Lesson 3: Accents & Dynamics
Same notes, better music — controlling loud and soft ·
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
- I can accent beats 2 and 4 while strumming.
- I can shape a progression from soft to strong.
- I can play 'Rise and Fall'.
🕸Groove Check3 min
- Mute the strings with your fretting hand and strum straight eighths: down-up, down-up.
- Keep the pendulum going 30 seconds without a hiccup.
- Accent beats 2 and 4 slightly — feel the backbeat.
✋Where the Energy Lives5 min
- Accents come from strum speed, not muscle — a faster brush is louder.
- Soft strums touch 3-4 strings; big strums sweep all six.
- Plan your dynamics like a map: where does the song breathe? Where does it hit?
🥁Count It3 min
- Count the rhythm out loud before you play.
- Turn on Counts or the metronome and lock in with it.
- Loop it slowly first; speed comes on its own.
📖Play It7 min
- Read it slowly and cleanly the first time through.
- Drag-select any tricky spot and loop it.
- Use the tempo slider — move up only when it's clean.
🎵Rise and Fall7 min
- Play 'Rise and Fall' with a deliberate dynamic arc.
- Record it, listen back: can you HEAR the story?
👂Train Your Ear2 min
- Press play on any line above, look away, and listen once through.
- Hum the first bar back, then find it on the guitar by ear.
✨Make It Yours3 min
- Take one idea from this lesson and bend it — change a rhythm, reorder the chords.
- Play your version twice so it sticks.
MY ENDING (write or describe it):
⭐Practice Tracker
| Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 |
|---|
| Rise and Fallonce through, daily | | | | | |
| Accents & Dynamicsclean & steady | | | | | |
| Metronome onat least one exercise | | | | | |
| My own variationmake one up | | | | | |
★ Check off each day you play — ten focused minutes counts. Consistency beats marathon sessions.
🍎Teacher Guide
PREP
- Accents & Dynamics: Same notes, better music — controlling loud and soft
COMMON MISTAKES & FIXES
- Rushing ahead of the beat. → Fix: Turn the metronome on and drop the tempo until it feels easy.
- Buzzing or muted notes. → Fix: Press just behind the fret with the fingertip, thumb relaxed behind the neck.
IF STRUGGLING
- Drop the tempo well below comfortable and loop one bar.
- Play just the chord changes (or just the rhythm) before combining.
IF ADVANCED
- Bring it to full tempo with the metronome.
- Add your own variation — a different rhythm, an extra chord.
EXTENSIONS
- Apply tonight's skill to a song you already love.
TALKING POINTS
- Dynamics are what separate 'playing the chords' from 'playing the song'.
✅Assessment
Tap one level per skill — saved on this device.
AccuracyPlays the right notes and chords.
TimingKeeps a steady beat.
ToneNotes and strums ring clean and clear.