Warm-Up
🕐 10 min - Meet the guitar!
- Distribute the available guitars to the class. If you have enough guitars and there's one for each student - perfect! If not, you could eventually work in small groups, giving one instrument to each group and letting students take turns playing it.
- Students without guitars can play the rhythm line.
- Shortly explain how the guitar is constructed:
- Show the six strings and explain how they are numbered (the numbers are usually encircled: ① ② ③ ④ ⑤ ⑥).
- Tell the note names of each open string. Use a fun mnemonic to help remember the letters: for example, 'Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie' or 'Eat Apples Daily, Grow Big Ears'.
- Ask students to try to make up their own phrase!
- Show how the frets are numbered.
Practice
🕐 5 min - Exercise 1 - E(asy) minor
- Now it's time to finally play the guitar! Show students the optimal position for holding the guitar.
- Show how basic strumming is done: place the right thumb on the 6th string and move it downwards touching the strings with its left side.
- Let students practice strumming open strings.
- Students will learn the simplified guitar chords today, so practice strumming only 3 strings - from the 3rd string downwards.
- Explain that the three open strings together make a (simplified version of a) chord - Em.
- Play Intro and Verse 1 of the song and ask students to play along.
- They should strum the three open strings (③ ② ①) when the red line on the screen reaches the chord symbol 'Em'.
🕐 10 min - Exercise 2 - Hey there C chord!
- Shortly explain how the left hand is used in guitar playing:
- Explain how the fingers of the left hand are numbered (from 1 to 4, the thumb is used for support behind the fretboard).
- Show how the simplified version of C major chord is played and invite students to try it on their instruments. They have to press the 1st finger on the 2nd string, 1st fret.
- Make sure to strum only 3 strings this time - from the 3rd string downwards.
- Make sure your 1st finger is not touching the other strings and the 1st string is not muted!
- Practice playing the C chord.
- A challenge! Can students play both C and Em in Intro and Verse 1 now?
- Alternatively, divide the class into two groups and assign one chord to each group. The groups play one after the other, alternating C and Em.
🕐 10 min - Exercise 3 - Full chorus
- Ask the class what other chord they noticed in Chorus 1? (Am)
- Show how the simplified version of Am is played and invite students to try it on their instruments. To play Am, they only have to add one finger to the C chord they already know - press the 1st finger on the 2nd string, 1st fret and press the 2nd finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret.
- Let students practice the new chord. Make sure to only strum from the 3rd string downwards!
- Play Chorus 1 and invite students to play both chords - C and Am.
- Alternatively, divide the class into two groups and assign one chord to each group. The groups play one after the other, alternating C and Am.
- Do a run-through of the whole song, playing all three chords - C, Am and Em.
- You can mute the guitar track and let students be the only guitarists!
Reflection
🕐 5 min - Discussion
- How did it go?
- What was fun in this lesson?
- What was challenging in this lesson?
- What other songs would you like to learn to play on the guitar?
Beyond the Lesson
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...
- Practicing playing the chords in the song on their own.
- Giving the chatbot classes “Start Playing the Guitar” and “Super Easy Guitar Chords” to them as homework.
Warm-Up
🕐 10 min - Meet the guitar!
- Distribute the available guitars to the class. If you have enough guitars and there's one for each student - perfect! If not, you could eventually work in small groups, giving one instrument to each group and letting students take turns playing it.
- Students without guitars can play the rhythm line.
- Shortly explain how the guitar is constructed:
- Show the six strings and explain how they are numbered (the numbers are usually encircled: ① ② ③ ④ ⑤ ⑥).
- Tell the note names of each open string. Use a fun mnemonic to help remember the letters: for example, 'Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie' or 'Eat Apples Daily, Grow Big Ears'.
- Ask students to try to make up their own phrase!
- Show how the frets are numbered.
Practice
🕐 5 min - Exercise 1 - E(asy) minor
- Now it's time to finally play the guitar! Show students the optimal position for holding the guitar.
- Show how basic strumming is done: place the right thumb on the 6th string and move it downwards touching the strings with its left side.
- Let students practice strumming open strings.
- Students will learn the simplified guitar chords today, so practice strumming only 3 strings - from the 3rd string downwards.
- Explain that the three open strings together make a (simplified version of a) chord - Em.
- Play Intro and Verse 1 of the song and ask students to play along.
- They should strum the three open strings (③ ② ①) when the red line on the screen reaches the chord symbol 'Em'.
🕐 10 min - Exercise 2 - Hey there C chord!
- Shortly explain how the left hand is used in guitar playing:
- Explain how the fingers of the left hand are numbered (from 1 to 4, the thumb is used for support behind the fretboard).
- Show how the simplified version of C major chord is played and invite students to try it on their instruments. They have to press the 1st finger on the 2nd string, 1st fret.
- Make sure to strum only 3 strings this time - from the 3rd string downwards.
- Make sure your 1st finger is not touching the other strings and the 1st string is not muted!
- Practice playing the C chord.
- A challenge! Can students play both C and Em in Intro and Verse 1 now?
- Alternatively, divide the class into two groups and assign one chord to each group. The groups play one after the other, alternating C and Em.
🕐 10 min - Exercise 3 - Full chorus
- Ask the class what other chord they noticed in Chorus 1? (Am)
- Show how the simplified version of Am is played and invite students to try it on their instruments. To play Am, they only have to add one finger to the C chord they already know - press the 1st finger on the 2nd string, 1st fret and press the 2nd finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret.
- Let students practice the new chord. Make sure to only strum from the 3rd string downwards!
- Play Chorus 1 and invite students to play both chords - C and Am.
- Alternatively, divide the class into two groups and assign one chord to each group. The groups play one after the other, alternating C and Am.
- Do a run-through of the whole song, playing all three chords - C, Am and Em.
- You can mute the guitar track and let students be the only guitarists!
Reflection
🕐 5 min - Discussion
- How did it go?
- What was fun in this lesson?
- What was challenging in this lesson?
- What other songs would you like to learn to play on the guitar?
Beyond the Lesson
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...
- Practicing playing the chords in the song on their own.
- Giving the chatbot classes “Start Playing the Guitar” and “Super Easy Guitar Chords” to them as homework.
Warm-Up
🕐 10 min - Meet the guitar!
- Distribute the available guitars to the class. If you have enough guitars and there's one for each student - perfect! If not, you could eventually work in small groups, giving one instrument to each group and letting students take turns playing it.
- Students without guitars can play the rhythm line.
- Shortly explain how the guitar is constructed:
- Show the six strings and explain how they are numbered (the numbers are usually encircled: ① ② ③ ④ ⑤ ⑥).
- Tell the note names of each open string. Use a fun mnemonic to help remember the letters: for example, 'Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie' or 'Eat Apples Daily, Grow Big Ears'.
- Ask students to try to make up their own phrase!
- Show how the frets are numbered.
Practice
🕐 5 min - Exercise 1 - E(asy) minor
- Now it's time to finally play the guitar! Show students the optimal position for holding the guitar.
- Show how basic strumming is done: place the right thumb on the 6th string and move it downwards touching the strings with its left side.
- Let students practice strumming open strings.
- Students will learn the simplified guitar chords today, so practice strumming only 3 strings - from the 3rd string downwards.
- Explain that the three open strings together make a (simplified version of a) chord - Em.
- Play Intro and Verse 1 of the song and ask students to play along.
- They should strum the three open strings (③ ② ①) when the red line on the screen reaches the chord symbol 'Em'.
🕐 10 min - Exercise 2 - Hey there C chord!
- Shortly explain how the left hand is used in guitar playing:
- Explain how the fingers of the left hand are numbered (from 1 to 4, the thumb is used for support behind the fretboard).
- Show how the simplified version of C major chord is played and invite students to try it on their instruments. They have to press the 1st finger on the 2nd string, 1st fret.
- Make sure to strum only 3 strings this time - from the 3rd string downwards.
- Make sure your 1st finger is not touching the other strings and the 1st string is not muted!
- Practice playing the C chord.
- A challenge! Can students play both C and Em in Intro and Verse 1 now?
- Alternatively, divide the class into two groups and assign one chord to each group. The groups play one after the other, alternating C and Em.
🕐 10 min - Exercise 3 - Full chorus
- Ask the class what other chord they noticed in Chorus 1? (Am)
- Show how the simplified version of Am is played and invite students to try it on their instruments. To play Am, they only have to add one finger to the C chord they already know - press the 1st finger on the 2nd string, 1st fret and press the 2nd finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret.
- Let students practice the new chord. Make sure to only strum from the 3rd string downwards!
- Play Chorus 1 and invite students to play both chords - C and Am.
- Alternatively, divide the class into two groups and assign one chord to each group. The groups play one after the other, alternating C and Am.
- Do a run-through of the whole song, playing all three chords - C, Am and Em.
- You can mute the guitar track and let students be the only guitarists!
Reflection
🕐 5 min - Discussion
- How did it go?
- What was fun in this lesson?
- What was challenging in this lesson?
- What other songs would you like to learn to play on the guitar?
Beyond the Lesson
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...
- Practicing playing the chords in the song on their own.
- Giving the chatbot classes “Start Playing the Guitar” and “Super Easy Guitar Chords” to them as homework.
Warm-Up
🕐 10 min - Meet the guitar!
- Distribute the available guitars to the class. If you have enough guitars and there's one for each student - perfect! If not, you could eventually work in small groups, giving one instrument to each group and letting students take turns playing it.
- Students without guitars can play the rhythm line.
- Shortly explain how the guitar is constructed:
- Show the six strings and explain how they are numbered (the numbers are usually encircled: ① ② ③ ④ ⑤ ⑥).
- Tell the note names of each open string. Use a fun mnemonic to help remember the letters: for example, 'Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie' or 'Eat Apples Daily, Grow Big Ears'.
- Ask students to try to make up their own phrase!
- Show how the frets are numbered.
Practice
🕐 5 min - Exercise 1 - E(asy) minor
- Now it's time to finally play the guitar! Show students the optimal position for holding the guitar.
- Show how basic strumming is done: place the right thumb on the 6th string and move it downwards touching the strings with its left side.
- Let students practice strumming open strings.
- Students will learn the simplified guitar chords today, so practice strumming only 3 strings - from the 3rd string downwards.
- Explain that the three open strings together make a (simplified version of a) chord - Em.
- Play Intro and Verse 1 of the song and ask students to play along.
- They should strum the three open strings (③ ② ①) when the red line on the screen reaches the chord symbol 'Em'.
🕐 10 min - Exercise 2 - Hey there C chord!
- Shortly explain how the left hand is used in guitar playing:
- Explain how the fingers of the left hand are numbered (from 1 to 4, the thumb is used for support behind the fretboard).
- Show how the simplified version of C major chord is played and invite students to try it on their instruments. They have to press the 1st finger on the 2nd string, 1st fret.
- Make sure to strum only 3 strings this time - from the 3rd string downwards.
- Make sure your 1st finger is not touching the other strings and the 1st string is not muted!
- Practice playing the C chord.
- A challenge! Can students play both C and Em in Intro and Verse 1 now?
- Alternatively, divide the class into two groups and assign one chord to each group. The groups play one after the other, alternating C and Em.
🕐 10 min - Exercise 3 - Full chorus
- Ask the class what other chord they noticed in Chorus 1? (Am)
- Show how the simplified version of Am is played and invite students to try it on their instruments. To play Am, they only have to add one finger to the C chord they already know - press the 1st finger on the 2nd string, 1st fret and press the 2nd finger on the 3rd string, 2nd fret.
- Let students practice the new chord. Make sure to only strum from the 3rd string downwards!
- Play Chorus 1 and invite students to play both chords - C and Am.
- Alternatively, divide the class into two groups and assign one chord to each group. The groups play one after the other, alternating C and Am.
- Do a run-through of the whole song, playing all three chords - C, Am and Em.
- You can mute the guitar track and let students be the only guitarists!
Reflection
🕐 5 min - Discussion
- How did it go?
- What was fun in this lesson?
- What was challenging in this lesson?
- What other songs would you like to learn to play on the guitar?
Beyond the Lesson
Challenge students to go beyond the lesson by...
- Practicing playing the chords in the song on their own.
- Giving the chatbot classes “Start Playing the Guitar” and “Super Easy Guitar Chords” to them as homework.
