Blues and Improvising
When to read this: after Session 14 (optional), “Question and Answer” (5 minutes); after Session 22 (optional), “The Fifth Position”, “Your Own Blues Chorus” (10 minutes). None of this reading is part of a session’s 50 minutes.
How to Use This Handout
Section titled “How to Use This Handout”This handout holds the course’s improvising tasks in one place. Each is a copy of the task in its own session. Nothing here is new to practise, and nothing is added to a task: you play a task from its session and its practice row.
The tasks, in the order of their sessions:
| Task | Session | Backing (your own recording) | Note pool |
|---|---|---|---|
| ”One chorus of your own over the Blues in E” | Session 4 | the chord map of the “Seventh-Chord Blues in E”, one strum to a measure | the twelve places of E minor pentatonic in open position |
| ”Four measures of your own in G major” | Session 13 | the G turnaround: Am7, D7, G, G | the twelve places of G major pentatonic in open position |
| ”Eight measures of your own over Em and D” | Session 14 | Em and D in turn, one measure each | the twelve places of E minor pentatonic in open position |
| ”Your Own Blues Chorus” | Session 22 | the “Shuffle Blues in A” | six notes of A minor pentatonic, at frets 5 and 7 on strings 5, 4 and 3 |
Two more tasks are named here and not printed: the eight measures for a solo inside the “Fifth-Fret Rock Study” (Session 32), and “Eight Measures of Your Own” on an unseen chart (Session 33). The second is printed only in its session and in the assessments that use it, because its chart cards are unseen.
Every task has the same five parts, in this order:
- The Backing. What you play over: a recording you made yourself.
- The Note Pool. The places on the neck you may play, as a table of notes, strings and frets.
- The Model Phrases. Written phrases to start from: a first time through can be made of them alone.
- The Rule. Numbered lines that say what your own measures must be.
- The Tick List. The lines of the rule as things you can count after you play.
Each task below has these five headings, in this order. The written phrases of a task are its model phrases.
Phrases
Section titled “Phrases”In these tasks a phrase is held to things you can count. The rule of each task says how many notes or how many measures a phrase may have; in the two blues choruses a phrase also ends on a note that lasts two beats or longer.
The silence between two phrases is part of the rule too: each task’s rule says how many measures have no new note, or hold a rest of two beats or more.
- Home note — The note a tune keeps coming back to and comes to rest on. The tune of Beginner Session 14 uses the notes of the C major scale but keeps coming back to A, so its home note is A (a scale that starts from A with these same notes is called A minor). (Session 4)
Every task goes in the same order. The first time through the backing, you listen and count. Then you play the map made only of model phrases. Then you put phrases of your own in place of the model phrases, as the task’s map or its session’s steps say, until every phrase is your own.
In Session 3 you made a rest after a strummed chord with the rest stop.
In a picked line a rest is made with the same rest stop: lay the edge of your picking-hand palm across the strings you have played.
The model phrases of each task stand in its own section below.
Question and Answer
Section titled “Question and Answer”The rule of a question and an answer:
A question ends on a note that is not a note of the home chord; an answer ends on the home note, in a measure of the home chord.
In Beginner Session 22 an answer could rest on any note of the home chord; here it rests on the home note itself, so that you can check it alone.
Two tasks use it. Their notes and measures, from the third line of each task’s rule:
| Task | Where the phrases stand | A question ends on | An answer ends on |
|---|---|---|---|
| ”Four measures of your own in G major” | a question in measures 1 and 2, an answer in measures 3 and 4 | a note that is not G, B or D | G |
| ”Eight measures of your own over Em and D” | a question in measures 1 and 2, an answer in measures 3 and 4, a question in measures 5 and 6, an answer in measures 7 and 8 | a note that is not E, G or B | E, in measure 3 or measure 7; the D measure after it is silent |
To check a phrase alone, name its last note: read it from the Notes row of a model phrase, or find its string and fret in the task’s note pool table. Then compare it with the table above.
Both tasks are printed below, each in its own section.
One chorus of your own over the Blues in E
Section titled “One chorus of your own over the Blues in E”Credits: Written for this course.
What this is: A task, not a piece: you make up 12 measures of your own over your recording of the “Seventh-Chord Blues in E”, with E minor pentatonic in open position, by the rule printed below. Not yet play-tested.
Key: E major
Time: 4/4
Picking: Every note is a downstroke: in a tune the pick follows the count, and every note here is on a numbered count.
Strumming pattern: one strum to a measure, in every measure of the backing.
The Backing
Section titled “The Backing”Your backing is your own recording of the chord map of the “Seventh-Chord Blues in E”, one strum to a measure, made in Session 4; the piece’s chart is in Session 4 and is not printed again here.
The Note Pool
Section titled “The Note Pool”| Note | String | Fret |
|---|---|---|
| E | 6 | 0 |
| G | 6 | 3 |
| A | 5 | 0 |
| B | 5 | 2 |
| D | 4 | 0 |
| E | 4 | 2 |
| G | 3 | 0 |
| A | 3 | 2 |
| B | 2 | 0 |
| D | 2 | 3 |
| E | 1 | 0 |
| G | 1 | 3 |
The Model Phrases
Section titled “The Model Phrases”Copy of Session 4: One chorus of your own over the Blues in E
Model phrase 1 - over E7, two measures Chord: E7 E7 e|------0---------------|-------------------| B|----------3---0-------|---0---------------| G|------------------2---|-------------------| D|----------------------|-------------------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 (2) (3) (4) Pick: D D D D D Finger: - 3 - 2 - Notes: E D B A B
A count in round brackets, such as (2), is a count on which you play nothing new: keep counting and let the note or chord ring on.
Pick: D = a downstroke, U = an upstroke, on a single string.
In the Finger row, a number is a finger of the fretting hand: 1 (index), 2 (middle), 3 (ring), 4 (little finger).
In the Finger row, a dash means an open string.
The Notes row names the note above it.
Model phrase 2 - over A7, two measures Chord: A7 A7 e|----------------------|-------------------| B|----------------------|-------------------| G|------2---0-------0---|---2---------------| D|--------------2-------|-------------------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 (2) (3) (4) Pick: D D D D D Finger: 2 - 2 - 2 Notes: A G E G A
Model phrase 3 - over B7, one measure Chord: B7 e|----------------------| B|------0-------0-------| G|----------2-----------| D|----------------------| A|----------------------| E|----------------------| Count: 1 2 3 (4) Pick: D D D Finger: - 2 - Notes: B A B
Model phrase 4 - the ending, over A7 and then E7, two measures Chord: A7 E7 e|----------------------|-------------------| B|----------------------|-------------------| G|------2---0-----------|-------------------| D|--------------2---0---|---2---------------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 (2) (3) (4) Pick: D D D D D Finger: 2 - 2 - 2 Notes: A G E D E
The Rule
Section titled “The Rule”A first chorus made only of the model phrases, as a map:
| Measure | Chord of the backing | What you play |
|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | E7, E7 | Model phrase 1 |
| 3 and 4 | E7, E7 | nothing: count the eight beats |
| 5 and 6 | A7, A7 | Model phrase 2 |
| 7 and 8 | E7, E7 | nothing: count the eight beats |
| 9 | B7 | Model phrase 3 |
| 10 and 11 | A7, E7 | Model phrase 4: its last note is E, on beat 1 of measure 11 |
| 12 | B7 | nothing |
If you lose your place while playing, stop, listen for the next ONE on the recording, and come in again there.
One chorus of your own is:
- Twelve measures: once round the 12-bar form, over the second time round of your backing. During the first time round you listen and count.
- These notes only: the twelve places of E minor pentatonic in open position, one note at a time, and no note shorter than one beat.
- Short phrases: a phrase is six notes at most, and it ends on a note that lasts two beats or longer.
- Empty measures: at least three of the twelve measures have no new note. Measure 12 is one of them.
- The ending: your last note is E, the home note, on beat 1 of measure 11.
The Tick List
Section titled “The Tick List”- I played in the second time round, and I played nothing new after beat 1 of measure 11.
- Every note was at one of the twelve places, and I played no more than one note to a click.
- No phrase had more than six notes.
- At least three measures had no new note, and measure 12 was one of them.
- My last note was E, on beat 1 of measure 11.
Five ticks is a pass.
If one is missing, play the map once more, then try again.
If your phone cannot play the backing and record you at the same time, play with the backing sounding and judge it as you play; checking it on a recording then needs a second device.
In the second tick, the place of each note is marked from what you saw your hand do as you played: a recording does not show the place a note was played at.
Four measures of your own in G major
Section titled “Four measures of your own in G major”Credits: Written for this course.
What this is: A task, not a piece: you make up 4 measures of your own over your recording of the G turnaround, with the G major pentatonic, by the rule printed below. Not yet play-tested.
Key: G major
Time: 4/4
Picking: The pick follows the count: down on the numbers, up on the &s.
Strumming pattern: downstrokes in every measure of the backing but the last; in the last measure, one downstroke on beat 1, left to ring.
The Backing
Section titled “The Backing”Your backing is the recording of these four measures that you made in Session 13; it is not recorded again here.
Copy of Session 13: Four measures of your own in G major
Four measures of your own in G major - the backing, one strum per click Chord: Am7 Count: 1 2 3 4 Strum: D D D D
Down on the numbers, up on the &s. Your hand keeps swinging down-up even when it does not touch the strings.
Four measures of your own in G major - the backing Key: G major Time: 4/4 (four beats in a measure) The G turnaround, 4 measures: | Am7 | D7 | G | G | Record the four measures four times, then strum one last G.
The Note Pool
Section titled “The Note Pool”| Note | String | Fret |
|---|---|---|
| E | 6 | 0 |
| G | 6 | 3 |
| A | 5 | 0 |
| B | 5 | 2 |
| D | 4 | 0 |
| E | 4 | 2 |
| G | 3 | 0 |
| A | 3 | 2 |
| B | 2 | 0 |
| D | 2 | 3 |
| E | 1 | 0 |
| G | 1 | 3 |
The Model Phrases
Section titled “The Model Phrases”Copy of Session 13: Four measures of your own in G major
Phrase 1 in G major pentatonic: a question (measures 1 and 2) Chord: Am7 D7 e|------0-------0-------|-------------------| B|----------3-------0---|-------------------| G|----------------------|---2---------------| D|----------------------|-------------------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 (2) [3] [4] Pick: D D D D D Finger: - 3 - - 2 Notes: E D E B A
A count in square brackets, such as [4], is a rest: stop the strings on that count and keep counting. The silence lasts through every count in square brackets after it.
Phrase 2 in G major pentatonic: an answer (measures 3 and 4) Chord: G e|----------------------|-------------------| B|------0---3---0-------|-------------------| G|------------------2---|---0---------------| D|----------------------|-------------------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 (2) [3] [4] Pick: D D D D D Finger: - 3 - 2 - Notes: B D B A G
Phrase 3 in G major pentatonic: a short answer (measures 3 and 4) Chord: G e|--------------------------------------|-------------------| B|------3---0---------------------------|-------------------| G|--------------2-------0---------------|-------------------| D|--------------------------------------|-------------------| A|--------------------------------------|-------------------| E|--------------------------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 & 2 (&) 3 (&) (4) (&) [1] [2] [3] [4] Pick: D U D D Finger: 3 - 2 - Notes: D B A G
The Rule
Section titled “The Rule”The four times through, as a map:
| Time through | Measures 1 and 2 (Am7, D7) | Measures 3 and 4 (G, G) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | listen and count | listen and count |
| 2 | Phrase 1 | Phrase 2 |
| 3 | a question of your own | Phrase 2 or Phrase 3 |
| 4 | a question of your own | an answer of your own, ending on G |
If you lose your place while playing, stop, listen for the next ONE on the recording, and come in again there.
Four measures of your own are:
- Four measures: once through the G turnaround (Am7, D7, G, G), over your backing. During the first time through you listen and count, and you come in at the second “ONE”. The second, third and fourth times through are three turns of four measures; mark the tick list for the fourth.
- These notes only: the twelve places of G major pentatonic in open position (the notes G, A, B, D and E), one note at a time, and no note shorter than an eighth note: two notes to a click at most.
- Two phrases: a question in measures 1 and 2, then an answer in measures 3 and 4. Neither is longer than its two measures. The question ends on a note that is not G, B or D, the notes of the G chord. The answer ends on G.
- Empty measures: at least one of the four measures holds a rest of two beats or more.
- The ending: your last note is G, the home note, in measure 3 or measure 4, where the chord is G.
The Tick List
Section titled “The Tick List”- I came in at the second “ONE”, and in my fourth time through I stopped as measure 4 ended.
- Every note was at one of the twelve places, and I played no more than two notes to a click.
- I played a question in measures 1 and 2 that ended on E or A, and an answer in measures 3 and 4 that ended on G.
- At least one measure held a rest of two beats or more.
- My last note was G, in measure 3 or measure 4.
Five ticks is a pass.
If one is missing, play the map once more, then try again.
If your phone cannot play the backing and record you at the same time, play with the backing sounding and judge it as you play; checking it on a recording then needs a second device.
In the second tick, the place of each note is marked from what you saw your hand do as you played: a recording does not show the place a note was played at.
Eight measures of your own over Em and D
Section titled “Eight measures of your own over Em and D”Credits: Written for this course.
What this is: A task, not a piece: you make up 8 measures of your own over your recording of Em and D, with the E minor pentatonic, by the rule printed below. Not yet play-tested.
Key: E minor
Time: 4/4
Picking: Every note is a downstroke: in a tune the pick follows the count, and every note here is on a numbered count.
Strumming pattern: the down-up strum in every measure of the backing but the last; in the last measure, one downstroke on beat 1, left to ring.
The Backing
Section titled “The Backing”Your backing is the recording of these eight measures, four times through, that you made in Session 14; Session 19 uses it again.
These are the verse chords of the “Planet Caravan” chart; the song’s course form is strummed from its first measure to its last, apart from this task.
Copy of Session 14: Eight measures of your own over Em and D
Eight measures of your own over Em and D - the backing in the down-up strum Chord: Em D Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & | Strum: D U D U D U D U | D U D U D U D U |
Eight measures of your own over Em and D - the backing Key: E minor Time: 4/4 (four beats in a measure) The eight measures, 8 measures: | Em | D | Em | D | | Em | D | Em | D | Record the eight measures four times, then strum one last Em.
The Note Pool
Section titled “The Note Pool”| Note | String | Fret |
|---|---|---|
| E | 6 | 0 |
| G | 6 | 3 |
| A | 5 | 0 |
| B | 5 | 2 |
| D | 4 | 0 |
| E | 4 | 2 |
| G | 3 | 0 |
| A | 3 | 2 |
| B | 2 | 0 |
| D | 2 | 3 |
| E | 1 | 0 |
| G | 1 | 3 |
The scale’s own block is in Session 4, under “The Pentatonic Pair”.
The Model Phrases
Section titled “The Model Phrases”Copy of Session 14: Eight measures of your own over Em and D
Phrase 1 in E minor pentatonic: a question (measures 1 and 2) Chord: Em D e|----------------------|-------------------| B|------0-----------0---|---3---------------| G|----------2---0-------|-------------------| D|----------------------|-------------------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 (2) [3] [4] Pick: D D D D D Finger: - 2 - - 3 Notes: B A G B D Dyn: p cresc.
The Dyn row shows how loud to play: p = soft, mf = medium, f = loud, cresc. = get gradually louder from here, dim. = get gradually softer from here. Each mark stands under the count where it begins; cresc. and dim. last until the next mark in the row, also when the TAB or pattern goes on to a new line, or to the end of the TAB or pattern.
Phrase 2 in E minor pentatonic: an answer (measures 3 and 4) Chord: Em D e|----------------------|-------------------| B|------0---------------|-------------------| G|----------2---0-------|-------------------| D|------------------2---|-------------------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 [1] [2] [3] [4] Pick: D D D D Finger: - 2 - 2 Notes: B A G E Dyn: mf cresc.
Phrase 3 in E minor pentatonic: a second question (measures 5 and 6) Chord: Em D e|------0---------------|-------------------| B|----------3---0-------|-------------------| G|------------------0---|---2---------------| D|----------------------|-------------------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 (2) [3] [4] Pick: D D D D D Finger: - 3 - - 2 Notes: E D B G A Dyn: f dim.
Phrase 4 in E minor pentatonic: the last answer (measures 7 and 8) Chord: Em D e|------0-------0-------|-------------------| B|----------3-----------|-------------------| G|----------------------|-------------------| D|----------------------|-------------------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 (4) [1] [2] [3] [4] Pick: D D D Finger: - 3 - Notes: E D E Dyn: mf dim.
The Rule
Section titled “The Rule”The four times through, as a map:
| Time through | Measures 1 and 2 | Measures 3 and 4 | Measures 5 and 6 | Measures 7 and 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | listen and count | listen and count | listen and count | listen and count |
| 2 | Phrase 1 | Phrase 2 | Phrase 3 | Phrase 4 |
| 3 | Phrase 1 | an answer of your own | Phrase 3 | an answer of your own |
| 4 | a question of your own | an answer of your own | a question of your own | an answer of your own |
If you lose your place while playing, stop, listen for the next ONE on the recording, and come in again there.
Eight measures of your own are:
- Eight measures: once through Em and D in turn, one measure each, over your backing. During the first time through you listen and count, and you come in at the second “ONE”. The second, third and fourth times through are three turns of eight measures; mark the tick list for the fourth.
- These notes only: the twelve places of E minor pentatonic in open position (the notes E, G, A, B and D), one note at a time, and no note shorter than one beat: one note to a click at most.
- Question and answer, twice: measures 1 and 2 are a question, measures 3 and 4 an answer, measures 5 and 6 a question, measures 7 and 8 an answer. No phrase is longer than its two measures. A question ends on a note that is not E, G or B. An answer ends on E, the home note, in its Em measure (measure 3 or measure 7), and the D measure after it is left silent.
- Empty measures: at least two of the eight measures hold a rest of two beats or more.
- The ending: your last note is E, the home note, in measure 7, where the chord is Em. Measure 8 is silent.
- Loud and soft: get gradually louder through measures 1 to 4 and gradually softer through measures 5 to 8.
The Tick List
Section titled “The Tick List”- I came in at the second “ONE”, and in my fourth time through I stopped as measure 8 ended.
- Every note was at one of the twelve places, and I played no more than one note to a click.
- My two questions ended on D or A; my two answers ended on E, in measure 3 and in measure 7; measures 4 and 8 were silent.
- At least two measures held a rest of two beats or more.
- My last note was E, in measure 7.
- My playing got louder up to measure 5 and softer after it.
Six ticks is a pass.
If one is missing, play the map once more, then try again.
If your phone cannot play the backing and record you at the same time, play with the backing sounding and judge it as you play; checking it on a recording then needs a second device.
In the second tick, the place of each note is marked from what you saw your hand do as you played: a recording does not show the place a note was played at.
The last tick, about loud and soft, may also be checked in the way of Beginner Session 22: record one playing of your eight measures without the backing, to the metronome, and listen to it.
The Fifth Position
Section titled “The Fifth Position”-
Position — A place on the neck for the fretting hand in which each finger has its own fret, four frets in a row. It is named by the fret that finger 1 plays. (Session 21)
-
Fifth position — The position in which finger 1 plays fret 5, finger 2 fret 6, finger 3 fret 7 and finger 4 (little finger) fret 8. (Session 21)
A position is named by the fret that finger 1 plays: in fifth position finger 1 plays fret 5 and finger 4 (little finger) plays fret 8. A scale moved to a new position keeps its note names and changes its strings and frets: A minor pentatonic is A, C, D, E, G in open position and in fifth position.
The note pool of “Your Own Blues Chorus” is six places at frets 5 and 7 on strings 5, 4 and 3:
| Note | String | Fret | Finger |
|---|---|---|---|
| D | 5 (A) | 5 | 1 (index) |
| E | 5 (A) | 7 | 3 (ring) |
| G | 4 (D) | 5 | 1 (index) |
| A | 4 (D) | 7 | 3 (ring) |
| C | 3 (G) | 5 | 1 (index) |
| D | 3 (G) | 7 | 3 (ring) |
The home note A is string 4, fret 7.
The pool is six places and not the whole pattern because none of these six notes needs the little finger, and the week’s plan counts no little-finger minutes for this task.
The whole pattern, its scale block and the “Fifth-Fret Phrases” are in Session 21.
”Your Own Blues Chorus”
Section titled “”Your Own Blues Chorus””Credits: Written for this course.
What this is: A task, not a piece: you make up twelve measures of your own over your recording of the “Shuffle Blues in A”, with the six notes of A minor pentatonic at frets 5 and 7 on strings 5, 4 and 3, by the rule printed below. Not yet play-tested.
Key: A major
Your solo uses A minor pentatonic: the minor pentatonic on the home note of your backing, which is in A major.
Time: 4/4
Picking: Every note is a downstroke: in a tune the pick follows the count, and every note here is on a numbered count.
Strumming pattern: the shuffle in measures 1 to 10 of the 12-bar form; in measure 11, the shuffle for three beats and the rest stop on beat 4; in measure 12 and in the first measure of the ending, one downstroke on beat 1 and the rest stop on beat 2; in the last measure, one downstroke on beat 1, left to ring.
The Backing
Section titled “The Backing”Your backing is your own recording of the “Shuffle Blues in A”, made in Session 21; the piece’s chart is in Session 20 and is not printed again here.
- One chorus is twelve measures.
- In measure 11 the recording stops on beat 4.
- In measure 12 it plays one E7 chord on beat 1 and is silent for three beats.
- The three choruses are measures 1 to 12, 13 to 24 and 25 to 36.
The Note Pool
Section titled “The Note Pool”The note pool is the table of six places in “The Fifth Position”, directly above.
The Model Phrases
Section titled “The Model Phrases”Copy of Session 22: “Your Own Blues Chorus”
"Your Own Blues Chorus" - model phrase 1 e|----------------------|-------------------| B|----------------------|-------------------| G|----------5---7---5---|-------------------| D|------7---------------|---7---------------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 (2) (3) (4) Pick: D D D D D Finger: 3 1 3 1 3 Notes: A C D C A
"Your Own Blues Chorus" - model phrase 2 e|----------------------|-------------------| B|----------------------|-------------------| G|------7---5-------5---|---7---------------| D|--------------7-------|-------------------| A|----------------------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 4 1 (2) (3) (4) Pick: D D D D D Finger: 3 1 3 1 3 Notes: D C A C D
"Your Own Blues Chorus" - model phrase 3 e|----------------------| B|----------------------| G|----------------------| D|----------5-----------| A|------7-------7-------| E|----------------------| Count: 1 2 3 (4) Pick: D D D Finger: 3 1 3 Notes: E G E
"Your Own Blues Chorus" - model phrase 4 e|----------------------|-------------------| B|----------------------|-------------------| G|----------------------|-------------------| D|--------------5-------|---7---------------| A|------5---7-----------|-------------------| E|----------------------|-------------------| Count: 1 2 3 (4) 1 (2) (3) (4) Pick: D D D D Finger: 1 3 1 3 Notes: D E G A
The Rule
Section titled “The Rule”A first chorus made only of the model phrases, as a map:
| Measures of the chorus | Your recording plays | You play |
|---|---|---|
| 1 and 2 | A5, A5 | Model phrase 1 |
| 3 and 4 | A5, A5 | Nothing new: count the eight beats |
| 5 and 6 | D5, D5 | Model phrase 2 |
| 7 and 8 | A5, A5 | Nothing new: count the eight beats |
| 9 | E5 | Model phrase 3 |
| 10 and 11 | D5, then A5, stopping on beat 4 | Model phrase 4: your last note is A, on beat 1 of measure 11 |
| 12 | one E7 chord, then silence | Nothing |
One chorus of your own is:
- Twelve measures: one chorus, over the second chorus of your recording. During the first chorus you listen and count, and move your hand to fret 5.
- These notes only: the six notes of A minor pentatonic at fret 5 and fret 7 on strings 5, 4 and 3, with finger 1 at fret 5 and finger 3 at fret 7; one note at a time, every note picked, and no note shorter than one beat.
- Short phrases: a phrase is six notes at most, and it ends on a note that lasts two beats or longer.
- Empty measures: at least three of the twelve measures have no new note. Measure 12 is one of them.
- The ending: your last note is A, the home note (string 4, fret 7), on beat 1 of measure 11.
The Tick List
Section titled “The Tick List”- I played over the second chorus of my recording, and I played nothing new after beat 1 of measure 11.
- Every note was at fret 5 or fret 7 on strings 5, 4 and 3, and I picked every note, no more than one to a click.
- No phrase had more than six notes.
- At least three measures had no new note, and measure 12 was one of them.
- My last note was A (string 4, fret 7), on beat 1 of measure 11.
Five ticks is a pass.
If one is missing, play the map once more, then try again.
If your phone cannot play the backing and record you at the same time, play with the backing sounding and judge it as you play; checking it on a recording then needs a second device.
In the second tick, the place of each note is marked from what you saw your hand do as you played, and so is whether it was picked: a recording does not show the place a note was played at, or whether it was picked.
If you lose your place while playing, stop, listen for the next ONE on the recording, and come in again there.