Session 6: Phase 1 Showcase

Duration: 50 minutes

Breaks: Put the guitar down for 5 minutes at the end of Segment 2 and again at the end of Segment 3. No stretch of playing is then longer than 15 minutes, and the session takes about an hour by the clock.

This is the final session of Phase 1. You have spent five sessions building the fundamentals — guitar anatomy, posture, three chords (Em, Am, E), single-note picking, alternate picking, TAB reading, a riff and a strumming study. Today you bring it all together in a Phase 1 medley that demonstrates everything you have learned. This session is about performing more than learning new material.

Learning Objectives

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

1. Play Em, Am, and E major from memory, with every string that should sound ringing
2. Pass the change test for Em-Am and Em-E at a new chord every 2 beats at 60 BPM
3. Play the “Come As You Are” riff and the Em to E major strumming study back to back
4. Perform the Phase 1 medley from beginning to end, the last time from memory
5. Self-assess your readiness for Phase 2 using the checkpoint criteria

Materials Needed

• Your Saga SF-600C-BK guitar
• A guitar pick
• A clip-on tuner or phone tuner app
• A metronome
• A phone that can record sound, ten slips of paper and a pen (for the ear test and the recorded run)
• Reference: Phase 1 Checkpoint (for self-assessment after this session)
• Reference sheets: Chord Chart and Glossary

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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). Showcase sessions demand clean tuning — out-of-tune strings are more noticeable when everything else is right.

Full Warm-Up

Strum each chord once at 60 BPM and let it ring, a new chord every 4 beats (move during beats 3 and 4):

• Em: 1 measure (4 beats)
• Am: 1 measure (4 beats)
• E major: 1 measure (4 beats)
• Em: 1 measure (4 beats)

Then play the “Come As You Are” riff twice through (4 measures) at 60 BPM, two notes per click, or at 50 if 60 is not yet clean. This activates both your strumming and picking hands.

Play the Session 4 exercise on strings 1 and 2 (“Walking Up and Down”) once at 60 BPM, one note per click, alternate picking.

In the first weeks you will need to look at your fingers. Keep the guitar upright against your body and tip your head forward to see the edge of the neck. Do not lean the guitar back to see the fretboard: that bends your fretting wrist.

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Segment 2 — Technique Focus: Phase 1 Skills Review (10 minutes)

Chord Quality Check

Play each chord and pluck every string individually. A tuner (in the mode that shows any note) shows the letters listed, thickest played string first. Fix any issues:

Em: All 6 strings should ring. Tuner: E, B, E, G, B, E.

Am: Strings 5 to 1 should ring. String 6 is not played. Tuner: A, E, A, C, E. If string 1 is dead, finger 1 (on string 2 fret 1) is leaning on it: stand that finger up on its tip.

E major: All 6 strings should ring. Tuner: E, B, E, G#, B, E. Check that finger 1 on string 3 fret 1 is curled enough to avoid touching strings 2 and 4.

If a note buzzes: (1) move the fingertip right up behind the fret wire; (2) stand the finger on its tip; (3) only then add the smallest extra pressure that clears the buzz.

If a fretted note sounds dead: the finger is on top of the fret wire, or not quite pressing. Move it back a little towards the headstock.

If an open string in a chord is dead: the finger on the next thicker string is leaning on it. Stand that finger up on its tip.

Transition Speed Test

Set your metronome to 60 BPM. This is the change test from Session 3. Strum each chord once, with a downstroke, and let it ring. Play a new chord every 2 beats (on beats 1 and 3). Alternate the two chords until you have played 8 chords in a row: that is 7 changes.

Chord:  Em      Am      |   Em      Am      |   Em      Am      |   Em      Am
Count:  1  (2)  3  (4)  |   1  (2)  3  (4)  |   1  (2)  3  (4)  |   1  (2)  3  (4)
Strum:  D       D       |   D       D       |   D       D       |   D       D

Do it first with Em and Am, then with Em and E.

Target for Phase 2 readiness: Em-Am and Em-E at a new chord every 2 beats at 60 BPM (the change test). You pass when all 8 chords land on their click with every string that should sound ringing, twice on the same day.

If a chord is late:

• Drop to 50 BPM and climb back 5 BPM at a time (50, 55, 60)
• Am → E is the hardest change of the three, because every finger moves. It is not part of today’s target: give it a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM for now

Strumming Pattern Review

Play Em with each strumming pattern you have learned:

Pattern 1 — Basic downstrokes (Session 1):

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

Pattern 2 — D/U eighth notes (Session 5):

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

Pattern 3 — D D U U D U (Session 5):

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

On beat 3 your hand still moves down, but it misses the strings: a silent downstroke. That keeps the hand swinging down on every number and up on every &.

Play each pattern for 2 measures on Em at 60 BPM. If any pattern feels shaky, spend extra time on it.

Break: 5 minutes. Guitar down.

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Segment 3 — New Learning: Putting It All Together (15 minutes)

Checkpoint Walk-Through

After this session you will take the Phase 1 checkpoint. Three of its items are not in the medley, so rehearse them now:

1. Timed tuning. Your strings will have drifted a little since Segment 1. Start a timer, check all six strings with the tuner and correct any that are out. The checkpoint asks for all six in under 3 minutes.
2. Posture and pick grip. Check yourself against Session 1 (“Sitting Position” and “How to Hold a Pick”). Take a phone photo of yourself, or use a mirror, and look for three things: the neck tilts a little upward; the guitar is upright against your body, not leaning back; about 5 to 8 mm of the pick’s tip shows beyond your thumb.
3. Notes on strings 1 and 2. Play the Session 4 exercise on strings 1 and 2 (“Walking Up and Down”) once more at 60 BPM, one note per click, alternate picking. This time read every note from the TAB in Session 4 instead of playing from memory. The checkpoint asks you to read a short TAB like this that you have not seen before.

Major vs Minor — Ear Training

Before the medley, sharpen your ear. Play the following sequence and listen carefully to each chord’s character:

1. Strum Em once — let it ring for 3 seconds. Say aloud: “minor”
2. Strum E major once — let it ring for 3 seconds. Say aloud: “major”
3. Strum Am once — let it ring for 3 seconds. Say aloud: “minor”

This is the beginning of ear training — the ability to recognise sounds without seeing what is being played. You will develop this throughout the course.

When you form a chord yourself, your hand already knows the answer, so playing a chord and naming it cannot test your ear. To test it, you need to hear a chord without knowing which one it is. The course uses one procedure for that, from here to the final assessment:

The recorded card test

You need a phone that records sound, some slips of paper and a pen.

1. Write one item on each slip (the list is given with each test).
2. Shuffle the slips face down. Start recording. Turn over one slip at a time: say its number aloud (“one”, “two”, …), play the item, wait about five seconds, and put the slip face down on a new pile. Keep the pile in order.
3. Stop recording. Put the pile away without looking through it. The pile is your answer key.
4. Wait until the next day, so that you no longer remember the order.
5. Play the recording once through. Write your answer for each number.
6. Turn the slips over in order and mark your answers.

If someone else can play the items for you where you cannot see their hands, that works equally well: skip steps 2 to 4.

Test 1, major or minor. Ten slips: Em, Em, Em, Am, Am, Am, E, E, E, E. Play one down-strum for each slip. Your answer for each number is “major” or “minor”. Pass: 8 of 10. You will make this recording after the session (it is not part of the 50 minutes) and mark it on a later practice day. The Phase 1 checkpoint is marked from the same recording.

Learn the Medley in Sections

The medley is printed in Segment 4. Before you perform it, learn it in parts, with the page open at Segment 4. Use this routine:

How to memorise a piece

1. Split the piece into chunks of two measures.
2. Play chunk 1 from the page three times. Turn the page over and play it. Turn back and check.
3. Do the same with chunk 2, then play chunks 1 and 2 together from memory.
4. Add one chunk at a time, always starting from the beginning.
5. Next day, play the whole piece from memory before you look at the page. Then check, and repair the chunk where you slipped.
6. The piece is memorised when you have played it from memory, start to finish, on three different days.

You already know Sections A and B from Sessions 4 and 5, so those chunks will go quickly. Work in this order:

1. Section A (measures 1–8): the three pick-up notes, then the two-measure riff four times.
2. Section B (measures 10–17): the strumming study, two measures of Em and two of E major, twice.
3. Section C and the ending (measures 18–24): two measures each of Em, Am and E major with the D/U pattern, then the final Em.
4. Join 1, picking to strumming: play measure 8, the transition measure 9 and measure 10, three times. You need to widen your pick motion from a single string to a full strum.
5. Join 2, the change of strumming pattern: play measure 17 into measure 18, three times. The pattern changes from D D U U D U to D U D U D U D U, and the chord changes from E major to Em.

Performance Mindset

This is your first showcase. Here are the rules:

1. Play from start to finish without stopping. If you make a mistake, keep going. Do not restart. In real performance, the music never stops.
2. Count yourself in. Before you begin, count a full measure aloud to set the tempo. This is called a count-in. The exact count-in for the medley is given in Segment 4.
3. Breathe. Tension in your shoulders and arms makes everything harder. Before you start, take one deep breath and let your shoulders drop.

Break: 5 minutes. Guitar down.

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Segment 4 — Song Workshop: Phase 1 Medley (15 minutes)

Phase 1 Medley — Structure

This medley has three sections that showcase your three main skills: melody picking, chord strumming with a rock pattern, and chord transitions. Sections A and B are the pieces exactly as you learned them in Sessions 4 and 5. The link measure and Section C are new: Section C joins your three chords with the D/U pattern. The medley was put together for this course and is not yet play-tested.

Total length: 24 measures, plus the three pick-up notes at the start Tempo: 60 BPM throughout: one metronome setting for all three sections. If the riff is not yet clean at 60, play the whole medley at 50 or 55. 65 BPM is an extension, to try only after a clean run at 60.

Form:

• Pick-up: three notes
• Section A, measures 1–8: the “Come As You Are” riff, four times
• Transition, measure 9: four downstrokes on the open string 6
• Section B, measures 10–17: the Em to E major strumming study, twice
• Section C, measures 18–23: Em, Am and E major, two measures each, D/U pattern
• Ending, measure 24: one downstroke on Em; let it ring

Section A — “Come As You Are” Riff (8 measures)

Picking: Alternate picking, as shown in the Pick row

"Come As You Are" - intro riff (three pick-up notes, then 2 measures that repeat)
e|------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
B|------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
G|------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
D|------------------|-----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
A|------------------|-----------0-------0---------------|-------2---------------2-----------|
E|------0---0---1---|---2-----------2-------2---2---1---|---0-------0---0-----------0---1---|
Count:  &   4   &       1  (&)  2   &   3   &   4   &       1   &   2   &  (3)  &   4   &
Pick:   U   D   U       D       D   U   D   U   D   U       D   U   D   U       U   D   U

Play the three pick-up notes once, then the two-measure riff four times (8 measures). On the two counts in brackets, do not pick: let the note before it keep ringing.

Transition: play 4 downstrokes on the open string 6 (low E) as a 1-measure link

Measure 9 (transition)
e|----------------------|
B|----------------------|
G|----------------------|
D|----------------------|
A|----------------------|
E|------0---0---0---0---|
Count:  1   2   3   4
Pick:   D   D   D   D

The last two notes of the riff lead straight into this measure. This join has not yet been play-tested.

Section B — Em to E Major Strumming Study (8 measures)

Strumming pattern: D D U U D U

Measures 10-11 (Em)
Chord:  Em                                  Em
e|------0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|---0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|
B|------0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|---0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|
G|------0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|---0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|
D|------2-------2---2-------2---2---2---|---2-------2---2-------2---2---2---|
A|------2-------2---2-------2---2---2---|---2-------2---2-------2---2---2---|
E|------0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|---0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|
Count:  1   &   2   &  (3)  &   4   &       1   &   2   &  (3)  &   4   &
Strum:  D       D   U       U   D   U       D       D   U       U   D   U

Measures 12-13 (E major)
Chord:  E                                   E
e|------0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|---0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|
B|------0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|---0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|
G|------1-------1---1-------1---1---1---|---1-------1---1-------1---1---1---|
D|------2-------2---2-------2---2---2---|---2-------2---2-------2---2---2---|
A|------2-------2---2-------2---2---2---|---2-------2---2-------2---2---2---|
E|------0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|---0-------0---0-------0---0---0---|
Count:  1   &   2   &  (3)  &   4   &       1   &   2   &  (3)  &   4   &
Strum:  D       D   U       U   D   U       D       D   U       U   D   U

For measures 14 to 17, repeat measures 10 to 13.

Section C — Three-Chord Exercise and Ending (7 measures)

Strumming pattern: Basic D/U eighth notes (D U D U D U D U)

Changing chord in the middle of this pattern is new, and Am to E major is the hardest change you know. If a change does not land on beat 1, use the change-test method here: in the second measure of that chord, strum once on beat 1, let it ring, and move during beats 3 and 4.

Measures 18-19 (Em)
Chord:  Em                                  Em
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

Measures 20-21 (Am)
Chord:  Am                                  Am
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

Measures 22-23 (E major)
Chord:  E                                   E
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

Measure 24, final chord (Em)
Chord:  Em
Count:  1
Strum:  D

(Let it ring)

Performing the Medley

1. Set your metronome to 60 BPM (or to 50 or 55: see the tempo note above).
2. Count one full measure (“1, 2, 3, 4”), then “1, 2, 3”, and play the three pick-up notes on “and, 4, and”.
3. Carry straight on into Section A (“Come As You Are”).
4. Play through to Section C’s final Em chord.
5. Let the final chord ring until it fades naturally.

First run: Play through at whatever pace feels manageable. Mistakes are expected. The goal is to finish.

Second run: Now focus on the transitions between sections. The hardest parts are:

• The shift from picking (Section A) to strumming (Section B) — you need to widen your pick motion from single-string to full-strum
• The shift from D D U U D U (Section B) to D U D U D U D U (Section C) — the strumming pattern changes

Third run: Turn the page over and play from memory, as if you are performing for someone. No stops, no restarts. If you get lost, glance at the page, find your place and carry on. Record this run on your phone and listen back for one thing: is the tempo the same in all three sections? This is your Phase 1 performance.

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Segment 5 — Review and Practice Plan (5 minutes)

What You Achieved in Phase 1

• Learned guitar anatomy and proper posture
• Mastered three chords: Em, Am, E major
• Learned to read guitar TAB
• Developed alternate picking for single-note melodies
• Learned three strumming patterns (downstrokes, D/U, D D U U D U)
• Played the opening riff of “Come As You Are” (Nirvana) and the Em to E major strumming study
• Performed a 24-measure medley from memory

That is a genuine achievement. Six sessions ago, you had never touched a guitar.

Common Mistakes

1. Stopping after every mistake — The medley is practice for performing. Performers do not stop. If you hit a wrong chord, play the right one on the next beat and carry on.
2. Changing tempo between sections — Keep the metronome running throughout. All three sections are at the same tempo.
3. Forgetting to tune — After all the playing in this session, your guitar may drift slightly out of tune. Re-tune before your final run.
4. Tensing up before “hard” transitions — Breathe. Keep your shoulders relaxed. Tension makes your fingers slower, not faster.
5. Playing too fast — 60 BPM is the target. If you are not there yet, 50 or 55 BPM is fine. Clean and slow beats messy and fast.

Self-Check Questions

1. Can you play the full Phase 1 medley from start to finish without stopping? Check: one run with the metronome, from memory, finishing with the click. If not: go back to “Learn the Medley in Sections”, repair the chunk where you stopped, and try again the next day.
2. Can you pass the change test for Em-Am and Em-E at a new chord every 2 beats at 60 BPM? Check: all 8 chords land on their click with every string that should sound ringing, twice on the same day. If not: drop to 50 BPM and climb back 5 BPM at a time, and try again the next day.
3. Can you play the “Come As You Are” riff at 60 BPM, two notes per click, with even alternate picking? Check: record the riff twice through and listen once for one thing: are the upstrokes as loud as the downstrokes? If not: in the Come As You Are block of the practice plan, go back to 55 BPM (Step 5 of the tempo ladder in Session 4, under “How to Learn This Riff”) for two days, then try again.
4. Can you tell whether a chord is major or minor by its sound? Check: the recorded card test, Test 1, with at least 8 of your 10 answers right. If not: repeat the three steps under “Major vs Minor — Ear Training” in Segment 3, then make a new recording of Test 1 next week.
5. Do all your chords sound clean when you pluck each string individually? Check: for Em, Am and E major, pluck every string that should sound, three times in a row, with no buzz and no dead string. If not: use the fixes under “Chord Quality Check” in Segment 2, and try again the next day.

Phase 1 Assessment

After this session, work through Phase 1 Checkpoint to formally assess your Phase 1 skills. The checkpoint is self-administered — you will evaluate yourself honestly against the criteria. Take it on the last practice day of this week.

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.

Practice Plan for Week 6 (each practice day, 25 minutes)

Block	Time	Activity
Warm-Up	3 min	The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune. Once this week, time your tuning and check your posture and pick grip as in Segment 3
Chord Drill	5 min	The change test (Session 3) for Em-Am, then for Em-E: a new chord every 2 beats at 60 BPM, 8 chords each. Then Am-E, a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM. Repeat until the time is up
Come As You Are	5 min	Play the riff at 60 BPM, two notes per click (65 once 60 is clean). Aim for even, smooth picking. Repeat until the time is up
Em to E Study	5 min	Play the study at 65 BPM with the D D U U D U pattern. Repeat until the time is up
Full Medley	5 min	Play the Phase 1 medley at 60 BPM from memory, start to finish, before you look at the page. Then check the page and repair the chunk where you slipped. One clean run, no stops
Strings 1 and 2	2 min	Play the Session 4 exercise on strings 1 and 2 once at 60 BPM, one note per click, alternate picking. Repeat until the time is up

This is your plan for the whole week. The end-of-week check is in Weekly Plans Phase 1 2, Week 6. On the last practice day of the week, take Phase 1 Checkpoint and nothing else.

Steel-string note: Soreness usually eases after two to four weeks of regular playing, and by Phase 2 most people can play a whole session in comfort. Skin differs from person to person: go by how your fingertips feel, not by the calendar.

Guitar Tip — Saga SF-600C-BK

Now that you have been playing for six sessions, check the tuning stability. Play a chord, then re-check the tuning. If the guitar goes out of tune quickly, think about how long the strings have been on. Strings fitted in the last few days are still settling: they drop in pitch and need retuning often. Strings that have been on for weeks should hold their tuning; if they do not, the last sentence of this tip applies. Retune every time you pick up the guitar, and again partway through a session if the tuner shows a string has dropped. Do not pull or lift the strings to hurry this along: a string under tension can snap. If a string still will not hold its note after a couple of weeks, ask a guitar shop to look at it.

After the session (not part of the 50 minutes)

• Record: this week’s ear check. Mark it on any later practice day. This week it is Test 1, major or minor, from Segment 3. (3 minutes)