Week 4 of 24
Goal: You learn A minor and switch calmly between C and Am.
Review
Play last week’s blues notes C, F, G. Does the F ring clearly yet?
Step by step
- Am (A minor): middle finger on the G string (the top one) at the 2nd fret. The other strings are open. Chart: Am.
- Listen: C sounds bright and happy, Am sounds softer, a little thoughtful.
- Switch very slowly: fret C – let go – fret Am. Watch the path: ring finger off, middle finger on.
- Trick: think of the next chord while you are still playing the old one. More tricks: Faster chord changes.
- In the chord game the microphone counts how often you switch in one minute. Don’t rush – clean beats fast.
Time to make music: your piece
Count in, then with the rhythm “Only down”, slow: four times C, four times Am – round and round. Then the chord game with C and Am.
Practise rhythm Pattern: Only down
Start the chord game Choose: C · Am
Homework for next time
Five days, about ten minutes each:
- Tune, then fret and strum Am five times.
- C – Am – C – Am very slowly, no rhythm.
- Four times C, four times Am with the metronome (slow).
- Fun: chord game C and Am – write down your record.
Done when …
- you can switch from C to Am without losing the beat (slowly)
- you can hear the difference between C and Am
If you get stuck
- The change takes too long? Practise just the movement without strumming: ten times back and forth.
- With Am the C string sounds muffled? Your middle finger is too flat – stand it up more.
For teachers: lesson plan
- ≈ 10 min Warm-up: play C and Am. The class shows thumbs up for “happy” and thumbs sideways for “thoughtful”.
- ≈ 15 min Practice: change on command – teacher counts four beats, change on “one”. Very slowly at first.
- ≈ 20 min Together: four times C, four times Am as an accompaniment – the teacher hums or sings a tune over it.
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/4/