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Six String Strummin' · Intermediate · Unit 3 · Lesson 4

Lesson 4: Riff Song: Boardwalk Rock

Riff + power chords = your first rock arrangement ·

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • I can switch between single-note riff and power chords.
  • I can hold the groove with the band for a full form.
  • I can play 'Boardwalk Rock'.

🕸Alternate Picking Drill3 min

  1. On open string 1, pick down-up-down-up in even eighths.
  2. Move to strings 2 and 3 without changing the motion.
  3. Tiny motions — the pick barely clears the string each way.

✋Riff vs. Rhythm Mode5 min

  1. Single-note riffs want a focused pick; power chords want a two-string strum.
  2. The switch is mental: 'aim small' vs 'aim wide'. Name it as you play.
  3. Bands live on this — verse riff, chorus wall of sound.

🥁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 Switch Hitter Riff for two beats, chord for two — train the mode switch.
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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 Riff Half The single-note hook — E-G-A shapes from Lesson 2.
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Tempo 75 bpm Count‑in Metronome 🎸 Band (drums + bass) Loop
3 The Power Half Chug-chug-hold — the chorus muscle.
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Tempo 75 bpm Count‑in Metronome 🎸 Band (drums + bass) Loop

🎵Boardwalk Rock7 min

  1. Play 'Boardwalk Rock' with the band and commit to the switches.
  2. This is your Unit 3 graduation — record a take.
4 Boardwalk Rock Verse riff, power chorus, riff again — a real arrangement.
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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
Boardwalk Rockwith the band
Riff halfeven eighths
Power halftight chugs
The switchno gap between modes

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

🍎Teacher Guide

PREP

  • Riff Song: Boardwalk Rock: Riff + power chords = your first rock arrangement

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 3 · Lesson 4 · v1.0 · generated from lesson data

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