Week 21 of 24
Goal: You learn Em and play songs you know in the key of G.
Review
Fret A7 and D7 – does your D7 sound clear yet?
Step by step
- Em: index finger on the A string at fret 2, middle finger on the E string at fret 3, ring finger on the C string at fret 4. Chart: Em.
- The fingers form a slanted staircase. The open G string rings along.
- A song can be moved to another key: all chords shift by the same amount. C – Am – F – G7 becomes in G: G – Em – C – D7.
- The links below open the songs straight in G. In the song you can also change the key yourself with + and −. More: Transposing.
Time to make music: your piece
“Hänschen klein” in G with G and D7 – you know it already, just with new chords. Then “Am Lagerfeuer” in G with G, Em, C and D7 – it sounds different from C.
Homework for next time
Five days, about ten minutes each:
- Fret Em, check each string – five times.
- G – Em – C – D7, four strums each.
- “Hänschen klein” in G and in C – hear the difference.
- Fun: “Am Lagerfeuer” in G with the island strum.
Done when …
- all four strings ring with Em
- you accompany a whole song in G
If you get stuck
- Your ring finger can’t reach fret 4? Let your thumb slide lower behind the neck and turn your wrist slightly forward.
- Em is hard at first – that’s normal. Practise it briefly every day for a week and it will sit.
For teachers: lesson plan
- ≈ 10 min Warm-up: play “Hänschen klein” in C and in G. What is the same, what is different?
- ≈ 15 min Practice: table on the board – C→G, Am→Em, F→C, G7→D7. The class plays line by line.
- ≈ 20 min Song together: “Am Lagerfeuer” in G – whoever likes can sing a second part.
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/ukulele/en/lesson/21/