Week 23 of 27
Goal: You play the small F and G7 and accompany songs in C.
Review
Last week: the scale. Play the C major scale up and down once.
Step by step
- The small F: ring finger D string 3rd fret, middle finger G string 2nd fret, index finger flat across the B and e strings at the 1st fret. Strum only the four thin strings.
- Here the index finger presses two strings at once – a mini barre. It’s the first step towards full barre chords. More in Barre chords.
- G7: ring finger low E string 3rd fret, middle finger A string 2nd fret, index finger high e string 1st fret. All six strings ring.
- With C, F and G7 you can now play songs in C – like Alle meine Entchen in its original key.
Time to make music: your piece
Alle meine Entchen in C with C, F and G7 – the same song in a new key. When it works: Muss i denn zum Städtele hinaus.
Homework for next time
Five days, about ten minutes each:
- Tune first every day.
- Days 1–2: play F – do the B and e strings ring under your index?
- Day 3: switch C – F and G7 – C ten times each.
- Days 4–5: Alle meine Entchen in C, then Muss i denn.
- Fun: play Alle meine Entchen in A, G and C – which key do you like?
Done when …
- all four strings ring on the small F
- you get through a song in C with C, F and G7
If you get stuck
- The B or e string doesn’t ring on F? Roll your index finger slightly onto its side towards the thumb – the firmer edge presses better.
- F hurts? That’s normal at first. Practise often and briefly, and loosen your hand in between.
For teachers: lesson plan
- ≈ 10 min Warm-up: practise the mini barre – just the index finger flat across the B and e strings, pluck both: do both ring?
- ≈ 15 min Practice: C – F – G7 – C round and round, two bars each. Anyone not ready for F yet plays it without the index finger (xx3210, Fmaj7).
- ≈ 20 min Together: Muss i denn zum Städtele hinaus – sing loudly and wave at the end.
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/23/