Week 12 of 27
Goal: You play G and D7 and accompany songs in G.
Review
Last week: Em and D. Warm up with Drunken Sailor.
Step by step
- G: middle finger low E string 3rd fret, index finger A string 2nd fret, ring finger high e string 3rd fret. All six strings ring.
- Your hand has to stretch wide: from the thickest to the thinnest string. Let your thumb slide a little lower on the back of the neck and it works.
- D7: middle finger G string 2nd fret, index finger B string 1st fret, ring finger high e string 2nd fret. Strum only four strings, from the D string.
- Then play along: Hänschen klein in G – the same song as in lesson 6, just with new chords.
Time to make music: your piece
Hänschen klein in G with G and D7. You already know it – now it sounds lower and fuller! Then the evening song Kein schöner Land in G, calm and slow.
Homework for next time
Five days, about ten minutes each:
- Tune first every day.
- Day 1: play G, pluck the strings one by one – do they all ring?
- Days 2–3: switch G – D7 ten times slowly.
- Days 4–5: Hänschen klein in G, then Kein schöner Land.
- Fun: play Hänschen klein in A and in G – which do you like better?
Done when …
- G rings on all six strings
- you switch G – D7 in time
If you get stuck
- With G the A string sounds muffled? The middle finger on the low E string is too flat and touches it. More curve!
- Hand too small for G? First just place the three fingers without strumming. A little every day – your hand will become more flexible.
For teachers: lesson plan
- ≈ 10 min Warm-up: play Hänschen klein in A (lesson 6) and in G – the group hears: same song, different key.
- ≈ 15 min Practice: G – D7 round and round, two bars each. Children help each other place the G fingers correctly.
- ≈ 20 min Together: Kein schöner Land in G – slow and soft, to end the lesson.
Differentiation: those who are confident play the piece with down-up or help a partner; those who need more time strum only on beat one of each bar.
For the board: openstring.de/gitarre/en/lesson/12/