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Six String Strummin' · Intermediate · Unit 2 · Lesson 4

Lesson 4: Song: Three-Chord Classic

A full I-IV-V performance with stops and dynamics ·

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • I can play an eight-bar song with stops and accents.
  • I can hold a rest without losing the count.
  • I can perform 'Three-Chord Classic' with the band.

🕸One-Minute Changes3 min

  1. Pick one chord pair (say G↔C). Set a one-minute timer.
  2. Count how many clean changes you make — write the number down.
  3. Beat your own number tomorrow. That's the whole game.

✋Stops (Hits and Silence)5 min

  1. A 'stop' is a hit on beat 1 and dead silence after — mute with the strumming palm.
  2. Count through silence louder than you count through sound.
  3. Land the next entrance exactly on 1. The band makes this feel amazing.

🥁Count It3 min

  1. Count the rhythm out loud before you play.
  2. Turn on Counts or the metronome and lock in with it.
  3. Loop it slowly first; speed comes on its own.
1 Count the Silence Strums on 1 (then 1 and 3) — the rests are the hard part.
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Tempo 75 bpm Count‑in Metronome 🎸 Band (drums + bass) Loop

📖Play It7 min

  1. Read it slowly and cleanly the first time through.
  2. Drag-select any tricky spot and loop it.
  3. Use the tempo slider — move up only when it's clean.
2 The Stop Hit beat 1, then silence — count the empty beats hard.
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Tempo 75 bpm Count‑in Metronome 🎸 Band (drums + bass) Loop
3 Stops in Traffic Stops on D and A, then groove out on E.
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Tempo 75 bpm Count‑in Metronome 🎸 Band (drums + bass) Loop

🎵Three-Chord Classic7 min

  1. Play 'Three-Chord Classic' with the band backing.
  2. Dig into the stops — confidence in the silence is the performance.
4 Three-Chord Classic Groove, stop, groove — the oldest trick in rock, and it still kills.
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Tempo 75 bpm Count‑in Metronome 🎸 Band (drums + bass) Loop

👂Train Your Ear2 min

  1. Press play on any line above, look away, and listen once through.
  2. Hum the first bar back, then find it on the guitar by ear.

✨Make It Yours3 min

  1. Take one idea from this lesson and bend it — change a rhythm, reorder the chords.
  2. Play your version twice so it sticks.

MY ENDING (write or describe it):

🏠This Week at Home

⭐Practice Tracker

Day 1Day 2Day 3Day 4Day 5
Three-Chord Classicwith the band
Stops on timesilent AND counted
A-D-E circuiteyes closed
One-minute changeslog your number

★ Check off each day you play — ten focused minutes counts. Consistency beats marathon sessions.

🍎Teacher Guide

PREP

  • Song: Three-Chord Classic: A full I-IV-V performance with stops and dynamics

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

  • You're building real technique — the same fundamentals every guitarist runs on.

✅Assessment

Tap one level per skill — saved on this device.

Accuracy
Plays the right notes and chords.
Timing
Keeps a steady beat.
Tone
Notes and strums ring clean and clear.

★ BrightNote · Six String Strummin' · Intermediate · Unit 2 · Lesson 4 · v1.0 · generated from lesson data

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