Session 12: Phase 2 Showcase

Duration: 50 minutes

This is the final session of Phase 2. Over the last six sessions, you have built a complete open chord vocabulary (D, A, G, C plus power chords E5 and A5), learned palm muting, explored 3/4 time, played your first blues, and performed music from Black Sabbath, Nirvana, Bob Dylan, and Kishore Kumar. Today you bring it all together in the Phase 2 medley — a three-section performance piece that showcases every skill you have developed.

Learning Objectives

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

1. Play all seven open chords (Em, Am, E, D, A, G, C) cleanly from memory
2. Switch between any two open chords within 2 beats at 70 BPM
3. Perform the “Iron Man” riff, “About a Girl” verse, and “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas” excerpt back to back
4. Play the complete Phase 2 medley without stopping
5. Self-assess your readiness for Phase 3 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
• Reference: Phase 2 Checkpoint (for self-assessment after this session)

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

Finger Stretches

1. Finger spread — 3 times, hold 5 seconds each.
2. Wrist circles — 5 each direction per wrist.
3. Spider crawl — Frets 1-2-3-4, all six strings, up and down.

Tune Your Guitar

Tune all six strings (EADGBE). Check tuning twice — showcase sessions need perfect tuning.

Full Chord Warm-Up

Play every chord you know with 2 strums each (D U D U) at 70 BPM:

Em → Am → E → D → A → G → C → G → D → A → E → Am → Em

That is all seven open chords in a cycle. Play through it once. Every chord should ring cleanly.

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

Chord Quality Audit

Pluck every string of each chord individually. Fix any issues:

Chord	Strings to play	Common problem
Em	6-5-4-3-2-1 (all)	Usually clean by now
Am	5-4-3-2-1	String 6 accidentally hit
E	6-5-4-3-2-1 (all)	String 3 fret 1 muting string 2
D	4-3-2-1	Ring finger muting string 1
A	5-4-3-2-1	Crowded fret 2 muting adjacent strings
G	6-5-4-3-2-1 (all)	Pinky muting string 2
C	5-4-3-2-1	Ring finger muting string 4 or 3

For any chord that has a muted string, spend 30 seconds adjusting your finger placement until all strings ring.

Transition Speed Ladder

Test your transition speed with a metronome. Start at 60 BPM, one chord per beat:

Round 1 (60 BPM): G → C → D → G — 8 measures Round 2 (65 BPM): Em → Am → E → Em — 8 measures Round 3 (70 BPM): G → Em → C → D — 8 measures

If any transition causes a stumble, note which pair is the problem and drill it after the session.

Strumming Pattern Review

You now know these patterns. Play each on Em for 2 measures at 70 BPM:

Pattern 1 — Basic downstrokes:

D D D D 1 2 3 4

Pattern 2 — D/U eighth notes:

D U D U D U D U 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Pattern 3 — Rock pattern (D D U U D U):

D D U U D U 1 2 & 3 4 &

Pattern 4 — Waltz (D d d in 3/4):

D d d 1 2 3

All four should feel natural. If any feels shaky, spend extra practice time on it.

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Segment 3 — Medley Preparation (15 minutes)

Phase 2 Medley — Structure Overview

The medley has three sections, each showcasing different Phase 2 skills:

Section	Song	Chords/Technique	Measures	Strumming
A	”About a Girl” — Nirvana	Em, G	8	D D U U D U
B	”Iron Man” — Black Sabbath (riff)	Power chords, palm muting	6	Alternate picking, PM
C	”Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas” — Kishore Kumar	G, Em, Am, D	8	D D U U D U
Ending	Final chord	G	1	Single strum

Total: 23 measures + ending Tempo: 70 BPM throughout

Section A — “About a Girl” Excerpt (8 measures)

Strum: D D U U D U | D D U U D U |

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 & | 1 2 & 3 4 & |

Chord: Em Em

 

Strum: D D U U D U | D D U U D U |

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 & | 1 2 & 3 4 & |

Chord: G G

 

Strum: D D U U D U | D D U U D U |

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 & | 1 2 & 3 4 & |

Chord: Em Em

 

Strum: D D U U D U | D D U U D U |

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 & | 1 2 & 3 4 & |

Chord: G G

Transition: 1 measure of open strums

Strum: D D D D

Count: 1 2 3 4

Section B — “Iron Man” Riff (6 measures)

Part 1 (play twice — measures 10-11 and 12-13):

e|----------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------|
D|----------------------------------------------|
A|---2---2---5---5---7---7---5---5---------------|
E|----------------------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
     PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM  PM

Part 2 (measures 14-15):

e|----------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------|
D|---2---2---2---2-------------------------------|
A|---2---2---2---2---0---0---0---0---------------|
E|---0---0---0---0-------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &
     E5              Open A

     (Measure 15 — repeat of Part 2 pattern)
e|----------------------------------------------|
B|----------------------------------------------|
G|----------------------------------------------|
D|---2---2---2---2-------------------------------|
A|---2---2---2---2---0---0---0---0---------------|
E|---0---0---0---0-------------------------------|
     1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &

Transition: 1 measure of strummed Em (bridge to Section C)

Strum: D U D U D U D U

Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Chord: Em

Section C — “Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas” Excerpt (8 measures)

Strum: D D U U D U | D D U U D U |

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 & | 1 2 & 3 4 & |

Chord: G Em

 

Strum: D D U U D U | D D U U D U |

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 & | 1 2 & 3 4 & |

Chord: Am D

 

Strum: D D U U D U | D D U U D U |

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 & | 1 2 & 3 4 & |

Chord: G Em

 

Strum: D D U U D U | D D U U D U |

Count: 1 2 & 3 4 & | 1 2 & 3 4 & |

Chord: Am D

Ending — Final Chord

Strum: D

Count: 1

Chord: G

Performing the Medley

First run (learning): Play each section separately. Make sure each section is clean before connecting them.

Second run (connecting): Play Sections A and B back to back. Fix the transition from strumming to power chord picking. Then play Sections B and C back to back. Fix the transition from power chords back to open chord strumming.

Third run (performance): Play the entire medley from start to finish. Rules:

1. Count yourself in: “1, 2, 3, 4” (one silent measure)
2. Do NOT stop if you make a mistake — find the next beat and keep going
3. Let the final G chord ring for at least 4 seconds
4. When it fades, you are done. That was your Phase 2 performance.

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Segment 4 — Song Workshop: Full Performance (15 minutes)

Use this time for multiple full runs of the medley. Aim for at least 3 complete performances.

Run 1: Focus on getting through it. Mistakes are fine — finishing is the goal.

Run 2: Focus on the transitions between sections. The two critical moments:

• Section A → B: Shifting from open chord strumming (G) to palm-muted power chord picking (string 5). You need to move your strumming hand from a wide strum position to a focused single-string picking position with palm on the bridge.
• Section B → C: Shifting from power chord picking back to open chord strumming (Em, then G). Release palm muting and widen your strum.

Run 3: Focus on dynamics and expression:

• Section A (“About a Girl”): Rock energy. Firm strumming, strong accents on beats 1 and 3.
• Section B (“Iron Man”): Heavy and deliberate. Palm muting tight and consistent. Each note should have weight.
• Section C (“Pal Pal Dil Ke Paas”): Warm and gentle. Softer strumming, let the chords breathe.

The ability to change your playing style between sections — aggressive for rock, gentle for ballads — is the beginning of musical expression. It is not just about playing the right notes; it is about playing them with the right feeling.

If you have extra time: Record one performance on your phone. Listen back. This is your Phase 2 benchmark recording. In a few months, you will listen to this recording and be amazed at how far you have come.

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Segment 5 — Review and Practice Plan (5 minutes)

What You Achieved in Phase 2

• Added four new open chords: D, A, G, C (plus E5 and A5 power chords)
• Learned palm muting for rock guitar
• Played in 3/4 time (waltz)
• Learned the 12-bar blues structure
• Played songs from three different musical traditions: rock (Nirvana, Black Sabbath), folk (Scarborough Fair, Bob Dylan), and Hindi film (Kishore Kumar)
• Performed a multi-section medley switching between styles

Your open chord vocabulary is now complete. Em, Am, E, D, A, G, C — these seven chords are the foundation of popular music across the world. Every chord you learn from here builds on this foundation.

Common Mistakes

1. Rushing through the medley — 70 BPM. Not faster. Use the metronome.
2. Losing the beat during section transitions — The metronome keeps running. If your fingers are not ready for the next section, mute the strings for a beat and catch the next downbeat. The rhythm never stops.
3. Not changing dynamics between sections — Rock and ballad sections should sound different. Practice Section A with strong strumming, then immediately practice Section C with gentle strumming. Train the contrast.
4. Skipping the palm muting in Section B — It is tempting to play the “Iron Man” riff without palm muting because it is easier. But the palm muting is the technique. Practise it.
5. Not finishing — The medley must be played start to finish. Every time you stop and restart, you reinforce the habit of stopping. Play through. Mistakes are temporary; the habit of finishing is permanent.

Self-Check Questions

1. Can you play all seven open chords from memory, with all strings ringing clearly?
2. Can you switch between any two open chords within 2 beats at 70 BPM?
3. Can you play the Phase 2 medley from start to finish without stopping?
4. Can you change your strumming dynamics between rock (loud) and ballad (soft)?
5. Can you play palm-muted power chords with a consistent, tight sound?

Phase 2 Assessment

After this session, work through Phase 2 Checkpoint to formally assess your Phase 2 skills. If any area needs work, spend extra days practising before moving to Session 13.

Practice Plan (Daily, until ready for Session 13)

Block	Time	Activity
Warm-Up	3 min	Finger stretches + spider crawl + tune
Chord Audit	5 min	All 7 open chords + E5 + A5. 4 strums each. Fix any muted strings
Transition Drill	5 min	The three hardest transitions (likely: C→D, G→D, Am→E). 15 clean changes each in 60 seconds
Full Medley	7 min	Play the Phase 2 medley 2 times through. No stops
Song Maintenance	5 min	Choose one: “12-Bar in A” (Session 8), “Scarborough Fair” (Session 7), or “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Session 10). Play through once
Phase 2 Checkpoint	—	Complete Phase 2 Checkpoint when ready

Guitar Tip — Saga SF-600C-BK

After several weeks of playing, your Saga’s strings may start to lose their brightness. Steel strings gradually accumulate oil and dirt from your fingers, which dampens the high-frequency sparkle. If your guitar sounds duller than it did when you started, try wiping the strings with a dry cloth after each practice session. When the strings sound noticeably dead or feel rough, it is time to change them. New strings on the Saga will restore that bright, ringing tone. Ask a music store or watch a string-changing tutorial (your Guitar Guide has basic instructions). Most beginners change strings every 2–3 months, though frequent players may change them monthly.