Weekly Practice Plans: Phases 3 and 4
One session a week: Week N is the week that follows Session N.
This handout continues Weekly Plans Phase 1 2 for Sessions 13 to 24. 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. The barre rows are the exception (Mini-Barre, Simplified F and the Week 17 Transition Drill): stop those at their count and go on to the next row. Where a row or a question says “this session” or names a Segment, it means the session in the week’s heading; “this segment” means that session’s Segment 5, where the questions are first printed. Where a row says “self-check” and a number, it means the question with that number in the week’s end-of-week check. 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. Every tempo listed assumes one.
Playing time: No plan in these phases is longer than 30 minutes, which is the longest stretch of playing before a 5-minute break in the table “Playing-time limits for your first weeks of pressing strings” in How To Practice.
Barre work: Weeks 14 to 16 have a one-minute mini-barre row, and from Week 17 some plans have a barre item (the simplified F). Barre work: no more than 5 minutes a day in total. Never hold a barre against a clock.
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 3 ends after Session 18 and Phase 4 after Session 24. In Weeks 18 and 24 the last practice day is the phase checkpoint and nothing else, so in Week 18 the end-of-week check moves to the practice day before it. Week 24 has one further day for the final assessment.
Phase 3 — Rhythm and Melody (Weeks 13–18)
Section titled “Phase 3 — Rhythm and Melody (Weeks 13–18)”Practice duration: the minutes given in each session’s plan (25 to 30 a day).
Week 13: after Session 13, Strumming Mastery
Section titled “Week 13: after Session 13, Strumming Mastery”Each practice day (25 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune |
| Muted Strum Drill | 3 min | Em: chord on beats 1 and 3, chk on beats 2 and 4, at 60 BPM, one strum per click. 4 measures. Then Am. Then G. Repeat until the time is up |
| Syncopated Pattern | 5 min | The new pattern (D (u) chk U D (u) chk U) on G–Em–C–D at 60 BPM, one measure per chord. When it is steady, move to 65 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Paranoid Riff | 8 min | Four measures = one cycle. Pick every note of this riff with a downstroke, including the notes on the “ands”. Follow the steps in Segment 4: root notes only at 50 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes); then all four measures from 60 BPM toward 80 in steps of 5 (65, 70, 75, 80), moving up after 4 clean cycles. Repeat until the time is up |
| Song Maintenance | 5 min | Choose one from Phase 2: “About a Girl,” “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door,” or “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas.” Play with the syncopated pattern if it fits, or the original pattern. Repeat until the time is up |
| Free Practice | 1 min | Play anything that felt hard today — one more try |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 13.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you play the syncopated pattern (D (u) chk U D (u) chk U) for 8 measures on Em at 60 BPM? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: go back to the three steps under “The Syncopated Rock Pattern” in Segment 2, starting at step 1, and try again the next day.
- Record four measures of the chord-and-chk drill on Em. On playback, is every chk a click with no note you could hum? If not: go back to step 2 of “How to do it” in Segment 2, and record the drill again the next day.
- Can you play the G–Em–C–D progression with the syncopated pattern at 60 BPM, one measure per chord, twice round (8 measures)? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: keep the Syncopated Pattern row of the practice plan at 60 BPM for two days, then try again.
- Can you play the four-measure “Paranoid” verse riff twice through at 70 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes), palm muted in measures 1 to 3? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: go back to 65 BPM (Step 4 in Segment 4) for two days, then try again.
- Record four measures on Em at 60 BPM, strumming D/U (down on the click, up between clicks), then four measures of the syncopated pattern at the same tempo. On playback, can you hear the difference: in every syncopated measure, a chk on beats 2 and 4 and a louder upstroke straight after each chk? If not: repeat step 3 under “The Syncopated Rock Pattern” in Segment 2, counting aloud “ONE-and-chk-AND-THREE-and-chk-AND”, and record again the next day.
All yes: go on to Session 14.
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 14: after Session 14, The C Major Scale
Section titled “Week 14: after Session 14, The C Major Scale”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 “Come As You Are” riff, the waltz review and the spider crawl; the syncopated pattern and the mini-barre have their own rows below |
| C Major Scale | 7 min | Ascending and descending, one note per click (quarter notes), saying the note names. Start at 50 BPM; after three clean runs in a row move to 55 BPM, then 60 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Fretboard Notes | 3 min | Point to and name: C (string 5 fret 3), E (string 4 fret 2), G (string 3 open), B (string 2 open), D (string 4 open). Quiz yourself; repeat until the time is up |
| Mere Sapno Ki Rani | 7 min | Phrase by phrase, then the count-in and all eight measures, following the tempo ladder in Segment 4 up to 65 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes). 4 repetitions, then repeat the phrase that went least well until the time is up |
| Syncopated Strumming | 4 min | Session 13 pattern on G–Em–C–D at 65 BPM, one measure per chord. Keep your strumming skills progressing alongside melody skills. Repeat until the time is up |
| Mini-Barre | 1 min | Mini-barre: 5 presses. Finger 1 across strings 2 and 1 at fret 5; pluck string 2, then string 1; release completely |
Barre work: no more than 5 minutes a day in total. 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. The Mini-Barre row is your barre work for the day.
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 14.
Ear check (not part of the practice minutes): mark the recording you made after Session 14 (the recorded card test, Test 3: play it back, with two-note phrases) on any later practice day. Pass: 4 of 6.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Record the C major scale once, ascending and descending, at 50 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes). On playback, is the speed the same throughout, with no pause before any note? If not: go back to 45 BPM (Step 2 of “How to Practise the Scale”) for two days, then record again.
- Can you name all seven notes (C, D, E, F, G, A, B) as you play them? Check: play the scale up and down once without looking at the page, saying each name aloud, with no wrong name and no stop. If not: repeat Step 3 of “How to Practise the Scale” with the page open, and try again the next day.
- Can you play the C major scale up and down at 60 BPM, one note per click, three times in a row with no wrong note and no stop? If not: go back to 50 BPM for two days, then try again.
- Can you play the opening lines of “Mere Sapno Ki Rani” (count-in and all eight measures) at 65 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes), without stopping? If not: go back one step on the tempo ladder in Segment 4 (Step 5) for two days, then try again.
- Can you point to where C, E, G, and A are on the fretboard (open position)? Check: play each place you point to with your tuner on; it shows the letter you named, for all four. If not: find the notes you missed on the map under “Notes on the Fretboard” in Segment 3, and try again the next day.
All yes: go on to Session 15.
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 15: after Session 15, Fingerpicking Foundations
Section titled “Week 15: after Session 15, Fingerpicking Foundations”Each practice day (27 minutes):
| Block | Time | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-Up | 3 min | The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune. On practice days leave the mini-barre out of the warm-up: it has its own row below |
| p-i-m-a Drill | 4 min | Open string pattern at 50 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes): p(5)-i(3)-m(2)-a(1). Then p(6)-i(3)-m(2)-a(1). 4 measures each. Repeat until the time is up |
| Alternating-Thumb Pattern | 6 min | Em (2 measures) → Am (2 measures) → C (2 measures) → G (2 measures) at 50 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes). Repeat until the time is up |
| Em–D Arpeggio Study | 8 min | Em measure (4 times). D measure (4 times). Then connect: Em → D → Em → D. Follow the tempo ladder in Segment 4: one note per click from 40 BPM up to 80 BPM in steps of 5, then two notes per click (eighth notes) at 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 BPM. Work toward the full 16-measure study. Repeat until the time is up |
| Scale Maintenance | 3 min | C major scale (Session 14) ascending and descending with pick, one note per click (quarter notes): 65 BPM, then 70, 75 and 80 BPM, moving up after three clean runs in a row. When 80 BPM is clean, change to two notes per click (eighth notes) at 40 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Syncopated Strumming | 2 min | Syncopated pattern on G, Em, C, D, one measure each, at 65 BPM, twice round. Repeat until the time is up |
| Mini-Barre | 1 min | Mini-barre: 5 presses. Finger 1 across strings 2 and 1 at fret 3; pluck string 2, then string 1; release completely |
Barre work: no more than 5 minutes a day in total. 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. The Mini-Barre row is your barre work for the day.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you play the p-i-m-a pattern on open strings (p on string 5, i on string 3, m on string 2, a on string 1) evenly for 8 measures at 50 BPM, one note per click? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: repeat the “First Fingerpicking Exercise — Open Strings” in Segment 2 and try again the next day.
- Can you play the alternating-thumb pattern on Em at 50 BPM, one note per click, for 8 measures with no wrong string? If not: go back to the step-by-step under “Alternating-Thumb Pattern on Em” in Segment 3, one beat at a time, and try again the next day.
- Can you play the alternating-thumb pattern on Em for 2 measures and Am for 2 measures, twice round, at 50 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes), without stopping at the change? If not: keep to the Alternating-Thumb Pattern row of the practice plan for two days, pausing at the chord change if you need to, then try again.
- Can you play the Em measure of the arpeggio study at 50 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes), four times in a row? Recording check: record the four measures and listen once. Is every one of the eight notes in each measure there, with none missing or cut short? If not: go back to 45 BPM, two notes per click (Step 3 in Segment 4), for two days, then try again.
- Can you name all four picking-hand fingers (p, i, m, a) and their string assignments? Check: say them aloud without looking, then compare with the table under “The p-i-m-a System” in Segment 2; all four are right. If not: read that table again and try again the next day.
All yes: go on to Session 16.
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 16: after Session 16, The Minor Pentatonic Scale
Section titled “Week 16: after Session 16, The Minor Pentatonic Scale”Each practice day (30 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, “12-Bar in A” once round and the spider crawl; the other warm-up items have their own rows below |
| Mini-Barre | 1 min | Mini-barre: 5 presses. Finger 1 across strings 2 and 1 at fret 1; pluck string 2, then string 1; release completely |
| Hammer-On/Pull-Off Drill | 4 min | On strings 6, 5 and 1: 0h3 and 3p0. On strings 4 and 3: 0h2 and 2p0. Leave string 2 out of this drill: in the scale it is never played open. 4 reps each. Aim for a quick tap close to the fret and a clear second note, not for force. Repeat until the time is up |
| Am Pentatonic Scale | 6 min | Ascending and descending at 50 BPM, then 55 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes). 4 times at each tempo. From the third practice day, add hammer-ons ascending and pull-offs descending at 50 BPM, 4 times |
| Melody Study | 7 min | Phrase 4 alone, 5 times. Then all eight measures, following the tempo steps in Segment 4 (Step 4) toward 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes). Repeat until the time is up |
| C Major Scale Maintenance | 3 min | Ascending and descending at 45 BPM, then 50 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes). Keep both scales in your fingers. Repeat until the time is up |
| Fingerpicking Maintenance | 2 min | Alternating-thumb pattern on Em and Am, 4 measures each at 50 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Strumming Maintenance | 2 min | Syncopated pattern (Session 13) on G, Em, C, D, one measure each, at 65 BPM, twice round. Repeat until the time is up |
| Improvising Task | 2 min | The question-and-answer task from Segment 3 at 50 BPM: make up a new question and answer, record it, and tick the four points. From the third practice day, add E (string 1, open) as a fourth note |
Barre work: no more than 5 minutes a day in total. 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. The Mini-Barre row is your barre work for the day.
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 16.
Ear check (not part of the practice minutes): mark the recording you made after Session 16 (the recorded card test, Test 3: play it back, with three-note phrases) on any later practice day. Pass: 4 of 6.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you play the A minor pentatonic scale in open position, ascending and descending, at 55 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes)? Check: three times in a row with no wrong note and no stop. If not: go back to 50 BPM for two days, then try again.
- Can you play a hammer-on from open to fret 3 on string 1 that is loud enough to hear clearly? Check: five in a row. If not: repeat the Hammer-On Exercise, tapping quicker and closer to the fret, and try again the next day.
- Can you play a pull-off from fret 3 to open on string 1 that is loud enough to hear clearly? Check: five in a row. If not: repeat the Pull-Off Exercise with a small flick towards the floor, and try again the next day.
- Can you name the five notes of A minor pentatonic and say which two notes of C major it leaves out? (A, C, D, E, G; it leaves out F and B.) If not: read “Am Pentatonic — The Five Notes” in Segment 3 again and try again the next day.
- Can you play all four phrases of the melody study (eight measures) at 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes), with the hammer-on and the pull-off sounding clearly? Check: twice in a row without stopping, finishing with the click. Recording check: record one run and listen for one thing. Can the hammered G and the pulled-off B in Phrase 4 both be heard? If not: go back to 50 BPM, two notes per click, for two days, then try again.
All yes: go on to Session 17.
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 17: after Session 17, Barre Chord Introduction
Section titled “Week 17: after Session 17, Barre Chord Introduction”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 G–Em–C–D progression with the syncopated pattern and the spider crawl; the Am pentatonic scale has its own row below |
| Simplified F | 2 min | Simplified F: press, pluck four strings, release. 8 times. If a string is dead, use the table in Segment 3 |
| Transition Drill | 3 min | C → F → C → F, F → G → F → G, F → D → F → D and Am → F → Am → F with the simplified F: 10 slow changes each. From the third practice day, add the change test for C and F: a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM |
| Roop Tera Mastana | 7 min | Refrain chart at 50–60 BPM, following the steps in Segment 4. Focus on the G and F change. 3 full repetitions |
| Fingerpicking Maintenance | 2 min | Alternating-thumb pattern on Em and Am, 4 measures each at 50 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Scale Maintenance | 4 min | C major scale at 55 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes). Then Am pentatonic at 55 BPM, then 60 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes), with hammer-ons ascending and pull-offs descending. Repeat until the time is up |
| Melody Maintenance | 4 min | The Session 16 melody study, all eight measures, twice. Then one phrase from “Mere Sapno Ki Rani” (Session 14). Repeat until the time is up |
Barre work: no more than 5 minutes a day in total. 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. The Simplified F and Transition Drill rows are your barre work for the day. The song also uses the simplified F, for three measures in every eight. It is not counted in the 5 minutes, because the finger rests during the other five measures. If your hand, wrist or thumb aches during the song, stop the song for today: the pain rule comes before the plan.
Press, pluck each string once, release completely, shake out the hand. Never hold a barre against a clock.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you say what a barre is and which finger makes it? (One finger laid across two or more strings at the same fret; in this course, finger 1.) If not: read “Why Barre Chords?” in Segment 2 again and try again the next day.
- Can you play the simplified F chord with strings 4 to 1 all ringing? Check: pluck the strings one at a time; the tuner shows F, A, C, F. Pass: three times in a row, releasing in between. If not: use the table under “If a string is dead or buzzing:” in Segment 3, and try again the next day.
- Can you pass the change test for C and the simplified F 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, as Segment 3 says, and try again the next day. If a string in the F does not sound, use the table under “If a string is dead or buzzing:” in Segment 3.
- Can you play the refrain chart of “Roop Tera Mastana” as the Form gives it (the eight measures twice, then one G) at 60 BPM, strumming D/U (down on the click, up between clicks), without stopping? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. Recording check: record it once and listen for one thing. Can all four strings be heard in every F? If not: go back to 55 BPM (Step 4 in Segment 4) and try again the next day. If a string in the F does not sound, use the table under “If a string is dead or buzzing:” in Segment 3.
Questions 2 and 3 are barre work too: on the day you answer them, they take the place of the Simplified F and Transition Drill rows. Barre work: no more than 5 minutes a day in total. 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.
All yes: go on to Session 18.
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 18: after Session 18, Phase 3 Showcase
Section titled “Week 18: after Session 18, Phase 3 Showcase”In Session 18 you performed the Phase 3 medley: the “Paranoid” verse riff (75 BPM), the Session 16 melody study (60 BPM) and a fingerpicked chord progression with the alternating-thumb pattern (55 BPM). You are three-quarters of the way through the course.
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, C → F (simplified) → G → Am and the spider crawl; the Am pentatonic scale and the alternating-thumb pattern have their own rows below |
| Scale Review | 4 min | C major scale at 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes) + Am pentatonic at 60 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes), with hammer-ons/pull-offs. 3 repetitions each. Repeat until the time is up |
| Simplified F | 2 min | Simplified F: press, pluck, release, 8 times. Then the change test for C and F at one tempo a day: start at the fastest tempo you passed in the session (Segment 2, Checkpoint Walk-Through, item 3) and go 5 BPM faster each day after you pass, up to 80 BPM |
| Chord Changes | 3 min | Your three slowest open-chord pairs: the change test with a new chord every 2 beats at 65 BPM. If 65 BPM is too fast, start at 50 BPM and climb in steps of 5 |
| Pick/Finger Transition | 2 min | Strum Em once (pick) → put the pick down → alternating-thumb pattern on Em (fingers) 4 measures → pick up the pick → strum Em once. 3 cycles |
| Full Medley | 8 min | Play the Phase 3 medley 2 times through, resetting the metronome between sections. No stops inside a section. Then repeat the section that went least well until the time is up. Once this week, record the second run for self-check 5 |
| Checkpoint Items | 3 min | Two sets, on alternate days: Set 1 on your first practice day, Set 2 on the next, and so on. Set 1: the Session 14 melody once, the Em–D arpeggio study once, then name ten notes from the shuffled cards. Set 2: G, Em, C, D with the D D U U D U pattern at 70 BPM, two measures per chord (the Session 13 warm-up), once; then “Quiet and loud” (Session 13, Segment 3): G, Em, C, D once as quietly as you can, then once loudly; then the “Roop Tera Mastana” refrain chart (Session 17, Segment 4) once at 60 BPM, strumming D/U (down on the click, up between clicks) |
Barre work: no more than 5 minutes a day in total. 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. The Simplified F row is your barre work for the day.
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 18.
Ear check (not part of the practice minutes): mark the recording you made after Session 18 (the recorded card test, Test 3: play it back, with three-note phrases) on any later practice day. Pass: 4 of 6. This recording is the one you mark for item 19 of the Phase 3 checkpoint: make it at least a day before you take the checkpoint, and if you have not marked it by then, mark it there.
End-of-week check (the practice day before the checkpoint):
- Can you play each of the three sections of the Phase 3 medley through without stopping, in order, with the metronome reset between sections? If not: play the section where you stopped on its own, as in the first run under “Performing the Medley” in Segment 3, and try again the next day.
- Can you put the pick down and begin the alternating-thumb pattern within one measure (four beats)? If not: use the Pick/Finger Transition row of the practice plan and try again the next day.
- Can you play the C major scale at 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes), and the Am pentatonic scale at 60 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes), from memory? Check: each scale once, up and down, without looking at the page, with no wrong note and no stop. If not: note the string crossing that causes trouble, as the “Scale Fluency Check” in Segment 2 says, drill it in the Scale Review row of the practice plan, and try again the next day.
- Can you play a hammer-on from open to fret 3 on string 1 and a pull-off from fret 3 to open on string 1, each loud enough to hear clearly? Check: five of each in a row. If not: repeat the “Hammer-on/pull-off combination (Session 16)” in Segment 2, with a quicker tap closer to the fret and a small flick towards the floor, not more force, and try again the next day.
- On a recording of the medley, is Section A clearly louder than Section C? If not: play Section C more gently, as the Run 3 notes in Segment 4 describe, and record the medley again on your next practice 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: Do not follow the table: take Phase 3 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 4 begins with Session 19.
Phase 4 — Performance Ready (Weeks 19–24)
Section titled “Phase 4 — Performance Ready (Weeks 19–24)”Practice duration: the minutes given in each session’s plan (25 to 30 a day).
Week 19: after Session 19, Song Arrangement Workshop
Section titled “Week 19: after Session 19, Song Arrangement Workshop”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 and items 1, 2, 4 and 5 of the warm-up list (the two scales, the waltz strum, and E5 to A5); items 3 and 6 (the syncopated pattern and the spider crawl) are for the session itself |
| Position Shift | 2 min | Play notes on string 1 at frets 0, 3, 5, 7, 5, 3, 0 with the Phrase 3 fingering. Move the hand, do not stretch. Repeat until the time is up |
| Intro Melody | 5 min | Arrangement study melody — all 4 phrases, one note per click (quarter notes). Start the week at 55 BPM, then 60, 65 and 70 BPM, moving up only after three clean runs in a row. Repeat until the time is up |
| Verse Chords | 3 min | Em–G–C–D, one measure per chord, strumming D/U at 70 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Full Arrangement | 5 min | Intro → transition → verse → ending → final chord (20 measures), at the same metronome setting as today’s melody. Repeat until the time is up |
| Concert Pieces | 5 min | Piece 1 of your three pieces, from memory as far as you can; check the page afterwards |
| Barre Chord Maintenance | 2 min | Simplified F: C → F → G → C at 60 BPM, one measure per chord. Repeat until the time is up |
Barre work: no more than 5 minutes a day in total. 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. The Barre Chord Maintenance row is your barre work for the day.
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 19.
Ear check (not part of the practice minutes): mark the recording you made after Session 19 (the recorded card test, Test 3: play it back, with four-note phrases) on any later practice day. Pass: 4 of 6.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you play the melody of the arrangement study (all four phrases) at 65 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes)? Check: three times in a row with no wrong note and no stop. If not: go back to 60 BPM for two days, then try again.
- Can you move from the last melody note to the Em strum and into the verse without losing the count? Check: with the metronome at 65 BPM, play measures 7 to 10; the Em strum and the first verse strum both land on beat 1, three times in a row. If not: do Step 4 under “How to Learn This” on measures 8 and 9 alone at 55 BPM for two days, then try again.
- Can you play the full arrangement (intro → verse → ending) without stopping? Check: all 20 measures with the metronome at 65 BPM; you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: find the measure where you stopped and play it five times slowly before the next run.
- Do the intro and the ending sound different in volume? Check: record one run and listen once; the melody at the end is clearly quieter than the melody at the start. If not: play the ending as quietly as you can for two days, then record again.
- Can you reach fret 7 on string 1 by moving your hand, without stretching? Check: play Phrase 3 slowly and watch your fretting hand; your thumb travels with your fingers and finger 3 plays fret 7. If not: play the Position Shift row of the practice plan slowly for two days, watching your thumb, then check again. If it pulls or aches, stop for today.
All yes: go on to Session 20.
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 20: after Session 20, Smells Like Teen Spirit
Section titled “Week 20: after Session 20, Smells Like Teen Spirit”Each practice day (26 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 and items 1, 2 and 3 of the warm-up list; item 4 (the spider crawl) is for the session itself |
| Power Chord Navigation | 3 min | F5 → Bb5 → Ab5 → Db5, one strum each, no metronome. Use dot markers for navigation. Repeat until the time is up |
| Riff Pattern | 4 min | Chord-chord-chk-chk, strumming D/U. Start the week at 55 BPM, then 60, 65 and 70 BPM, moving up only after three clean runs in a row. Focus on crisp muted strums. Repeat until the time is up |
| Verse (Quiet) | 3 min | Palm-muted eighth notes at the same metronome setting as today’s riff. Focus on keeping volume LOW and even. Repeat until the time is up |
| Chorus (Loud) | 3 min | The riff, loud and un-muted (no palm muting), at the same metronome setting. Use a bigger, faster strum with the same loose grip. Loud does not mean tense. Repeat until the time is up |
| Full Arrangement | 5 min | Intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, ending (33 measures) at the same metronome setting. 2 complete runs |
| Concert Pieces | 5 min | Piece 2 of your three pieces, from memory as far as you can; check the page afterwards |
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you play all four power chords (F5, Bb5, Ab5, Db5) cleanly? Check: pick the three strings of each chord one at a time with the tuner on; it shows the letters listed under “Learning the Chord Positions” and no string buzzes. If not: move finger 1 right up behind the fret wire and check that chord again.
- Can you move between them in order and land on the right fret each time, with only a glance at the side dots? Check: four times round, one strum per chord, without stopping. If not: in the Power Chord Navigation row of the practice plan, drill the pairs F5–Bb5 and Ab5–Db5 (same frets, one string across) for two days, then join them and try again.
- Can you play the riff with crisp muted strums at 65 BPM? Check: record the riff four times through; every chk is a dry click with no note you could hum, and you finish with the click. If not: go back to 60 BPM for two days, then try again.
- Is there a clear dynamic difference between your verse (quiet) and chorus (loud)? Check: record the verse pattern followed by the riff; on the recording the chorus is clearly louder. If not: play the verse as quietly as you can for two days, then record again.
- Can you play the complete arrangement (intro, verse, pre-chorus, chorus, ending) without stopping? Check: all 33 measures with the metronome at 65 BPM; you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: take a second week on this session, as the note at the top of Segment 5 says.
All yes: go on to Session 21.
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 21: after Session 21, Expressive Melody Showcase
Section titled “Week 21: after Session 21, Expressive Melody Showcase”Each practice day (26 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 and items 1, 2 and 3 of the warm-up list; item 4 (the spider crawl) is for the session itself |
| Slide Practice | 2 min | Slides on string 1: 3/5, 5\3, 1/3, 3\1. 4 times each. Clean, audible glide |
| Melody | 5 min | Showcase Study melody — all 4 phrases at 50–60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes). Focus on the ornaments in Phrase 4. Repeat until the time is up |
| Chord Progression | 4 min | The Am to Dm change drill once, then Am–Dm–G–C–Am–E–Am–Am at 55–60 BPM, one measure per chord, D/U strumming. Repeat until the time is up |
| Whole Piece | 4 min | Melody Phrases 1 and 2 → chord section → melody Phrases 3 and 4 → chord section → Phrase 1 → final Am strum (27 measures), at the same metronome setting as today’s melody. Once through; a second time if time is left |
| Concert Pieces | 5 min | Piece 3 of your three pieces, from memory as far as you can; check the page afterwards |
| Reading | 3 min | One of the four reading melodies in Reading Standard Notation each day: name each note aloud, say how many beats it lasts, then check with the answer line |
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 21.
Ear check (not part of the practice minutes): mark the recording you made after Session 21 (the recorded card test, Test 3: play it back, with four-note phrases) on any later practice day. Pass: 4 of 6.
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you play a clean slide from fret 3 to fret 5 on string 1 with the pitch audibly gliding? Check: record five slides and listen once; the glide can be heard on at least four. If not: in the Slide Practice row of the practice plan, slow the slide down and keep a light, even pressure for two days, then record five slides again.
- Can you play all four melody phrases at 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes)? Check: three times in a row with no wrong note and no stop, and the slid, hammered and pulled-off notes can be heard on a recording. If not: go back to 50 BPM for two days, then try again.
- Can you play the chord progression (Am–Dm–G–C–Am–E–Am–Am) at 60 BPM, one measure per chord, strumming D/U? Check: twice round without stopping, and the Dm passes its tuner check (D, A, D, F). If not: do the Am to Dm change drill at 50 BPM, then try again.
- Can you move from the melody into the chord section without losing the count? Check: with the metronome on, play Phrase 2 and the first two measures of the chord section; the first Am strum lands on beat 1, three times in a row. If not: in the Whole Piece row of the practice plan, count the ringing measure aloud (“1 2 3 4”) before the chord section for two days, then try again.
- Is there dynamic contrast between your melody sections and your chord sections? Check: record the whole piece and listen once; the chord sections are clearly quieter than the melody. If not: strum the chord section as quietly as you can for two days, then record again.
All yes: go on to Session 22.
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 22: after Session 22, Improvisation Workshop
Section titled “Week 22: after Session 22, Improvisation Workshop”Each practice day (30 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, “12-Bar in A” once round and the spider crawl; the A minor pentatonic scale has its own row below |
| Am Pentatonic Review | 3 min | Scale up and down 3 times at 50 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes); from the third practice day, at 55 BPM. Then with hammer-ons and pull-offs. Repeat until the time is up |
| Starter Phrases | 4 min | Play each phrase (A, B, C, D) 3 times at 60 BPM (A and B: one note per click; C and D: two notes per click). Then chain them: A → rest → B → rest → C → rest → D. Repeat until the time is up |
| Guided Solo | 5 min | Over your recorded backing, once through the recording: the roadmap on the first and third times round, strumming along on the second. Then practise measures 9 to 12 of the roadmap (Phrase C, Phrase D, your own ending on A) until the time is up |
| Free Solo | 6 min | Over your recorded backing, once through the recording, no roadmap (three choruses). Focus on space and phrasing. Then record one chorus and tick the four checks from Segment 4 |
| Concert Pieces | 5 min | Your three concert pieces (the ones you wrote down in Session 19), all three in a row, from memory as far as you can; check the page afterwards. If the 5 minutes are up before you reach the third piece, stop there and start with that piece the next day |
| Weakest Four Measures | 4 min | Find the weakest four measures in today’s three pieces. Play them at half tempo 5 times, then once at full tempo |
Tempo: keep the backing at 60 BPM this week. When all four checks are ticked on two practice days running, record a new backing at 65 BPM. The course target for this blues is 70 BPM.
Also this week: do what is listed under ‘After the session’ at the end of Session 22.
Ear check (not part of the practice minutes): mark the recording you made after Session 22 (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 (last practice day):
- Can you play each of the four starter phrases (A, B, C, D) from memory, three times in a row with no wrong note? If not: play the phrase that went wrong from the page in the Starter Phrases row of the practice plan for two days, then try again from memory.
- Can you record the backing (four measures of Am, the 12 measures three times through, a last Am) without losing your place? Check: play the recording back with the chart in front of you; you hear four measures of Am, then “ONE” to “TWELVE” three times, then the last Am. If not: do step 1 of “Record Your Backing” again (count the form aloud with the metronome and no guitar), then record again.
- Record one solo chorus over your backing. On playback: did you finish as measure 12 finished, and was your last note A? If not: practise measures 9 to 12 of the roadmap in the Guided Solo row of the practice plan for two days, then record another chorus.
- On the same recording: did at least three measures have no notes? If not: play the map under “Guided Improvisation — First Solo” once more, counting its three silent measures (3, 4 and 8) aloud, then record another chorus.
- On the same recording: was no phrase of your own longer than six notes? If not: in the Free Solo row of the practice plan, keep every phrase of your own to three or four notes for two days (Rule 1 under “How to Solo”), then record another chorus.
Hammer-ons, pull-offs and slides are welcome in your solos, but they are not part of this check. And one question that is not a test: did you enjoy making your own music?
All yes: go on to Session 23.
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 23: after Session 23, End-of-Course Run-Through
Section titled “Week 23: after Session 23, End-of-Course Run-Through”Each practice day (30 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 waltz strum, E5 to A5 and the spider crawl; the chords and the C major scale have their own rows below |
| Scales | 4 min | C major 3 times at 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes). A minor pentatonic 3 times at 55 BPM, two notes per click; from the third practice day, at 60 BPM. Repeat until the time is up |
| Chord Cards | 3 min | Shuffle the nine chord cards. Turn over one at a time and play each chord within 2 seconds. Twice through the pack, then the change test on one pair (Em-Am, G-D or C-G) at 70 BPM, a new chord every 2 beats |
| Unseen TAB | 3 min | Use a passage from a later page of Reading Tab that you have not played (Exercises 4, 5 and 6, one a day). Study 15 seconds, play once at 50 BPM, then check the notes you were unsure of with your tuner. On the other days, read one of this session’s three passages from its last note back to its first: the order is new, so it has to be read |
| Ear Tests | 3 min | Mark one recorded ear test a day, never on the day you recorded it. When all three are marked, shuffle the slips and record them again for the following days |
| Concert Pieces | 5 min | Your three pieces, all three in a row, from memory as far as you can; check the page afterwards. If the 5 minutes are up before you reach the third piece, stop there and start with that piece the next day |
| Metronome Run | 4 min | One of your three pieces (a different one each day), with the metronome clicking at its tempo. Pass: you never stop and you finish with the click. Repeat until the time is up |
| Weakest Four Measures | 5 min | Find the weakest four measures in today’s three pieces. Play them at half tempo 5 times, then once at full tempo. Then, if time is left, do the recovery drill once in that piece |
End-of-week check (last practice day):
- Can you play the C major scale and the A minor pentatonic scale up and down at 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes), three times in a row with no wrong note and no stop? If not: C major: drop to 50 BPM, two notes per click, and come back up 5 BPM at a time. A minor pentatonic: keep to 55 BPM for two days, then try 60 BPM again.
- Can you play each chord (Em, Am, E, D, A, G, C, Dm, and the simplified F) within 2 seconds of turning over its card, with every string that should sound ringing? If not: take the cards of the chords that were late or had a string that did not ring and do the Chord Card Drill from Segment 2 with those cards only, twice through, then try the whole pack again the next day. If it pulls or aches, stop for today.
- Can you pass the change test for Em-Am, G-D and C-G at a new chord every 2 beats at 70 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: make the pair that did not pass your one pair in the Chord Cards row of the practice plan for two days, then try again.
- Can you play a TAB passage you have not seen before at 50 BPM, one note per click, after 15 seconds’ study, with no more than one wrong note and no stop? If not: read the four steps under “How to read a passage you have not seen” again, then try with a new passage in the Unseen TAB row of the practice plan the next day.
- Have you marked the three recorded ear tests and scored at least 8 of 10 (major or minor), 5 of 6 (4/4 or 3/4) and 4 of 6 (play it back)? If not: shuffle the slips of the test you did not pass and record it again in the Ear Tests row of the practice plan, then mark it on a later day.
- Can you play your three pieces one after another from memory, each to its ending without stopping? If not: make the place where you stopped, or needed the page, your four measures in the Weakest Four Measures row of the practice plan for two days, then try again.
All yes: go on to Session 24.
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 24: after Session 24, Final Showcase: You Are a Guitarist
Section titled “Week 24: after Session 24, Final Showcase: You Are a Guitarist”In Session 24 you performed a concert of three short pieces from memory.
Each practice day (30 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 chord cycle, the alternating-thumb pattern and the spider crawl; the C major scale has its own row below |
| Scales | 2 min | C major, then A minor pentatonic, up and down at 60 BPM, two notes per click (eighth notes). Repeat until the time is up |
| Technique | 5 min | Rotate daily: the simplified F, fingerpicking, the syncopated strumming pattern, improvisation over your blues backing. Repeat until the time is up, except on the simplified F day: press, pluck four strings, release, 8 times, then stop and use the rest of the 5 minutes for fingerpicking |
| Repertoire | 10 min | Play two pieces from your repertoire from memory, a different pair each day. Repeat until the time is up |
| New Learning | 10 min | Learn a new song using your existing skills. Find a published chord chart for a song you love, check that you know its chords, and work out a strumming pattern from the five you know |
Barre work: no more than 5 minutes a day in total. 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. On the day the Technique row is the simplified F, that row is your barre work for the day.
End-of-week check: These are Session 24’s Self-Check Questions about your concert. Answer them from your concert recording, straight after the session. If any answer is no, answer them again from your new recording before the final assessment.
- In the timed run, did you play at least one piece all the way through with the metronome clicking and finish with the click? If not: put one piece first in the Repertoire block of the practice plan and repeat the Timed Run with it each day until you finish with the click.
- In the concert, did you play all three pieces from memory, one after another, each to its ending without stopping? If not: put the piece where you stopped first in the Repertoire block of the practice plan for two days, then record the three pieces again.
- Did you count yourself in before each piece and check your tuning between pieces? If not: do steps 2 and 6 of the Pre-Performance Routine (check tuning, count yourself in) before every piece in the Repertoire block of the practice plan for two days, then record the three pieces again.
- On the recording, can you hear at least one planned loud-or-soft change? If not: choose one place in one piece to get louder or softer, put that piece first in the Repertoire block of the practice plan for two days, then record the three pieces again.
- Tapping along with the recording and the metronome, did your taps stay with the click through the whole of one piece? If not: put that piece first in the Repertoire block of the practice plan and repeat the Timed Run with it for two days, then record the three pieces again.
All yes: take the Phase 4 checkpoint and then the final assessment, on the two days set out below.
Any no: put that piece first in this week’s Repertoire block, and record the three pieces again before you take the final assessment.
Last practice day: Take Phase 4 Checkpoint and nothing else.
One further day: Take Final Assessment (45 to 60 minutes). Make its three ear-test recordings the day before. Leave at least one day between the checkpoint and the final assessment, so that the recordings have a day of their own.
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 final assessment is the course’s own end-of-course check. It is not a mock exam and does not predict an exam result.
After the Course
Section titled “After the Course”Session 24 says of the Week 24 plan: “The same plan will serve you after the course.” Keep using it.
What comes next: Whats Next sets out your options: preparing for a Grade 1 exam, building your repertoire, deeper improvisation, starting on the full barre chord, and intermediate study.