Week 14 of 27
Goal: You play in three-four time and accompany waltz songs in G.
Review
Last week: C major. Play Alle meine Entchen in G with G, C and D7.
Step by step
- A waltz has three beats per bar: 1 2 3, 1 2 3. Beat one is strong, 2 and 3 are lighter.
- In the rhythm tool choose “Waltz (3/4)”: down, down, down. Play beat one a little stronger.
- For a challenge: on beat one pluck only the lowest string of the chord, on 2 and 3 strum the high strings – “boom, chick, chick”.
- Learn more about time signatures in Time signatures. Then: Die Gedanken sind frei in G.
Time to make music: your piece
Die Gedanken sind frei in G as a waltz: G, D7 and C, stressing beat one. Then the funny Mein Hut, der hat drei Ecken in G.
Homework for next time
Five days, about ten minutes each:
- Tune first every day.
- Days 1–2: the waltz pattern on G with the metronome, counting “1 2 3”.
- Days 3–4: Die Gedanken sind frei in G.
- Day 5: Mein Hut, der hat drei Ecken in G.
- Fun: get someone to dance to your waltz!
Done when …
- you can hear three-four time and count along
- you play a waltz song without stopping
If you get stuck
- You keep slipping into four? Count out loud and mark beat one clearly – with a nod, for example.
- The change comes too early or too late? In a waltz a bar is shorter – the change comes after just three beats.
For teachers: lesson plan
- ≈ 10 min Warm-up: sway in a circle and count “1 2 3”. Everyone stamps on beat one.
- ≈ 15 min Practice: “boom, chick, chick” – group A plays beat one, group B beats two and three.
- ≈ 20 min Together: Mein Hut, der hat drei Ecken – in each verse leave out one more word and replace it with a gesture.
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/14/