Week 26 of 27
Goal: You find the three main chords in G, D and A and play one song in three keys.
Review
Last week: F#m. Play Am Lagerfeuer in A – once with the barre, once with the capo.
Step by step
- Count the notes of a major scale from the root: 1 = I, 4 = IV, 5 = V. These three chords carry a great many songs.
- In G: G A B C D → I = G, IV = C, V = D. In D: I = D, IV = G, V = A. In A: I = A, IV = D, V = E. The V often becomes a seventh chord: D7, A7, E7.
- Transposing means moving a song into another key. You simply replace I, IV and V with the chords of the new key. More in Transposing.
- In the app you change a song’s key with “−” and “+”. Try Michael, Row the Boat Ashore in G, D and A.
Time to make music: your piece
Michael, Row the Boat Ashore in three keys: G (G, C, D7), D (D, G, A7) and A (A, D, E7). Which one suits your voice best?
Homework for next time
Five days, about ten minutes each:
- Tune first every day.
- Day 1: write down I, IV, V in G, D and A.
- Days 2–4: Michael, Row the Boat in G, then D, then A.
- Day 5: move another song into your favourite key.
- Fun: sing along and find the key where your voice sounds best!
Done when …
- you can name I, IV and V in G, D and A
- you play one song in two keys
If you get stuck
- Counting gets confusing? Write out the scale and circle notes 1, 4 and 5.
- A key has chords you don’t know yet? A capo helps – or the “Easy chords” button in the song.
For teachers: lesson plan
- ≈ 10 min Warm-up: a table on the board – key | I | IV | V. The group fills in G, D and A together.
- ≈ 15 min Practice: the teacher calls a key and a degree (“D, four!”), everyone plays the chord.
- ≈ 20 min Together: Michael, Row the Boat Ashore in G, D and A in turn – the group votes for the best key to sing in.
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/26/