Mix and match activities to create a fun lesson in which students will learn what the frets and strings are, how they are organized on a guitar and how to play an easy chord - Em. Integrate Solfeg.io in teaching the basics of guitar playing.
💻 Materials:
🕐 Time: 7 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
Freaks: verse 1 or verse 2
Astronaut in the Ocean: chorus 1 or another part
Dance Monkey: chorus 2 or another part
Bellyache: verse 1 or another part
Hey There Delilah: verse 1, verse 2 or verse 3
What string instruments do you hear? (Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar; in verse 2 and verse 3 of “Hey There Delilah” there is also a violin and cello)
What other instruments can you hear? (Depending on the song, synthesizer, piano, percussions, drums)
How would you describe the sound of the guitar? (Choose suitable adjectives: bright, mellow, smooth, mild, soft, sharp, edgy, energetic, happy, etc.)
Do you know how the guitar is played? (Ask a student to try to hold and play a guitar.)
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
- If you have several guitars, distribute them to the class (one for each student or one for each group of students). If you have only one instrument, use it yourself and give it to selected students during practical parts.
- Show the strings on your guitar.
- Ask students to pluck each string on their guitars and pay attention to the sound.
- Explain that numbers and letters are used to distinguish between strings.
From 6th string to the 1st: 'Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie' or 'Eat All Day Get Big Easy';
From the 1st string to the 6th: 'Easter Bunnies Get Dizzy At Easter' or 'Every Boy Gets Dinner At Eight'.
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
Ask students to count the frets on their guitars!
Students could try pressing the same string in different frets and notice how the sound becomes higher or lower!
Try sliding the finger on one of the strings and notice how the sound changes!
🕐 Time: 3 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
🕐 Time: 10 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎶 Recommended Songs:
🎲 Activity:
Freaks: verse 1 or verse 2
Astronaut in the Ocean: chorus 1 or another part
Dance Monkey: chorus 2 or another part
Bellyache: verse 1 or another part
Hey There Delilah: verse 1, verse 2 or verse 3
🕐 Time: 5 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
What was fun in this lesson?
What was challenging in this lesson?
What songs would you like to learn to play on the guitar?
🕐 Time: 3 min
🎯 Objectives:
🎲 Activity:
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…
In this lesson, students will learn what the frets and strings are and how they are organized on a guitar. They will learn to understand what a chord is and find the easiest chord on a guitar - Em. They will immediately practice playing this chord in popular songs.
The timing and pacing of the exercises in this lesson plan example are approximate and will differ depending on your students' skill level. If the pace of this lesson plan is too fast for you, divide it into several lessons and add additional activities (see 'Activities' section). If the pace of this lesson plan is too slow for you, explore the 'Beyond the lesson' chapter at the end of this lesson plan for additional activities.
⏰ Time: 50 min
🎓 Grades: 5-12
🎯 Objective(s): As a result of this lesson, students will be able to...
💡 Required Prior Knowledge and Skills:
💻 Materials:
🕐 7 min - Hear the guitar
Freaks: verse 1 or verse 2
Astronaut in the Ocean: chorus 1 or another part
Dance Monkey: chorus 2 or another part
Bellyache: verse 1 or another part
Hey There Delilah: verse 1, verse 2 or verse 3
What string instruments do you hear? (Acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar; in verse 2 and verse 3 of “Hey There Delilah” there is also a violin and cello)
What other instruments can you hear? (Depending on the song, synthesizer, piano, percussions, drums)
How would you describe the sound of the guitar? (Choose suitable adjectives: bright, mellow, smooth, mild, soft, sharp, edgy, energetic, happy, etc.)
Do you know how the guitar is played? (Ask a student to try to hold and play a guitar.)
🕐 10 min - Strings
- If you have several guitars, distribute them to the class (one for each student or one for each group of students). If you have only one instrument, use it yourself and give it to selected students during practical parts.
- Show the strings on your guitar.
- Ask students to pluck each string on their guitars and pay attention to the sound.
- Explain that numbers and letters are used to distinguish between strings.
From 6th string to the 1st: 'Eddie Ate Dynamite Good Bye Eddie' or 'Eat All Day Get Big Easy';
From the 1st string to the 6th: 'Easter Bunnies Get Dizzy At Easter' or 'Every Boy Gets Dinner At Eight'.
🕐 5 min - Frets
Ask students to count the frets on their guitars!
Students could try pressing the same string in different frets and notice how the sound becomes higher or lower!
Try sliding the finger on one of the strings and notice how the sound changes!
🕐 3 min - What is a chord?
🕐 10 min - Exercise 1 - Find frets!
🕐 5 min - Exercise 2 - Find the Em chord
🕐 10 min - Exercise 3 - Strum Em in the song
Freaks: verse 1 or verse 2
Astronaut in the Ocean: chorus 1 or another part
Dance Monkey: chorus 2 or another part
Bellyache: verse 1 or another part
Hey There Delilah: verse 1, verse 2 or verse 3
🕐 5 min - Discussion
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by…