Weekly Practice Plans: Phases 1 and 2
One session a week: Week N is the week that follows Session N.
The practice plan printed at the end of each session is the plan for that week. This handout repeats each plan exactly as its session gives it, and adds one thing: the end-of-week check, which tells you whether to go on to the next session. If this handout and a session ever disagree, follow the session.
How to read each plan: Each week has one session day (a 50-minute lesson), practice days and a rest day. Practise on at least five days of every week. One rest day a week is part of the plan and does not undo your progress. On each practice day, work down the week’s table from the top; the minutes include the warm-up and add up to the number in the heading. If a row gives a number of repetitions and you finish them with minutes to spare, play the row again until its minutes are up. Where a row or a question says “this session” or names a Segment, it means the session in the week’s heading. Do the end-of-week check on your last practice day of the week, after the warm-up, inside that day’s minutes and not on top of them. Pain rule: tender fingertips are normal. Pain in the wrist, forearm, thumb joint or knuckles, numbness or tingling, any sharp pain, or pain that lasts into the next day means stop. The full rule is in START HERE.
Use a metronome from Week 1. Every tempo listed assumes one.
Playing time: The table “Playing-time limits for your first weeks of pressing strings” in How To Practice gives the longest stretch you should play before a 5-minute break. If the week’s practice plan is longer than the limit in the table, split it into two sittings at least an hour apart.
Recordings: Several end-of-week checks ask for a short recording. Keep each one and note it in the Recording Log in Progress Tracking.
Checkpoints: Phase 1 ends after Session 6 and Phase 2 after Session 12. In Weeks 6 and 12 the last practice day is the phase checkpoint and nothing else, so the end-of-week check moves to the practice day before it.
Phase 1 — First Notes (Weeks 1–6)
Section titled “Phase 1 — First Notes (Weeks 1–6)”Practice duration: the minutes given in each session’s plan (18 to 25 a day).
Steel strings: Your Saga SF-600C-BK has steel strings, and from Session 2, when you first press them down, they will make your fingertips tender. Soreness usually eases after two to four weeks of regular playing, and by Phase 2 most people can play a whole session in comfort. Skin differs from person to person: go by how your fingertips feel, not by the calendar.
Week 1: after Session 1, Meeting Your Guitar
Section titled “Week 1: after Session 1, Meeting Your Guitar”Each practice day (18 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 5 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune. Tuning is slow in the first week: follow “Tuning for the first time” in Guitar Guide and allow the time |
| String Names | 3 min | Pluck each string and say its name — forward and backward, 5 times |
| Rhythm Exercise | 5 min | The Open String Rhythm Exercise at 60 BPM, one strum per click, then its two variations (strum only on the counts without brackets), counting aloud. Each of the three 4 times through (4 measures each time) |
| Single String Picking | 5 min | Pick each string in turn at 60 BPM, one note per click, 4 beats per string, from string 6 to string 1. Repeat until the time is up |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 1.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you name at least 8 parts of your guitar without looking at the list in Segment 2 (or the labelled drawing in Guitar Guide)? If not: repeat the “Try this now” under “Know Your Guitar” in Segment 2 (point to each part and say its name aloud, twice), and try again the next day.
- Tuner check: pluck each open string, from string 6 to string 1. Does the tuner show E, A, D, G, B, E with the needle centred? If not: retune the strings that are out, as in “Tune Your Guitar” in Segment 2 (always tune from below), then pluck all six again.
- Recording check: record 30 seconds of the Open String Rhythm Exercise at 60 BPM, one strum per click, with the metronome loud enough to hear. Listen once for one thing: does every strum land on its click? If not: go back to the Open String Rhythm Exercise in Segment 4, listen to four clicks before you start and count aloud as you strum, and record again the next day.
- Can you name the six strings from thickest to thinnest (E, A, D, G, B, E) three times in a row without a mistake? If not: repeat the String Names block of the practice plan, using the memory trick “Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie”, and try again the next day.
- Pick grip: are about 5 to 8 mm of the tip showing, and does a gentle tug from your other hand pull the pick out? If not: set the pick again by the four steps under “How to Hold a Pick” in Segment 3 and check again. Check once more at the start of your next practice day.
All yes: go on to Session 2.
Any no: repeat this week’s plan for up to one more week and check again. If it is still no after the second week, go on, and add that item to your warm-up until it passes.
Week 2: after Session 2, Your First Chord: Em
Section titled “Week 2: after Session 2, Your First Chord: Em”Each practice day (20 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune |
| Lightest Touch | 2 min | The “Lightest Touch” exercise in Fretting And Hand Position: find the least pressure that gives a clear note. Once on each string |
| Fretting Exercise | 2 min | One-finger-per-fret exercise on string 3 (Session 2 Technique Focus). 3 times through |
| Em Chord | 6 min | Place-strum-lift-place cycle (10 reps). Then strum Em for 8 measures, one strum per click, 3 times: at 60, 65, then 70 BPM |
| Em Groove | 5 min | Play the full “Em Groove” with accents (D d D d), one strum per click. Start at 60 BPM; after a clean run go to 65, then 70. Repeat until the time is up |
| TAB Reading | 2 min | Exercises 1 and 2 in Reading Tab. Say each string and fret aloud, play it slowly without the metronome, then at 50 BPM, one note per click. Twice each |
Two sittings this week: If the week’s practice plan is longer than the limit in the table, split it into two sittings at least an hour apart. (The table is “Playing-time limits for your first weeks of pressing strings” in How To Practice.) This is your first week of pressing strings, so the limit is 15 minutes: do the first four rows in one sitting (13 minutes) and the last two in another (7 minutes).
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 2.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Tuner check: hold Em and pluck each string, from string 6 to string 1. Does every string ring clearly, and does the tuner show E, B, E, G, B, E? If not: use the fixes under “If a string buzzes or sounds dead” in Segment 3; a different letter on the tuner means a finger is on the wrong string or the wrong fret. Try again the next day.
- Can you place your fingers in the Em shape, lift them off completely, and place them back within 3 seconds? Check: set the metronome to 60 BPM (one click a second) and lift your fingers on a click; both fingers are back in place by the third click after it. If not: keep to the place-strum-lift-place cycle in the Em Chord block of the practice plan (10 reps) and try again the next day.
- Looking at the “Em Groove” TAB, can you name the string and the fret for every number in its first column? Check: all six answers match the list under “The sound check” in Segment 3 (the top line of the TAB is string 1, the bottom line string 6). If not: read “How to read TAB” in Segment 3 again, do the TAB Reading block of the practice plan, and try again the next day.
- Recording check: record the “Em Groove” (8 measures and the final Em, about 30 seconds) at 70 BPM, one strum per click, with the metronome loud enough to hear. Listen once for one thing: does every strum land on its click, with no stop? If not: go back to 60 BPM in the Em Groove block of the practice plan and work back up 5 BPM at a time (65, then 70), moving up only after a clean run. Record again when 70 is clean.
All yes: go on to Session 3.
Any no: repeat this week’s plan for up to one more week and check again. If it is still no after the second week, go on, and add that item to your warm-up until it passes.
Week 3: after Session 3, Adding Am: Two Chords
Section titled “Week 3: after Session 3, Adding Am: Two Chords”Each practice day (20 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune |
| Chord Review | 3 min | Em: 8 strums. Am: 8 strums. Then pluck each string of each chord and check it rings clearly. Repeat until the time is up |
| Transition Drill | 5 min | Em → Am → Em → Am, one strum each, no metronome: 20 slow changes; no clock; place every finger before you strum. Repeat until the time is up |
| Two-Chord Rock | 7 min | Play the full piece (8 measures and the final Em) at 60 BPM, one strum per click. Repeat until the time is up. Once it is clean, add the accents (D d d d) |
| Change Test | 2 min | The change test for Em and Am: a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM, 8 chords in a row. Repeat until the time is up. If you cannot land on beat 1, drop to 50 BPM and climb back 5 BPM at a time |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 3.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Tuner check: hold Am and pluck strings 5 to 1 one at a time. Does every string ring clearly, and does the tuner show A, E, A, C, E? If not: use the fixes under “If a string buzzes or sounds dead” in Segment 2; a different letter on the tuner means a finger is on the wrong string or the wrong fret. Check again in the Chord Review block of the practice plan the next day.
- Can you pass the change test for Em and Am at a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM? Check: all 8 chords land on their click with every string that should sound ringing, twice on the same day. If not: drop to 50 BPM and climb back 5 BPM at a time in the Change Test block of the practice plan, and try again the next day.
- Recording check: record “Two-Chord Rock” (8 measures and the final Em, about 35 seconds) at 60 BPM, one strum per click, with the metronome loud enough to hear. Listen once for one thing: does every chord change land on beat 1, with no stop? If not: use the Transition tip from Segment 4 (leave out the strum on beat 4 and use that beat to move) in the Two-Chord Rock block of the practice plan for two days, then record again.
- Do you remember which string to leave out when strumming Am? (String 6, the low E.) If not: read “Strumming string 6 during Am” under Common Mistakes again, and in the Chord Review block of the practice plan rest the pick on string 5 before you strum Am. Try again the next day.
All yes: go on to Session 4.
Any no: repeat this week’s plan for up to one more week and check again. If it is still no after the second week, go on, and add that item to your warm-up until it passes.
Week 4: after Session 4, First Melodies
Section titled “Week 4: after Session 4, First Melodies”Each practice day (22 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune |
| Chord Maintenance | 3 min | Em and Am, 4 beats per chord (four downstrokes, one strum per click) at 65 BPM, 8 measures. Repeat until the time is up |
| Picking Exercise | 4 min | Alternate picking on each string (1 through 6), one measure per string at 60 BPM, two notes per click. Then the “Crossing Between Strings 6 and 5” drill at 60 BPM, one note per click. Repeat until the time is up |
| Come As You Are | 10 min | Practise the riff: measure 1, then measure 2, then both; work up the tempo ladder towards 60 BPM. Focus on the held note in the middle of measure 2. Repeat until the time is up |
| Strings 1 and 2 | 2 min | The “Walking Up and Down” exercise at 60 BPM, one note per click: once with downstrokes, once with alternate picking. Repeat until the time is up |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 4.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you pick string 6 four times in a row without hitting string 5, and string 5 without hitting string 6 or string 4? Check: three tries in a row with no wrong string. If not: repeat the “Crossing Between Strings 6 and 5” drill with downstrokes at 60 BPM, one note per click, and try again the next day.
- Can you play the “Come As You Are” riff twice through at 50 BPM (two notes per click) with every note clear and both held notes held for their full length? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: go back one step on the tempo ladder for two days, then try again.
- Do your downstrokes and upstrokes sound equally loud? Check: record 30 seconds of alternate picking on the open string 1 at 60 BPM, two notes per click, and listen once for one thing: are the upstrokes as loud as the downstrokes? If not: repeat the alternate picking exercise from Segment 2, making each upstroke as firm as the downstroke before it, and record again the next day.
- Can you still play Em and Am with every string that should sound ringing? (Do not neglect your chords.) Check: play each chord once and pluck its strings one at a time: all six for Em, strings 5 to 1 for Am. If not: find the string that does not ring and fix that finger in the Chord Maintenance block of the practice plan, and try again the next day.
All yes: go on to Session 5.
Any no: repeat this week’s plan for up to one more week and check again. If it is still no after the second week, go on, and add that item to your warm-up until it passes.
Week 5: after Session 5, The E Major Chord
Section titled “Week 5: after Session 5, The E Major Chord”Each practice day (22 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune |
| Chord Review | 3 min | Strumming D/U at 60 BPM (down on the click, up between clicks): 4 measures on Em, stop, 4 measures on Am, stop, 4 measures on E. Repeat until the time is up |
| Transition Drill | 4 min | Em, Am, E, Em: a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM. 8 times round. Then Em and Am alone, a new chord every 2 beats: start at 40 BPM, then 45, then 50. Repeat until the time is up |
| Em to E Study | 8 min | Practise the study at your comfortable tempo: start at 50 BPM and raise it 5 BPM at a time. Work toward 65 BPM. Focus on the strumming pattern. Repeat until the time is up |
| Come As You Are | 4 min | Maintenance: play the riff from Session 4 at 50–60 BPM, two notes per click. Keep your picking skills sharp. Repeat until the time is up |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 5.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you play E major with all six strings ringing clearly? Check: pluck the six strings one at a time, three times in a row, with no buzz and no dead string; a tuner shows E, B, E, G#, B, E. If not: use the three buzz fixes under the sound check in Segment 3, and try again the next day.
- Can you pass the change test (Session 3) at these targets: Em-E and Am-E with a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM, and Em-Am with a new chord every 2 beats at 50 BPM? Check: all 8 chords land on their click with every string that should sound ringing, twice on the same day. If not: drop the metronome by 10 BPM and climb back 5 BPM at a time, and try again the next day.
- Can you play the D D U U D U pattern on Em for 4 measures at 60 BPM without losing the count? Check: say “1, 2-and, (3)-and, 4-and” aloud as you play and finish with the click, three times in a row. If not: go back to 50 BPM for two days, then try again.
- Can you say in your own words how Em and E major differ in sound, and which finger makes the difference? Check: strum Em, then E major, and say which is darker and which finger you added (finger 1 on string 3 fret 1). If not: repeat “Em vs E — Hear the Difference” in Segment 3, and try again the next day. (You will test your ear properly with the recorded card test in Session 6.)
- Can you play the Em to E major strumming study twice through (8 measures) at 60 BPM? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. Then record it once and listen for one thing: is there a gap at the change between Em and E major? If not: go back to 55 BPM for two days, then try again.
All yes: go on to Session 6.
Any no: repeat this week’s plan for up to one more week and check again. If it is still no after the second week, go on, and add that item to your warm-up until it passes.
Week 6: after Session 6, Phase 1 Showcase
Section titled “Week 6: after Session 6, Phase 1 Showcase”In Session 6 you performed the Phase 1 medley: the “Come As You Are” riff, the Em to E major strumming study and the three-chord exercise (Em, Am, E major), 24 measures at 60 BPM.
Each practice day (25 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune. Once this week, time your tuning and check your posture and pick grip as in Segment 3 |
| Chord Drill | 5 min | The change test (Session 3) for Em-Am, then for Em-E: a new chord every 2 beats at 60 BPM, 8 chords each. Then Am-E, a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Come As You Are | 5 min | Play the riff at 60 BPM, two notes per click (65 once 60 is clean). Aim for even, smooth picking. Repeat until the time is up |
| Em to E Study | 5 min | Play the study at 65 BPM with the D D U U D U pattern. Repeat until the time is up |
| Full Medley | 5 min | Play the Phase 1 medley at 60 BPM from memory, start to finish, before you look at the page. Then check the page and repair the chunk where you slipped. One clean run, no stops |
| Strings 1 and 2 | 2 min | Play the Session 4 exercise on strings 1 and 2 once at 60 BPM, one note per click, alternate picking. Repeat until the time is up |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 6.
Ear check (not part of the practice minutes): mark the recording you made after Session 6 (the recorded card test, Test 1: major or minor) on any later practice day. Question 4 below uses your score.
End-of-week check (the practice day before the checkpoint):
- Can you play the full Phase 1 medley from start to finish without stopping? Check: one run with the metronome, from memory, finishing with the click. If not: go back to “Learn the Medley in Sections”, repair the chunk where you stopped, and try again the next day.
- Can you pass the change test for Em-Am and Em-E at a new chord every 2 beats at 60 BPM? Check: all 8 chords land on their click with every string that should sound ringing, twice on the same day. If not: drop to 50 BPM and climb back 5 BPM at a time, and try again the next day.
- Can you play the “Come As You Are” riff at 60 BPM, two notes per click, with even alternate picking? Check: record the riff twice through and listen once for one thing: are the upstrokes as loud as the downstrokes? If not: in the Come As You Are block of the practice plan, go back to 55 BPM (Step 5 of the tempo ladder in Session 4, under “How to Learn This Riff”) for two days, then try again.
- Can you tell whether a chord is major or minor by its sound? Check: the recorded card test, Test 1, with at least 8 of your 10 answers right. If not: repeat the three steps under “Major vs Minor — Ear Training” in Segment 3, then make a new recording of Test 1 next week.
- Do all your chords sound clean when you pluck each string individually? Check: for Em, Am and E major, pluck every string that should sound, three times in a row, with no buzz and no dead string. If not: use the fixes under “Chord Quality Check” in Segment 2, and try again the next day.
All yes: take the checkpoint on your last practice day.
Any no: take the checkpoint on your last practice day all the same. It tests most of these skills again (the parts of the medley, though not the medley as a whole), and its rule, printed below, decides what happens next.
Last practice day: Take Phase 1 Checkpoint and nothing else.
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.
Phase 2 begins with Session 7.
Phase 2 — Open Chord Foundation (Weeks 7–12)
Section titled “Phase 2 — Open Chord Foundation (Weeks 7–12)”Practice duration: the minutes given in each session’s plan (21 to 25 a day).
Week 7: after Session 7, The D Chord and Three-Four Time
Section titled “Week 7: after Session 7, The D Chord and Three-Four Time”Each practice day (22 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune |
| Phase 1 Review | 3 min | Em → Am → E → Em, four beats per chord, D/U pattern at 65 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| D Chord Practice | 4 min | Place-strum-lift-place cycle (10 reps). Then strum D for 8 measures at 70 BPM in 3/4, one strum per click (D d d). Repeat until the time is up |
| Transition Drill | 5 min | Am → D → Am → D, one strum each, no metronome, 20 slow changes. Then the change test (Session 3) for D and Am: a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Scarborough Fair | 7 min | Play the 16-measure “Scarborough Fair” chart at 65–70 BPM in 3/4, one strum per click. Hum the tune once the chords are comfortable. Repeat until the time is up |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 7.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you play D major with strings 4 to 1 all ringing clearly? Tuner check, string 4 to string 1: D, A, D, F#. If not: use “Common issues with D” in Segment 3 to find the cause and correct it; do not press harder. Check again the next day.
- Can you count “1-2-3, 1-2-3” aloud while you strum the waltz pattern for 8 measures without losing the count? If not: repeat “Practice the Waltz Pattern” in Segment 2 on Em, counting “ONE-two-three” aloud, and try again the next day.
- Can you pass the change test for D and Am at a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM? Check: all 8 chords land on their click with every string that should sound ringing, twice on the same day. If not: drop to 50 BPM and climb back 5 BPM at a time in the Transition Drill block of the practice plan, and try again the next day.
- Can you play the 16-measure “Scarborough Fair” chart at 70 BPM in 3/4, one strum per click, without stopping? If not: go back to 65 BPM in “Step 4 — Build the tempo” for two days, then try again.
- Can you strum the waltz pattern (D d d) with a clear accent on beat 1? Record 8 measures and listen once: is beat 1 the loudest strum in every measure? If not: repeat “Practice the Waltz Pattern” in Segment 2, saying “ONE” aloud on beat 1 and making the strums on beats 2 and 3 softer, then record again the next day.
All yes: go on to Session 8.
Any no: repeat this week’s plan for up to one more week and check again. If it is still no after the second week, go on, and add that item to your warm-up until it passes.
Week 8: after Session 8, The A Chord Family
Section titled “Week 8: after Session 8, The A Chord Family”Each practice day (24 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune |
| Chord Review | 4 min | Em → Am → E → D → A, four beats per chord at 65 BPM, strumming D/U, twice round. Then A → D → E → A, one strum per chord, no metronome, 10 times round. Repeat until the time is up |
| Transition Drill | 4 min | A → D (guide finger: finger 3 on string 2) and E → D (guide finger: finger 1 on string 3), 20 clean changes each. Then the change test (Session 3) for A-D, A-E and E-D: a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| 12-Bar Blues | 10 min | Play “12-Bar in A” at 70–75 BPM, D D U U D U pattern: 3 choruses, then one A chord. Focus on counting measures. Repeat until the time is up |
| Scarborough Fair | 3 min | Maintenance: play the 16-measure chart at 70 BPM in 3/4, one strum per click. Repeat until the time is up |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 8.
Ear check (not part of the practice minutes): mark the recording you made after Session 8 (the recorded card test, Test 2: 4/4 or 3/4) on any later practice day. Pass: 5 of 6.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you play A major with strings 5 to 1 all ringing clearly? Tuner check, string 5 to string 1: A, E, A, C#, E. If not: use “The challenge with A” in Segment 2: stand each finger on its very tip so that it does not touch the next string; do not press harder. Check again the next day.
- Can you play the 12-bar form from memory, with a single downstroke on beat 1 of each measure, saying each measure’s chord aloud? Check: with the chart covered, all 12 measures with no wrong chord and no stop. If not: repeat “Learn the form by heart” in Segment 3, then try again the next day.
- Can you pass the change test for A-D, A-E and E-D at a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM? Check: for each pair, all 8 chords land on their click with every string that should sound ringing, twice on the same day. If not: for the pair that failed, drop to 50 BPM and climb back 5 BPM at a time in the Transition Drill block of the practice plan, and try again the next day.
- Can you play three complete choruses (36 measures) of the “12-Bar in A” at 75 BPM, D D U U D U pattern, without stopping, and finish on one A chord? Record one time round and listen once: does every new chord sound on beat 1 of its measure, with no gap before it? If not: go back to 70 BPM in “Step 3 — Speed up to 75 BPM” for two days, then try again.
- Can you name the I, IV and V chords in the key of A, counting the letter names up from A to show why? Check: with the page covered you say “A is 1, B is 2, C is 3, D is 4, E is 5”, so I is A, IV is D and V is E. If not: read “The 12-Bar Blues” in Segment 3 again as far as the table, then try again the next day.
All yes: go on to Session 9.
Any no: repeat this week’s plan for up to one more week and check again. If it is still no after the second week, go on, and add that item to your warm-up until it passes.
Week 9: after Session 9, Power Chords: Your Rock Foundation
Section titled “Week 9: after Session 9, Power Chords: Your Rock Foundation”Each practice day (21 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune |
| Open Chord Review | 3 min | A → D → E → Em → Am, four beats per chord (one measure each), strumming D/U at 70 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Palm Muting | 4 min | Palm-muted eighth notes (two per click, down-up) on string 6, then strings 6+5, 4 measures each. Start at 60 BPM and move up 5 BPM at a time to 70 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Power Chord Drill | 3 min | E5 → A5 at 70 BPM, one strum per click with a new chord on every click, 20 times. Then palm-muted eighth notes: one measure of E5, one measure of A5. Repeat until the time is up |
| Iron Man Riff | 8 min | Measure 1 + measure 2 = one cycle. Start at 50 BPM and work toward 70 BPM, 5 BPM at a time. Aim for 4 clean cycles without stopping. Repeat until the time is up |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 9.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you play E5 with only strings 6 and 5 sounding (no other strings ringing)? Tuner check, string 6 then string 5: E, B. If not: repeat the drill under “E5 ↔ A5 Transition” in Segment 3 (one strum per chord, no metronome), aiming a small strum at the two strings only, and check again the next day.
- Does your palm muting produce a consistent “chunk” sound, not a dead silence? Record 4 measures of palm-muted eighth notes and listen once: does every note have the same short “chunk”? If not: repeat “Palm Muting on Two Strings” in Segment 2 at 60 BPM, moving your palm as Common Mistakes 1 and 2 describe, and record again the next day.
- Can you move between E5 and A5 at 70 BPM, one strum per click with a new chord on every click, for 8 measures, with only the two strings of each chord sounding? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: go back to the drill under “E5 ↔ A5 Transition” in Segment 3, with no metronome, for two days, then try again.
- Can you play all eleven notes of the riff slowly, each on the right string and fret, three times in a row? If not: go back to Steps 2 and 4 of “How to Learn This Riff” (one measure at a time, no metronome), then try again the next day.
- Can you play the two-measure riff four times in a row at 65 BPM (the click is one beat), with the long and short notes in the right places? If not: go back to 60 BPM in “Step 6 — Build tempo” for two days, then try again.
All yes: go on to Session 10.
Any no: repeat this week’s plan for up to one more week and check again. If it is still no after the second week, go on, and add that item to your warm-up until it passes.
Week 10: after Session 10, The G Chord: Stretching Out
Section titled “Week 10: after Session 10, The G Chord: Stretching Out”Each practice day (25 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune. On practice days that means the hand movements, A → D → E for 9 measures and the spider crawl; the “Iron Man” riff has its own row below |
| Chord Review | 3 min | All six chords (Em, Am, E, D, A, G), four beats per chord (one measure of D/U strumming) at 70 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Transition Drill | 4 min | Change test on G-Em and G-D at this week’s rung: a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM. Then G → Am → G → Am, 10 slow changes, no metronome. Repeat until the time is up |
| About a Girl | 6 min | Verse accompaniment (8 measures). Follow its tempo ladder from 50 BPM towards 60–65 BPM. Repeat until the time is up. Focus on Em → G timing |
| Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door | 7 min | The eight-measure chart. Follow its tempo ladder from 55 BPM towards 60–65 BPM. Repeat until the time is up. Focus on G → D transition |
| Iron Man Maintenance | 2 min | Play the riff four times at 65 BPM. Then E5 to A5, palm-muted eighth notes, one measure per chord, 4 measures at 70 BPM, to keep power chords sharp. Repeat until the time is up |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 10.
Ear check (not part of the practice minutes): mark the recording you made after Session 10 (the recorded card test, Test 1: major or minor) on any later practice day. Pass: 8 of 10.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Pluck the six strings of G one at a time with the tuner on. Does it show G, B, D, G, B, G, with every string ringing clearly? If not: use “If a string does not ring” in Segment 3 to find the finger that is causing it and correct it; do not press harder. Check again the next day.
- Can you pass the change test (Session 3) for G-Em and for G-D with a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM: eight chords in a row, each landing on its click? If not: for the pair that failed, repeat the drill under “Key Transitions with G” in Segment 3 (one strum per chord, no metronome), and try again the next day. If the reach to G pulls or aches, stop for today.
- Can you play the eight-measure “About a Girl” accompaniment at 60 BPM without stopping? Record the eight measures and listen once: is the speed the same from start to finish? If not: go back to 55 BPM on its tempo ladder for two days, using Step 1 (four downstrokes) if Step 2 breaks down, then try again.
- Can you play the eight-measure “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” chart twice through at 65 BPM? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: go back to 60 BPM on its tempo ladder for two days, then try again.
- Can you form all six open chords you know — Em, Am, E, D, A, G — from memory, without looking at a diagram? Check: form each chord and strum it once, then compare with its diagram: all six had every finger on the right string and fret. If not: play the chord you missed first in the Chord Review block of the practice plan, with its diagram open, and try again the next day.
All yes: go on to Session 11.
Any no: repeat this week’s plan for up to one more week and check again. If it is still no after the second week, go on, and add that item to your warm-up until it passes.
Week 11: after Session 11, The C Chord and Song Building
Section titled “Week 11: after Session 11, The C Chord and Song Building”Each practice day (25 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune. On practice days that means the hand movements, the “About a Girl” verse accompaniment and the spider crawl; the run through all your chords has its own row below |
| All Chords Review | 4 min | Em → Am → E → D → A → G → C, four beats per chord (one measure of D/U strumming) at 65 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Changes and Pop Progression | 5 min | Change test on C-G, C-Am, C-D and Em-C at this week’s rung: a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM. Then G → Em → C → D at 60 BPM, D/U strumming, one measure per chord, 6 times round |
| Ye Shaam Mastani | 5 min | Eight-measure refrain chart. Follow its tempo ladder towards 55–65 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas | 5 min | Lead-in + refrain chart. Follow its tempo ladder towards 55–65 BPM. Repeat until the time is up. Focus on the join between the lead-in and the chords |
| Song Maintenance | 3 min | ”Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Session 10) with C in measures 7 and 8: the eight-measure chart twice through at 65 BPM, then at 70 BPM. Then E5 to A5, palm-muted eighth notes, one measure per chord, 4 measures at 70 BPM. If time is left: the “About a Girl” verse accompaniment at 65 BPM or the “Iron Man” riff at 70 BPM |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 11.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Pluck strings 5 to 1 of C one at a time with the tuner on. Does it show C, E, G, C, E, with every string ringing clearly? If not: use “The challenge with C” in Segment 3 to find the finger that is touching the string and stand it on its tip; do not press harder. Check again the next day.
- Can you play the G–Em–C–D progression, one measure per chord, four times round at 60 BPM without stopping or losing the beat? If not: play it in the Changes and Pop Progression block of the practice plan with the strum on beat 4 left out, so that you have that beat to move (Common Mistake 5), and try again the next day.
- Can you play the eight-measure refrain chart of “Ye Shaam Mastani” twice through at 65 BPM with down-up strumming, without stopping? Record it once and listen for one thing: is the speed the same from start to finish? If not: go back to 60 BPM on its tempo ladder (step 3) for two days, then try again.
- Can you play the picked lead-in of “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas” from memory, one note per click at 60 BPM, and start strumming on the next beat 1? Check: with the metronome on and the page covered, no wrong note and the first strum lands on beat 1, three times in a row. If not: go back to step 1 of its tempo ladder (the lead-in alone) at 55 BPM for two days, then try again.
- Can you name all seven open chords you have learned (Em, Am, E, D, A, G, C)? Check: cover the page and say all seven aloud, then look. If not: say each chord’s name aloud as you play it in the All Chords Review block of the practice plan, and try again the next day.
- Can you pass the change test (Session 3) for C-G, C-Am, C-D and Em-C with a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM? Check: for each pair, all 8 chords land on their click with every string that should sound ringing, twice on the same day. If not: for the pair that failed, change between its two chords 15 times with no metronome, placing every finger before you strum, as in the drill under “Key Transitions with C” in Segment 3; try again the next day.
- Can you say what a mukhda and an antara are, and which one today’s two charts cover? Check: with the page covered you say that the mukhda is the opening refrain that keeps returning, an antara is a stanza between its returns, and both charts cover the mukhda only. If not: read “How a Hindi Film Song Is Built” in Segment 4 again, and try again the next day.
All yes: go on to Session 12.
Any no: repeat this week’s plan for up to one more week and check again. If it is still no after the second week, go on, and add that item to your warm-up until it passes.
Week 12: after Session 12, Phase 2 Showcase
Section titled “Week 12: after Session 12, Phase 2 Showcase”In Session 12 you performed the Phase 2 medley: the “About a Girl” verse accompaniment, the single-note “Iron Man” riff and the “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas” refrain chart (G, Em, Am, D), 22 measures plus a final chord, at 70 BPM.
Each practice day (25 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune |
| Chord Audit | 5 min | All 7 open chords + E5 + A5. 4 strums each, no metronome. Fix any muted strings. Then E5 to A5, palm-muted eighth notes, one measure per chord, 4 measures at 70 BPM |
| Transition Drill | 5 min | Change test on G-Em, G-D and C-G at this week’s rung: a new chord every 2 beats, at 60 BPM for G-Em and G-D and at 50 BPM for C-G. Start each pair 10 BPM lower and climb 5 BPM at a time. Repeat until the time is up |
| Full Medley | 7 min | Play the Phase 2 medley 2 times through. No stops. From the third practice day, play it from memory first, then check the page. Repair the measures where you slipped until the time is up |
| Song Maintenance | 5 min | One each day, a different one each time: “12-Bar in A” (Session 8) from memory, “Scarborough Fair” (Session 7), “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Session 10, with C) or the “Come As You Are” riff (Session 4). Play it through twice. Use the time that is left for the three Session 11 pieces that are in the checkpoint, starting with a different one each day: G → Em → C → D, one measure per chord, strumming D/U, four times round at 60 BPM; the “Ye Shaam Mastani” refrain chart twice through at 65 BPM; the “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas” lead-in and refrain chart at 65 BPM |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 12.
Ear check (not part of the practice minutes): mark the recording you made after Session 12 (the recorded card test, Tests 1 and 2) on any later practice day. Pass: 8 of 10 for major or minor, and 5 of 6 for 4/4 or 3/4.
End-of-week check (the practice day before the checkpoint):
- Can you play all seven open chords from memory, with all strings ringing clearly? Check: for each chord, pluck every string that should sound, one at a time, with no buzz and no dead string. If not: find that chord in the “Chord Quality Audit” table in Segment 2 and adjust the finger it names; do not press harder. Check again the next day.
- Can you pass the change test for G-Em and G-D at a new chord every 2 beats at 60 BPM, and for C-G every 2 beats at 50 BPM? Check: for each pair, all 8 chords land on their click with every string that should sound ringing, twice on the same day. If not: for the pair that failed, start 10 BPM lower and climb 5 BPM at a time in the Transition Drill block of the practice plan, and try again the next day.
- Can you play the Phase 2 medley from start to finish at 70 BPM without stopping, finishing with the click? If not: go back to “First run (learning)” in Segment 3: play the section where you stopped on its own at 60 BPM and build up 5 BPM at a time. Try the whole medley again the next day.
- On a recording of your medley, can you hear that Section A (rock) is louder than Section C (ballad)? If not: repeat “Run 3” in Segment 4, playing Section C as gently as you can, for two days, then record again.
- Can you play E5 to A5 in palm-muted eighth notes, one measure per chord, for 4 measures at 70 BPM, with every note muted the same amount? Check: record the 4 measures and listen once for one thing: is every note muted the same amount, with none ringing on and none dead? If not: when you play it in the Chord Audit block of the practice plan, keep the edge of your palm resting in one place on the strings for all 4 measures; record again after two days.
All yes: take the checkpoint on your last practice day.
Any no: take the checkpoint on your last practice day all the same. It tests most of these skills again (the parts of the medley, though not the medley as a whole), and its rule, printed below, decides what happens next.
Last practice day: Take Phase 2 Checkpoint and nothing else.
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.
Phase 3 begins with Session 13. Its plans are in Weekly Plans Phase 3 4.