Session 11: Two Notes at Once

Duration: 50 minutes

Break: Put the guitar down for 5 minutes at the end of Segment 3. No stretch of playing is then longer than 30 minutes.

This session teaches the picking hand to pluck two strings together with its fingers: first two fingers together, then the pinch, which is the thumb with a finger. You learn what two-part writing is, and you play measures 1 to 16 of Giuliani’s Andantino, four measures at a time: the Andantino is the session’s piece. The week’s song is the refrain of “Roop Tera Mastana”, with the capo at fret 4.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

Pluck two open strings together so that each pair begins as one sound, at 50 BPM, one pair to a click (i with m, m with a, then thumb with m): 12 pairs in a row
Play measures 1 to 16 of Giuliani’s Andantino from the TAB, four measures at a time, each plucking finger on its own string and each rest silent, at 55 BPM: 4 phrases of 4 measures
Say, for each place in a phrase of the Andantino where something is plucked, which string carries the tune and which the lower part: 8 places, in measures 1 to 4
Play the refrain of “Roop Tera Mastana” from its chart with the capo at fret 4, in its strum at 75 BPM: 8 measures, twice
Pass the change test for Am7 and D7, a new chord every 2 beats at 60 BPM: 8 chords, twice on the same day

Where an objective gives a tempo, it is the figure for the end of this week’s practice.

Materials Needed

Your Saga SF-600C-BK guitar
A guitar pick
A clip-on tuner or phone tuner app
A metronome
A phone that records sound
Your capo
A way to play Kishore Kumar’s recording of “Roop Tera Mastana”: listen to it three times before the session, as its “Listen first” paragraph asks
Handout for this session: Fingerstyle Two Voices (read after the session, 15 minutes)
Handout for this session: Hindi Film Songs (optional reading, after the session)
Staff reading this week: Reading Staff Notation 1, the section “Lines for Week 11”
Reference: Chord Chart, Glossary

Segment 1 — Warm-Up and Stretch (5 minutes)

Hand Warm-Up

Open and close both hands loosely five times. Circle each wrist five times each way. Touch your thumb to each fingertip in turn. Shake the hands out.

Tune Your Guitar

Tune all six strings (EADGBE). Before you look at the tuner, guess: too low, too high or right? Then look.

Warm-Up

Take the change test (Beginner Session 3) for Am7 and D7 (Session 10) in its new form: a new chord every 2 beats at 60 BPM, on beats 1 and 3. Play 8 chords in a row, then 8 chords in a row again. The metronome stays at 60 all week, because the form is new: take no step this week. Finger 1 stays on string 2 at fret 1 in both chords.

Spider crawl: frets 5-8, one finger at a time, all six strings, up and down. If it pulls, stop the crawl; if it aches, stop playing for today.

Barre presses:

The simplified F, then Dm7 (Session 9): press, pluck four strings, release. Two presses of each in the minute, and shake the hand out after each press.

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.

Segment 2 — Technique Focus: Two Strings Plucked Together (10 minutes)

The plucking fingertips may be tender this week: the pain rule covers this hand too. If they sting, stop fingerpicking for the day and do the pick items of the plan.

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.

Fingers on Their Home Strings

Put the pick down: this segment is played with the fingers of the picking hand. Bring back the free stroke and the p-i-m-a arpeggio (Beginner Session 15) on Em.

Copy of Beginner Session 15: the p-i-m-a arpeggio

Em measure (hold the Em chord)

e|------------------0---------------0---|
B|--------------0---------------0-------|
G|----------0---------------0-----------|
D|--------------------------------------|
A|----------------------2---------------|
E|------0-------------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Finger: p   i   m   a   p   i   m   a

Hold Em and play the measure four times at 50 BPM, two notes per click. The home strings are the ones the beginner course taught: the thumb (p) plays strings 6, 5 and 4, i string 3, m string 2 and a string 1.

The Drill on Open Strings

Two strings plucked together — Plucking two strings at the same moment, so that the two notes begin as one sound. Two fingers together are written im, ma or ia in the Finger row; the thumb with a finger is a pinch. (Session 11)
Pinch — Plucking two strings at the same moment with the thumb and one finger, so that the two notes begin as one sound. In a Finger row it is written pi, pm or pa: the thumb’s letter first. (Session 11)

e|----------------------|---0---0---0---0---|-------------------|
B|------0---0---0---0---|---0---0---0---0---|---0---0---0---0---|
G|------0---0---0---0---|-------------------|-------------------|
D|----------------------|-------------------|---0---0---0---0---|
A|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
E|----------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
Count:  1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4       1   2   3   4
Finger: im  im  im  im      ma  ma  ma  ma      pm  pm  pm  pm

Letters written together in the Finger row, such as im or pm, are plucked at the same moment. The letters keep the order p i m a.

Read the block aloud before you play. Its first measure is i with m on strings 3 and 2; its second, m with a on strings 2 and 1; its third, the thumb with m on strings 4 and 2. Every string is open, and every finger is on its home string. Nothing is played yet.

Two Fingers Together

Tempo: 50 BPM, one pair per click

Play the drill’s first measure only: i with m on strings 3 and 2, open. First pluck four pairs with no metronome, and watch that the two fingers move at the same moment. Then play the measure 8 times through at 50 BPM, one pair per click, and shake the hand out half-way.

Then the drill’s second measure: m with a on strings 2 and 1, open. Four pairs with no metronome, then the measure 8 times through at 50 BPM.

The Pinch

The drill’s third measure is the pinch: the thumb with m on strings 4 and 2, open. Four pairs with no metronome, then the measure 8 times through at 50 BPM. The thumb and m close on their two strings at the same moment.

Then play the whole drill at 50 BPM, its three measures in a row without stopping, twice: twelve pairs each time. This is the week’s row “Two strings together”.

Segment 3 — New Learning: Two-Part Writing (15 minutes)

Two-Part Writing

Two-part writing — Music made of two lines of notes that sound at the same time, a tune above and a lower part under it. (Session 11)
Voice (part) — One of the two lines of notes in two-part writing. Where two notes begin together, the higher one belongs to the tune and the lower one to the lower part, which is called the bass whichever string it is on. A note that begins alone belongs to the part that is moving at that count; the lesson of the piece says which. Where the two parts share one note, it belongs to both. (Session 11)

In two-part writing the higher note of two that begin together belongs to the tune, and the lower note belongs to the lower part, which is called the bass even when it is not on strings 6, 5 and 4. A note that begins alone belongs to the part that is moving at that count; the lesson of the piece says which. Where the two parts share one note, it belongs to both. In 3/4 both parts are counted together: 1 2 3.

The Finger row shows the two parts. Its letters keep the order p i m a, so in a pair the later letter is the higher string, and that string plays the tune’s note.

The Two Voices in a Pair

Keep the drill’s block of Segment 2 open, and leave the metronome off. Take each of its three kinds of pair in turn: i with m, m with a, the thumb with m. Pluck the pair. Pluck the lower string alone with its own finger and say “lower part”. Pluck the higher string alone with its own finger and say “tune”. Pluck the pair again. Do this four times for each kind of pair.

Evening Sevenths, Second Week

Take the pick again. Play “Evening Sevenths” (Session 10) once through from its page in Session 10 at 60 BPM, after four clicks counted in: the 26 measures as written, with the marks of its Dyn row. The chord map is not played any more. The line below is for the week’s practice.

Tempo: Start at 60 BPM, strumming D/U (down on the click, up between clicks) and work up to 70. Raise the metronome 5 BPM at a time, and only after three clean runs in a row. In one week, take two steps at most. The performance tempo is 70 BPM, strumming D/U (down on the click, up between clicks).

A run is clean when every note or chord lands on its count, every string that should sound rings, and you do not stop.

The G Major Scale in Eighth Notes

Copy of Session 7: G major scale, two octaves, open position

G major scale, two octaves, open position: up and down, eighth notes
e|--------------------------------------|-------------------0---2---3---2---|
B|--------------------------------------|-------0---1---3-------------------|
G|----------------------------------0---|---2-------------------------------|
D|----------------------0---2---4-------|-----------------------------------|
A|----------0---2---3-------------------|-----------------------------------|
E|------3-------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Pick:   D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U       D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U
Finger: 3   -   2   3   -   2   4   -       2   -   1   3   -   2   3   2
Notes:  G   A   B   C   D   E   F#  G       A   B   C   D   E   F#  G   F#

e|------0-------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B|----------3---1---0-------------------|-----------------------------------|
G|----------------------2---0-----------|-----------------------------------|
D|------------------------------4---2---|---0-------------------------------|
A|--------------------------------------|-------3---2---0-------------------|
E|--------------------------------------|-------------------3---------------|
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &   3      (4)
Pick:   D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U       D   U   D   U   D
Finger: -   3   1   -   2   -   4   2       -   3   2   -   3
Notes:  E   D   C   B   A   G   F#  E       D   C   B   A   G

G major scale, in eighth notes: two notes per click. The top G is played once. The last G lasts two beats: let it ring while you count (4).

Play the scale up and down twice at 50 BPM, two notes per click. This is the last week of the scale’s ladder: on the practice days, start at 50 BPM and work up to 60, two steps at most in the week. In Session 12 its card joins the Rotation pile.

Break: 5 minutes. Guitar down.

Segment 4 — Piece Workshop: Giuliani: “Andantino”, Op. 50 no. 1 (15 minutes)

Giuliani: “Andantino”, Op. 50 no. 1

Credits: Composed by Mauro Giuliani (1781 to 1829): the first piece of Le Papillon, Op. 50, marked Andantino. The music is in the public domain. The notes follow the Mutopia Project’s typeset no. 1329 by Stephen Rhen (licence: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0), except in three places, where they were changed to agree with a Paris print published by Henry Lemoine & Cie (plate numbers V. D. et D. 523 and 13758 H.): the lower note on beat 3 of measure 5, the lower note on beat 3 of measure 14, and the last eighth note of measure 30. The TAB and the fingering were made for this course.

What this is: A complete piece: 32 measures in 3/4, in C major, all within the first three frets. In measures 1 to 16 two parts move together, so almost every note is two strings plucked at once. Each plucking finger keeps its own string (the thumb on strings 6, 5 and 4, i on string 3, m on string 2, a on string 1), so most of these pairs are two fingers plucking together: i with m on strings 3 and 2, or m with a on strings 2 and 1. Six pairs are a pinch: the thumb on string 4 with m on string 2. Measures 17 to 32 are the same tune, with its three phrase endings filled in, over an accompaniment in eighth notes. There the thumb plays the bass notes on strings 6, 5 and 4, i repeats the notes on string 3, and m and a play the tune on strings 2 and 1, usually as a pinch with a bass note from the thumb. In the three filled-in endings the tune runs across the other strings too, each note still plucked by its own string’s finger. Not yet play-tested.

Key: C major

Time: 3/4

Techniques: two strings plucked together; pinch

Tempo: Start at 50 BPM in 3/4, the click on the beat and work up to 55. Raise the metronome 5 BPM at a time, and only after three clean runs in a row. This week, take one step at most. The performance tempo is 55 BPM in 3/4, the click on the beat.

Put the pick down again: the piece is plucked with the fingers. The techniques of this piece are two strings plucked together and the pinch.

The plucking fingertips may be tender this week: the pain rule covers this hand too. If they sting, stop fingerpicking for the day and do the pick items of the plan.

This week you play measures 1 to 16 only; measures 17 to 32 come in Session 14. So only the first two blocks of the TAB are printed here.

Giuliani, Andantino, Op. 50 no. 1: measures 1 to 8
e|------------------|---------------|---0---1---0---|---------------|
B|------1-------1---|---3-------3---|---1---3---1---|---3-----------|
G|------------------|---0-------0---|---------------|---0-----------|
D|------2-------2---|---------------|---------------|---------------|
A|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
E|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
Count:  1  (2)  3       1  (2)  3       1   2   3       1  (2) [3]
Finger: pm      pm      im      im      ma  ma  ma      im

e|------1-------3---|---0-----------|---------------|---------------|
B|--------------0---|---1-------1---|---3-------0---|---1-----------|
G|------2-----------|-----------2---|-----------0---|---------------|
D|------------------|---------------|---3-----------|---2-----------|
A|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
E|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
Count:  1  (2)  3       1  (2)  3       1  (2)  3       1  (2) [3]
Finger: ia      ma      ma      im      pm      im      pm

Giuliani, Andantino, Op. 50 no. 1: measures 9 to 16
e|--------------0---|---------------|-------1---0---|---------------|
B|------3-------1---|---3-----------|---3-------1---|---3-----------|
G|------0-----------|---0-----------|---0-----------|---0-----------|
D|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
A|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
E|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
Count:  1  (2)  3       1  (2) [3]      1   2   3       1  (2) [3]
Finger: im      ma      im              im  a   ma      im

e|------0-----------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
B|------1-------3---|---1-------3---|---1-------0---|---1-----------|
G|--------------1---|---2-----------|---0-------0---|---------------|
D|------------------|-----------3---|---------------|---2-----------|
A|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
E|------------------|---------------|---------------|---------------|
Count:  1  (2)  3       1  (2)  3       1  (2)  3       1  (2) [3]
Finger: ma      im      im      pm      im      im      pm

Read the two blocks before you play. Every place where something is plucked holds a pair, except beat 2 of measure 11. That is the one single note, a on string 1. It belongs to the tune, which moves D, F, E in this measure, while the lower part’s G lasts through beat 2. The Finger row names the fingers of each pair.

Beat 3 of measures 4, 8, 10, 12 and 16 is a rest, in square brackets. You make it with the rest stop of the picking hand.

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.

Measure 13 has the one G sharp: string 3, fret 1.

For the fretting hand, fret 1 is finger 1, fret 2 finger 2 and fret 3 finger 3. There are two places where two strings are held at fret 3 together: beat 1 of measure 7 and beat 3 of measure 14. There finger 3 takes string 4 and finger 4 takes string 2.

How to Learn This Piece

Step 1 — The open-string drill first: Play the drill of two strings plucked together at 50 BPM, one pair to a click, before the piece on every day: i with m, m with a, then thumb with m.

You have just played it in Segment 2. On every practice day the row “Two strings together” stands before the piece’s row.

Step 2 — Measures 1 to 4: Say the Finger row aloud while counting 1 2 3, then play the phrase three times at 50 BPM, each time after three clicks counted in. The rest on beat 3 of measure 4 is made with the rest stop.

The Finger row of the phrase, said with the count: pm, pm; im, im; ma, ma, ma; im, rest. The rest on beat 3 of measure 4 is silent.

Step 3 — Measures 5 to 8: The same, twice: measure 5 begins with i and a together, and beat 1 of measure 7 needs fingers 3 and 4 together at fret 3.

Say the Finger row in the same way: ia, ma; ma, im; pm, im; pm, rest. Then play measures 5 to 8 twice at 50 BPM. Measure 5 begins with the one pair of i with a, and beat 1 of measure 7 is the first place for fingers 3 and 4 together at fret 3.

Step 4 — Measures 9 to 12: The same, twice: two rests, on beat 3 of measures 10 and 12, and one single note, on beat 2 of measure 11.

Say the Finger row, then play measures 9 to 12 twice at 50 BPM.

Step 5 — Measures 13 to 16: The same, twice: the G sharp on beat 3 of measure 13, and fingers 3 and 4 together on beat 3 of measure 14.

Say the Finger row, then play measures 13 to 16 twice at 50 BPM. You first play the whole first half in a row on a practice day, once each phrase has gone three times in a row with no stop.

What it should sound like: With the metronome at 50, every pair is plucked on a click and its two notes begin together: count the pairs of a phrase that began as 2 separate sounds, and aim for 0. Count 1 2 3 aloud through the 4 measures of a phrase without stopping. On a recording of the 16 measures, no string is ringing on beat 3 of measures 4, 8, 10, 12 and 16: 5 rests, all silent.

”Roop Tera Mastana” (refrain chords, simplified, with a capo)

Credits: Written by S. D. Burman (music) and Anand Bakshi (lyrics). Recorded by Kishore Kumar for the film Aradhana (1969).

Listen first: Find Kishore Kumar’s recording of “Roop Tera Mastana” (Aradhana, 1969) and listen to the opening refrain three times before you pick up the guitar. Listen for: (1) the harmony under the first two sung lines rocking back and forth between two chords one whole step apart (in this chart those two are the A and G shapes); (2) the third chord, which arrives at the end of the third sung line (in this chart the two-string E5 shape) and leads back to the start.

What this is: A simplified chord accompaniment for the refrain (the mukhda) only. What is printed is the order of the refrain’s chords, which you play as A and G shapes and the two-string E5 shape with the capo at fret 4. It is simplified: three open shapes, one chord to a measure, the same down-up strum in measures 1 to 6 of the refrain, and one downstroke on beat 1, left to ring, in each of measures 7 and 8. The order of the chords comes from two charts that agree; both are hobby charts, not a publisher’s edition, and three other charts differ. It is not certain that the two were made separately. How long each chord lasts is this course’s reading: the two charts give the order, not the lengths. The charts do not agree whether the last chord of the refrain is major or minor: two make it major, three make it minor. Nobody has checked it against the recording. So measures 7 and 8 are the E5 shape, which has neither note; if you want the full chord, try the E shape and the Em shape against the recording and keep the one that fits. The stanza, the introduction and the instrumental passages are not printed because the charts that give them differ. With the capo at fret 4 the chart sounds in C sharp, the scale that two notation pages give for the song. The most-copied guitar chart is written in C, and nobody has checked the recording with a tuner, so do not expect to play along with the recording. Without the capo, the eight measures are those of Beginner Session 17 one whole step higher (there G, F and D; here A, G and E5: Beginner Session 17 prints its last chord as a full major chord). The ending is written for the course. Not yet play-tested.

Key: A shapes (sounds in C sharp)

Time: 4/4

Tempo: Start at 70 BPM, strumming D/U (down on the click, up between clicks) and work up to 75. Raise the metronome 5 BPM at a time, and only after three clean runs in a row. In one week, take two steps at most.

Strumming pattern: the down-up strum in measures 1 to 6 of the refrain; in measures 7 and 8 and in the last measure, one downstroke on beat 1, left to ring.

Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
Strum:  D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U

Count:  1  (2) (3) (4)
Strum:  D

The first block above shows measures 1 to 6 of the refrain, in the down-up strum. Measures 7 and 8 are one strum to a measure, the second block: each is one downstroke on beat 1, left to ring.

Take the pick again, and fit the capo at fret 4 by the steps of Session 9, “Fitting the Capo”. The three listens of “Listen first” were done before the session.

"Roop Tera Mastana" - refrain chords (simplified)

Capo: fret 4

Key: A shapes (sounds in C sharp)        Time: 4/4 (four beats in a measure)

Refrain (mukhda), 8 measures:

| A    | G    | A    | G    |
| A    | G    | E5   | E5   |

Ending (one downstroke, let it ring), 1 measure:

| A    |

Refrain four times, then the ending. The rest of the song is not printed.

Read the chart aloud: its Capo line and its Key line, then the eight measures of the refrain and the ending. A and G are shapes of the beginner course, and E5 is its two-string shape (Beginner Session 9).

One downstroke across strings 6 and 5 only: strings 4 to 1 stay silent.

A to G and G to A are changes of the “Capo Study in A Shapes” (Session 9). G to E5 and E5 to A are new here. Before the first run, place each of the two once, without strumming:

G to E5: Nothing stays. Fingers 2, 3 and 4 lift. Finger 1 lands on string 5 fret 2, the place finger 2 leaves: the finger changes, so no finger is an anchor finger.
E5 to A: Nothing stays. Finger 1 moves one string towards the floor at fret 2 (string 5 to string 4). Finger 2 lands on string 3 fret 2. Finger 3 lands on string 2 fret 2.

The chart is not for playing along with the recording, as its “What this is” paragraph says.

How to Learn This Song

Step 1 — The refrain as its chord map: With the capo at fret 4, play the 8 measures of the refrain twice in a row with one downstroke on count 1 of each, at 70 BPM, moving during beats 3 and 4.

Count in four clicks first. One strum to each measure, a downstroke on count 1; move to the next chord during beats 3 and 4.

Step 2 — The refrain in its strum: The down-up strum in measures 1 to 6, and in measures 7 and 8 one downstroke of E5 on beat 1 of each, strings 6 and 5 only, left to ring; move to A during beats 3 and 4 of measure 8. Play the 8 measures twice without stopping at 70 BPM. On practice days add the second half of the course form: the refrain twice more, then the ending, one downstroke on A. Add the strum only when the chord map has gone twice in a row with every chord on count 1.

In the session, play the 8 measures once in the strum at 70 BPM. On the practice days the row plays the course form in two halves: first the refrain twice without stopping, then the refrain twice more and the ending, one downstroke on A. The down-up strum is added only when the chord map has gone twice in a row with every chord down on count 1; until then the week’s row is the chord map, at 70 BPM.

Take the capo off when you have finished.

What it should sound like: With the metronome at 70, the first strum of every measure falls with a click: 8 measures. Count 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & aloud through the refrain twice without stopping: 16 measures, each new chord on count 1.

Segment 5 — Review and Practice Plan (5 minutes)

What You Learned Today

Two strings plucked together: two fingers together, and the pinch
Two-part writing and its two voices
The first half of Giuliani’s Andantino, four measures at a time

Common Mistakes

The two notes of a pair are heard one after the other — The two fingers, or the thumb and the finger, close on their two strings at the same moment. Play that one pair alone four times with no metronome, then put it back into its measure.
A finger plucks a string that is not its own — Each finger keeps its home string: the thumb strings 6, 5 and 4, i string 3, m string 2, a string 1. Say the Finger row of the phrase aloud before you play it.
A string is still ringing in a rest — Beat 3 of measures 4, 8, 10, 12 and 16 is a rest: on that count lay the edge of the picking-hand palm across the strings you have played, and say the 3 aloud.
Going on when the picking fingertips sting — The pain rule covers this hand too: stop fingerpicking for the day and do the pick items of the plan.
The G shape arrives late in the refrain of “Roop Tera Mastana” — Go back to the chord map: one strum to a measure at 70 BPM, moving during beats 3 and 4, until every chord lands on count 1.

Self-Check Questions

Play the drill of two strings plucked together on open strings at 50 BPM, one pair to a click: four pairs of i with m, four of m with a, four of thumb with m, and record it with the metronome sounding. Check: listen to the recording pair by pair and count the pairs whose two notes begin at different moments. Pass: 12 pairs with no stop, and at most 1 pair whose two notes do not begin together. If not: if the fingertips sting, stop fingerpicking for the day; otherwise play one kind of pair alone, four pairs at a time with no metronome, watching that both fingers move at the same moment, under “Two Fingers Together” in Segment 2, and try again the next day.
By the end of this week’s practice: play measures 1 to 16 of Giuliani’s Andantino four measures at a time at 55 BPM, each phrase after three clicks counted in, and record it with the metronome sounding. Check: follow the recording on the TAB and mark each wrong or missed note. Pass: 4 phrases, each with no stop, and at most 3 wrong or missed notes in the 16 measures. If not: play only the phrase with the most marks, twice a day for two days, saying its Finger row aloud first, under “How to Learn This Piece” in Segment 4, and try again after those two days.
For measures 1 to 4 of the Andantino, point to each of the 8 places where something is plucked and say which string carries the tune and which the lower part. Check: read the Finger row under each place: the later letter of the pair is the higher string, which carries the tune. Pass: 8 of the 8 places. If not: pluck each kind of pair as the part says: the pair, the lower string, the higher string, the pair, under “The Two Voices in a Pair” in Segment 3, and try again the next day.
By the end of this week’s practice: with the capo at fret 4, play the refrain of “Roop Tera Mastana” twice without stopping in its strum at 75 BPM, and record it with the metronome sounding. Check: listen to the recording and count the measures aloud. Pass: 16 measures with no stop, every chord begins on count 1, and measures 7 and 8 are 1 strum each. If not: play the refrain as its chord map, one strum to a measure, twice a day for two days, under “How to Learn This Song” in Segment 4, and try again after those two days.
Pass the change test (Beginner Session 3) for Am7 and D7, a new chord every 2 beats at 60 BPM. Check: the metronome clicks the beat; each chord lands on its click with every string that should sound ringing. Pass: all 8 chords, twice on the same day. If not: play the pair at a new chord every 4 beats at 60 for two days, then try 2 beats again, under “Warm-Up” in Segment 1, and try again after those two days.

Practice Plan for Week 11 (each practice day, 30 minutes)

Notes on the rows:

Rotation this week, the change-test pairs: G and D7, a new chord every 2 beats at 70 BPM; Em and B7, a new chord every 2 beats at 65 BPM. One of them a day, in turn.
The Staff reading row: today’s line is from the section “Lines for Week 11” of Reading Staff Notation 1.
The Two strings together row: the drill of Segment 2 at 50 BPM, one pair to a click. It always comes before the Andantino.
The Giuliani: Andantino, measures 1 to 16 row: four measures at a time, from 50 BPM, one step at most this week.
The Roop Tera Mastana row: fit the capo at fret 4 first; the row plays the course form in two halves.
The Evening Sevenths row: once through, as under “Evening Sevenths, Second Week” in Segment 3.
The G major scale row: up and down twice in eighth notes, as under “The G Major Scale in Eighth Notes” in Segment 3.

Block	Time	Activity
Warm-Up	4 min	Movement warm-up, tune; then Am7-D7 at 2 beats at 60, eight chords; then the spider crawl at frets 5 to 8. Then simplified F and Dm7: press, pluck four strings, release, for 1 minute
Rotation	4 min	One scale card, played twice. One change-test pair, played as the test at the figure its ladder has reached (80 once it is there). Two single chord cards from the pile of E1, as far as its chords have been taught. Each chord card: place the shape once, pluck each string that should sound, let go. These are the cards the end-of-course assessment uses. A chord that holds a barre is not in the pile, and that keeps Dm7 out: it is a barre chord, practised as presses, not as a card
Staff reading	3 min	today’s line from the staff handout, then its answer
Two strings together	4 min	on open strings, one pair to a click: two fingers together (i with m, then m with a), then the pinch (thumb with m)
Giuliani: Andantino, measures 1 to 16	6 min	four measures at a time; every pair lands as one sound
Roop Tera Mastana	4 min	from its chart: the refrain with the capo at fret 4, the course form in two halves
Evening Sevenths	3 min	once through
G major scale	2 min	eighth notes, twice

Barre rows this week: “Warm-Up”, 1 minute. Total: 1 minute a day.

The plucking fingertips may be tender this week: the pain rule covers this hand too. If they sting, stop fingerpicking for the day and do the pick items of the plan.

This is your plan for the whole week. On your last practice day, answer this session’s Self-Check Questions as you play the rows that hold them: a question adds no minutes to a row and nothing to a daily limit.

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.

Guitar Tip — Saga SF-600C-BK

This week your bare fingertips pluck the Saga’s steel strings, two strings at a time. That is why the week has a line of its own for the plucking fingertips: at the head of Segment 2, beside the Andantino and under the plan. Its rule comes before any minute of the plan. If the fingertips sting, stop fingerpicking for the day and do the pick items of the plan.

After the session (not part of the 50 minutes)

Read: Fingerstyle Two Voices, the sections “Two Strings Plucked Together”, “Two Voices” and “How to Learn a Study”. (15 minutes)
Optional: Hindi Film Songs, the sections “Refrain and Stanza” and “The Capo and the Singer’s Key”. (10 minutes)