Week 22 of 27
Goal: You play the C major scale, read tab and pick out a melody.
Review
Last week: power chords. Warm up with E5, A5 and D5, muted.
Step by step
- A scale is the notes of a key one after another. C major: C D E F G A B C – no sharps or flats at all. More in Note names.
- Here it is on the guitar: A string 3rd fret (C) · D string open, 2nd, 3rd fret (D, E, F) · G string open, 2nd fret (G, A) · B string open, 1st fret (B, C).
- Reading tab: in the song, each syllable gets a short code like G2 – letter = string, number = fret, 0 = open. More in Reading tab.
- Open Alle meine Entchen in G and switch on the tab. The melody lies on the G, B and e strings and only needs G, A, B, C, D and E – all notes from your scale. First pick it, then accompany.
- Play quick notes in a row with alternate picking: with a pick down, up, down, up – with your fingers, alternate index and middle.
Time to make music: your piece
Alle meine Entchen in G: first pick the melody from the tab, note by note. Then play the chords G, C and D7 – or in pairs: one plays melody, one chords!
Homework for next time
Five days, about ten minutes each:
- Tune first every day.
- Days 1–2: C major scale up and down, saying the note names.
- Days 3–4: pick the melody of Alle meine Entchen from the tab.
- Day 5: melody and chords taking turns.
- Fun: make up a short melody from five notes of the scale!
Done when …
- you play the C major scale without help
- you can pick out a melody from tab
If you get stuck
- Losing track? Sing the melody first. Then find it note by note on the neck.
- The notes are too short? Keep your finger down until the next note comes.
For teachers: lesson plan
- ≈ 10 min Warm-up: sing the scale (C to C), then play it together on the guitar.
- ≈ 15 min Practice: tab on the board – the teacher writes short note sequences and the group plays them.
- ≈ 20 min Together: Alle meine Entchen – half play the melody, the other half the chords, then swap.
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/22/