fret 7 has a dot. Review Session 19, “TAB — Melody” and its finger guide.
Not Yet — Cannot play at fret 5 and above reliably. Return to Session 19, “How to Learn This”, Step 1 (each phrase alone at 55 BPM, one note per click), 3 minutes a day for one week. If the reach pulls or aches, stop for the day. Then take this item again.

Moveable Power Chords

3*. Play F5, Bb5, Ab5, and Db5 — each sounds clean (three strings only: 6-5-4 for F5 and Ab5, 5-4-3 for Bb5 and Db5)

Mastered — Place each chord and pick its three strings one at a time with the tuner on. F5 shows F, C, F; Bb5 shows A# (Bb), F, A# (Bb); Ab5 shows G# (Ab), D# (Eb), G# (Ab); Db5 shows C# (Db), G# (Ab), C# (Db). No string buzzes. When you strum, the three strings of each shape only are heard.
Needs Work — One or two shapes buzz, or extra strings ring. Move finger 1 right up behind the fret wire. In Bb5 and Db5, let the tip of finger 1 lean lightly against string 6 so that it stays silent. Review Session 20, “Learning the Chord Positions”.
Not Yet — Cannot play moveable power chords cleanly. Return to Session 20, “The Moveable Power Chord Shape (Root on String 6)” and “The Same Shape with the Root on String 5”, 3 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again.

4. Change between the four power chords in sequence (F5-Bb5-Ab5-Db5), one strum each

Mastered — Four times round without stopping, with only a glance at the side dots. Each chord lands on the right string and fret with the shape intact.
Needs Work — You land on the wrong string or fret. Drill the pairs F5-Bb5 and Ab5-Db5 (same frets, one string across), then join them. For each move: ease the pressure, keep your fingertips just touching the strings as a guide, move, then press again. Review Session 20, “Transition Drill”.
Not Yet — Cannot move between the shapes. Return to Session 20, “Transition Drill”: the sequence slowly, one strum per chord, no metronome, 10 times round on each practice day for one week. Then take this item again.

5. Play the riff of the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” simplified arrangement (even eighth notes: chord, chord, chk, chk) at 65 BPM, strumming D/U

Mastered — Record the riff four times through without stopping. The chord strums are clean, the muted strums give a dry “chk” with no pitch, and you finish with the click.
Needs Work — Muted strums are unclear or you land on wrong frets. Review Session 20, “The Signature Riff”. In these shapes the fretting hand makes the chk: keep the chord shape and relax your fretting fingers so that they touch the strings without pressing. Go back to 60 BPM.
Not Yet — Cannot play the riff. Return to Session 20, “How to Learn This”, Step 2 (the riff pattern at 55 BPM), 5 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again.

6. Play the “Smells Like Teen Spirit” simplified arrangement (Session 20) with dynamic contrast (quiet verse, loud chorus)

Mastered — Record the whole arrangement (intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, ending: 33 measures) with the metronome at 65 BPM. You never stop and you finish with the click. Recording check: the verse is palm-muted and quiet, and the chorus is loud, with no palm muting; the chorus is clearly louder.
Needs Work — The difference between verse and chorus is slight. Play the verse as quietly as you can; in the chorus use a bigger, faster strum with the same loose grip. Review Session 20, “The Verse — Quiet and Restrained” and “The Chorus — Full Volume”.
Not Yet — Cannot keep the two dynamics apart, or cannot play the arrangement through. Return to Session 20, “How to Learn This”, and record the verse pattern followed by the riff on each practice day for one week. Then take this item again.

Expressive Melody

7. Play a clean slide on string 1 from fret 3 to fret 5 — the pitch glides audibly

Mastered — Recording check: record five slides and listen once. On at least four you hear the pitch glide from G up to A without a second pick stroke.
Needs Work — The note dies during the slide, or the slide sounds like a jump rather than a glide. Slow the slide down and keep a light, even pressure: just enough for the note to go on sounding. Do not squeeze. Review Session 21, “Slide Technique”.
Not Yet — Cannot produce a clean slide. Return to Session 21, “Slide Technique”. Slides on string 1: 3/5, 5\3, 1/3, 3\1, 4 times each, on each practice day for one week. Then take this item again.

8*. Play the melody of the Showcase Study in A minor (Session 21) at 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes)

Mastered — All four phrases in time, finishing with the click. The slide up in Phrase 1 and the slide down in Phrase 4 can be heard gliding. The hammered and pulled-off notes sound without picking. You keep counting through the quiet measure after each phrase.
Needs Work — Slides or hammer-ons are faint, or the phrases run together. Practise each phrase separately at 60 BPM, one note per click. Review Session 21, “How to Learn This Melody”.
Not Yet — Cannot play the full melody. Return to Session 21, “How to Learn This Melody”, and start at Step 1 (Phrase 1 alone), 5 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again.

Improvisation

9*. Improvise a solo over a 12-bar blues in A minor for one chorus (12 measures), using the A minor pentatonic scale

Use the backing you recorded in Session 22 (“Record Your Backing”). If you no longer have it, record it again: strum the 12 measures (Am, Dm and Em as written in Session 22), one measure per chord, at 60 BPM, saying the measure number aloud on beat 1. Then solo over the playback for one time through the 12 measures, recording yourself. If your phone cannot record while it plays the backing, play the backing on another device, or record the solo with the metronome clicking, as Session 22, “Check Your Solo”, explains. Listen once, with the chart in front of you, counting the measures.

Mastered — On the recording: you finished as measure 12 finished; at least three measures had no notes; no phrase of your own was longer than six notes (the starter phrases count as they are); and your last note was A. Hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides are welcome, but they are not required.
Needs Work — One of the four is missing. Review Session 22, “Guided Improvisation — First Solo”. Play the guided map once more over your backing, then record another chorus.
Not Yet — You lose your place in the 12 measures, or cannot make up phrases. Return to Session 22, “Starter Phrases — Learn These Four”, then “Guided Improvisation — First Solo”, 5 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again.

10. Play the four starter phrases from Session 22 (A, B, C and D) from memory

Mastered — Each phrase at 60 BPM (Phrases A and B one note per click, Phrases C and D two notes per click, as in Session 22), three times in a row with no wrong note. The hammer-ons in Phrase C and the pull-offs in Phrase D are clearly audible.
Needs Work — One or two phrases need the page, or the hammered and pulled-off notes are faint. Review Session 22, “Starter Phrases — Learn These Four”. Practise Phrase C (all hammer-ons) and Phrase D (all pull-offs) slowly: quicker and closer to the fret for a hammer-on, a small flick towards the floor for a pull-off.
Not Yet — Cannot play the phrases from memory. Return to Session 22, “Starter Phrases — Learn These Four”, and Session 16, “Hammer-On Exercise” and “Pull-Off Exercise”, 4 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again.

Run-Through Skills

11. Play the C major scale at 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes), ascending and descending

Mastered — One octave in open position, up and down, with alternate picking throughout. Count check: three times in a row with no wrong note and no stop, finishing with the click.
Needs Work — One or two notes hesitate. Review Session 23, “C Major Scale — Run-Through”. Drop to 50 BPM, two notes per click, and come back up 5 BPM at a time.
Not Yet — Cannot play the scale at this tempo. Return to Session 14, “How to Practise the Scale”, and Session 23, “C Major Scale — Run-Through”, 5 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again.

12. Play the A minor pentatonic scale at 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes), ascending and descending

A minor pentatonic, open position: ascending (twelve notes)
e|----------------------|-------------------|-----------0---3---|
B|----------------------|-------------------|---1---3-----------|
G|----------------------|-----------0---2---|-------------------|
D|----------------------|---0---2-----------|-------------------|
A|--------------0---3---|-------------------|-------------------|
E|------0---3-----------|-------------------|-------------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
Finger: -   3   -   3       -   2   -   2       1   3   -   3
Notes:  E   G   A   C       D   E   G   A       C   D   E   G

A minor pentatonic, open position: descending (eleven notes)
e|------0---------------|-------------------|---------------|
B|----------3---1-------|-------------------|---------------|
G|------------------2---|---0---------------|---------------|
D|----------------------|-------2---0-------|---------------|
A|----------------------|---------------3---|---0-----------|
E|----------------------|-------------------|-------3---0---|
Count:  1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3
Finger: -   3   1   2       -   2   -   3       -   3   -
Notes:  E   D   C   A       G   E   D   C       A   G   E

Coming down, the top G is played once, so there are eleven notes. The count shown is for quarter notes (one note per click). In eighth notes, each printed measure lasts two beats: count “1 & 2 &”. String 2 is never played open in this scale (open string 2 is B).

Mastered — Up and down as printed, with alternate picking throughout. Count check: three times in a row with no wrong note and no stop, with no pause where you cross from one string to the next.
Needs Work — String crossings are uneven, or you play string 2 open. Practise one pair of neighbouring strings at a time. Review Session 23, “A Minor Pentatonic Scale — Run-Through”. Stay at 55 BPM, two notes per click, for a week, then try 60 BPM again.
Not Yet — Cannot play the scale at this tempo. Return to Session 16, “How to Practise the Pentatonic Scale”, and Session 23, “A Minor Pentatonic Scale — Run-Through”, 5 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again.

13*. Play each chord (Em, Am, E, D, A, G, C, Dm, and the simplified F) within 2 seconds of turning over its card

Mastered — Shuffle the nine chord cards from Session 23 and put them face down. Turn over one card at a time and play that chord, one strum, within 2 seconds. Then pluck its strings one at a time: every string that should sound rings clearly (for Dm, the tuner shows D, A, D, F from string 4 to string 1). Twice through the pack with no chord late.
Needs Work — Most are in time but one or two take longer. Review Session 23, “Chord Card Drill”. Go through the pack twice on each practice day for one week, then take this item again.
Not Yet — Several chords take more than 2 seconds. Do the chord card drill on each practice day for one week. Review Sessions 2–11 for the open chords, Session 17 for F and Session 21 for Dm. Then take this item again.

14*. Read and play an unseen TAB passage (strings 1–3, in open position, 4/4 time) at 50 BPM

The six passages below are not in any session. Each one is unseen only once, so do not practise them beforehand. Use Passages 1 to 4 today. Keep the two spare passages covered: they are for a second attempt, if you need one.

For each passage: cover the Notes row. Study the passage for 15 seconds. Play it at 50 BPM, one note per click. Record yourself. Afterwards uncover the Notes row and check any note you were unsure of with your tuner.

Passage 1
e|----------------------|---0---------------|-------------------|-------------------|
B|----------0---1---3---|-------3---1---0---|---------------0---|---1---0-----------|
G|------2---------------|-------------------|---2---0---2-------|-----------2---2---|
D|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
A|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
E|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
Notes:  A   B   C   D       E   D   C   B       A   G   A   B       C   B   A   A

Passage 2
e|------1---3---0-------|---0---------------|---0---------------|-------------------|
B|------------------3---|-------3---1---3---|-------1---0-------|---0---1-----------|
G|----------------------|-------------------|---------------2---|-----------2---2---|
D|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
A|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
E|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
Notes:  F   G   E   D       E   D   C   D       E   C   B   A       B   C   A   A

Passage 3
e|----------------------|-----------0-------|-------------------|-------------------|
B|--------------0-------|---1---3-------3---|---1---0-----------|-------1-----------|
G|------0---2-------2---|-------------------|-----------2---0---|---2-------2---2---|
D|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
A|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
E|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
Notes:  G   A   B   A       C   D   E   D       C   B   A   G       A   C   A   A

Passage 4
e|----------0-----------|-------------------|-------0---1---0---|-------------------|
B|------1-------3---1---|---0-------0---1---|---3---------------|---3---1-----------|
G|----------------------|-------2-----------|-------------------|-----------2---2---|
D|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
A|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
E|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
Notes:  C   E   D   C       B   A   B   C       D   E   F   E       D   C   A   A

Spare passage 1
e|----------------------|-------0-----------|-------------------|-------------------|
B|----------1---0---3---|---1-------3---1---|---0---------------|---0---1-----------|
G|------2---------------|-------------------|-------2---0---2---|-----------2---2---|
D|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
A|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
E|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
Notes:  A   C   B   D       C   E   D   C       B   A   G   A       B   C   A   A

Spare passage 2
e|------0---------------|-------------------|---0---3---1---0---|-------------------|
B|----------3---1---0---|-------0---1---3---|-------------------|---3---1-----------|
G|----------------------|---2---------------|-------------------|-----------2---2---|
D|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
A|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
E|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
Notes:  E   D   C   B       A   B   C   D       E   G   F   E       D   C   A   A

Mastered — In at least three of Passages 1 to 4: no more than one wrong note and no stop.
Needs Work — In two of the four. Review Session 23, “Reading an Unseen TAB Passage”: look for the highest and lowest notes, tap the rhythm, then play slowly. On each practice day for one week read one of the Session 23 passages from its last note back to its first. Then take this item again with the two spare passages: both must have no more than one wrong note and no stop.
Not Yet — In fewer than two. Return to Session 23, “Reading an Unseen TAB Passage”, and Reading Tab, 3 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again with the two spare passages: both must have no more than one wrong note and no stop.

15. Tell major chords from minor chords by ear (the recorded card test, Test 1)

Ten slips: E, A, D, G, C, Em, Em, Am, Am, Dm. One down-strum for each slip. Your answer for each number is “major” or “minor”.

Mastered — At least 8 of your 10 answers are right.
Needs Work — 6 or 7 are right. On each practice day for one week, strum E then Em, A then Am, and D then Dm, saying “major” or “minor” as you play each one. Then shuffle the slips, make a new recording, and mark it the day after.
Not Yet — 5 or fewer are right. This takes time. Return to Session 6, “Major vs Minor — Ear Training”, and Session 23, “The Ear Tests”. Do the Session 6 listening drill on each practice day for one week. Then shuffle the slips, make a new recording, and mark it the day after.

Performance

16*. Perform three short pieces from memory without stopping

Mastered — Three pieces from the list in Sessions 23 and 24, one after another, each started with your own count-in and played from memory to its written ending. When you make a mistake, you keep going. At least one of the three, played once with the metronome clicking throughout at its session tempo, finishes with the click.
Needs Work — You can play two pieces through but the third falls apart, or you stop after mistakes. Use “How to memorise a piece” (Session 6) and the recovery drill (Session 23) on your three pieces on each practice day for one week. Then take this item again.
Not Yet — Cannot play three pieces from memory. Return to Session 24, “Choosing Your Three Pieces”, and choose shorter pieces from the list. Memorise one piece at a time with “How to memorise a piece” (Session 6), 10 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again.

17. Transition between pieces in a concert-style performance (tune check, count-in, begin)

Mastered — Between pieces you put the guitar in rest position, check your tuning, take a breath and count yourself in before you begin the next piece. Recording check: every piece starts at the speed of its count-in.
Needs Work — You skip the tuning check or a count-in, or start before you are settled. Review Session 24, “Pre-Performance Routine”.
Not Yet — You go straight from one piece into the next. Practise the routine from Session 24, “Pre-Performance Routine” and “The Rules of Performance”, before every piece you play for one week. Then take this item again.

Cumulative Skills

18*. Play all eight open chords plus the simplified F — each rings cleanly

Mastered — Em, Am, E, D, A, G, C, Dm and F (simplified): for each of the nine chords, every string that should sound rings when you pluck the strings one at a time.
Needs Work — One or two chords have a buzzing or dead string. On each practice day for one week, play all nine chords in sequence, one strum each, 5 times, then pluck the strings of the weak chords. Then take this item again.
Not Yet — Several chords have deteriorated. Review the session that teaches each weak chord (Em: Session 2; Am: Session 3; E: Session 5; D: Session 7; A: Session 8; G: Session 10; C: Session 11; F: Session 17; Dm: Session 21), 5 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again.

19. Play a fingerpicked arpeggio pattern (p-i-m-a) through a chord change (for example Em to D, as in the Em–D arpeggio study) at 55 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes)

Mastered — Four measures (Em, D, Em, D). The arpeggio carries on through each chord change without a gap, the thumb plays the right bass string for each chord, and you finish with the click.
Needs Work — There is a pause at the chord change. Review Session 15, “How to Learn This Study”. Practise the chord change with just the thumb first, then add fingers.
Not Yet — Cannot fingerpick through chord changes. Return to Session 15, “How to Learn This Study”, and start at Step 1, 5 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again.

20. Play the arrangement study in E minor from Session 19 (melody, chord verse, melody again) at 70 BPM

Mastered — All 20 measures with the metronome at 70 BPM: one note per click in the melody, strumming D/U in the verse. You never stop and you finish with the click.
Needs Work — One section is weaker than the other. Practise each section separately, then connect them. Review Session 19, “How to Learn This”. Go back to 65 BPM.
Not Yet — Cannot play the arrangement. Return to Session 19, “How to Learn This”, and start at Step 1, 5 minutes a day for one week. Then take this item again.

Ear Tests

21. Say whether a strummed rhythm is in 4/4 or 3/4 (the recorded card test, Test 2)

Six slips: three marked “4/4”, three marked “3/4”. For a 4/4 slip strum Em for two measures, D d d d, D d d d; for a 3/4 slip strum Em for two measures, D d d, D d d. No metronome. Your answer for each number is “4/4” or “3/4”.

Mastered — At least 5 of your 6 answers are right.
Needs Work — 3 or 4 are right. While you listen, count aloud from each loud strum to the next: you will reach three or four. Shuffle the slips, make a new recording, and mark it the day after.
Not Yet — Fewer than 3 are right. Return to Session 7, “Understanding 3/4 Time”: strum and count four measures of 4/4 and four of 3/4 on each practice day for one week. Then make a new recording and mark it the day after.

22*. Play back a four-note phrase by ear (the recorded card test, Test 3)

Six slips, one four-note phrase on each. The phrases use only E (string 1 open), F (string 1 fret 1), G (string 1 fret 3), B (string 2 open), C (string 2 fret 1) and D (string 2 fret 3):

1: E F G E    2: G F E D    3: B C D C    4: D E F E    5: C D E G    6: E D C B

Write only the four notes on each slip, not its number in this list: when you record, the number you say aloud is the slip’s place in the shuffled pile (“one” for the first slip you turn over), so that the recording does not tell you which phrase it is.

Each phrase is played twice, slowly. To mark: listen to both playings, then play the phrase; turn the slip and compare the strings and frets you played with the slip. A phrase is right only if every note matched.

Mastered — At least 4 of the 6 phrases are right.
Needs Work — 2 or 3 are right. Listen for one thing first: does each note go up or down from the one before? Shuffle the slips, make a new recording, and mark it the day after.
Not Yet — Fewer than 2 are right. This takes time. Go back to shorter phrases: record and mark a set of six two-note phrases, as in Session 14, twice in the coming week. Then make a new four-note recording and mark it the day after.

Overall Phase Assessment

Count your “Mastered” items: _____ out of 22

Are all nine must-pass items (1, 3, 8, 9, 13, 14, 16, 18 and 22) Mastered? Yes / No

Result	What It Means
Every * item Mastered, and 18 or more of the 22 items Mastered	Take the End-of-Course Assessment (Final Assessment).
Anything less	Practise the items that are not yet Mastered for one more week, using the advice under each, and take those items again. After that second week, take the End-of-Course Assessment in any case and keep the unfinished items in your warm-up.

Checkpoints are not exams, but they do decide when you move on. Items marked * are must-pass. If every * item is Mastered and at least four in every five items are Mastered, go on to the next phase. If not, practise the items that are not yet Mastered for one more week, using the advice under each, and take those items again. After that second week, go on in any case and keep the unfinished items in your warm-up.

After Phase 4, the next step is the final assessment: the End-of-Course Assessment (Final Assessment).

Encouragement

You have completed a 24-session journey from absolute zero to performing a concert of three short pieces on acoustic guitar. You play chords, melodies, fingerpicking patterns, power chord riffs, and improvised solos. You read TAB, know the basics of how chords and scales are built, and have practised telling major from minor by ear. Your fingers have calluses. Your ears have opened. Your hands know things your brain does not have to think about any more.

This is what it means to be a guitarist.

When you are ready, take the End-of-Course Assessment (Final Assessment), the course’s own end-of-course check. Then look at Whats Next for your path forward. Whatever you choose — preparing for a grade exam, learning new songs, moving on to intermediate study, or simply playing for the joy of it — you have earned the right to call yourself a guitarist.