Week 4: What to Achieve in Your Fourth Week of Learning Guitar
By Ben Makes Music
You’ve made it to week 4 in your guitar learning journey! At this point, you’re building solid foundations in chord transitions, strumming patterns, and playing a few simple songs. Week 4 will focus on enhancing your rhythm, introducing more complex chords, and exploring basic finger exercises. This week’s goal is to strengthen your technique and expand your musical abilities further.
Building Rhythmic Control
Rhythm is a core element of guitar playing, and the best way to improve is through consistent practice with a metronome. By week 4, the goal is to become comfortable with keeping a steady tempo and developing rhythmic precision.
How to practise rhythm:
• Use a Metronome: Practise chord progressions and strumming patterns at a set tempo to improve timing.
• Experiment with Different Tempos: Start slow and gradually increase the tempo as you feel more confident. This will help develop control and flexibility.
• Practice Muted Strumming: Focus on strumming without pressing on the frets to create percussive sounds. This helps build rhythm and timing without the pressure of switching chords.
Exploring New Chord Shapes
Now that you’re comfortable with basic chords, it’s time to introduce new chord shapes that will add variety to your playing. This week, focus on power chords and a few minor 7th chords, which are commonly used in rock, pop, and blues music.
Chords to learn:
• Power Chords: Start with basic two-note power chords. These are simple yet effective for adding a fuller sound to your playing and are often used in rock songs.
• Minor 7th Chords: Adding minor 7th chords, like Em7 and Am7, will give your playing a richer tone and expand your range of musical options.
Tip for learning new chords: Practise these new chords slowly and focus on placing your fingers accurately before speeding up. Repetition will help you build the muscle memory needed for fluid transitions.
Strengthening Your Fingers with Basic Exercises
By week 4, it’s a good idea to incorporate simple finger exercises to build strength, dexterity, and control. These exercises may feel a bit challenging at first, but they are highly effective for enhancing finger independence.
Try these exercises:
• The Spider Exercise: Place each finger on a different fret in a row (e.g., frets 1-4 on the low E string) and move up and down the strings. This helps improve coordination between fingers.
• Scales: Practise playing scales, like the major and pentatonic scales, to help develop finger agility and hand positioning.
Tip for finger exercises: Start slow and focus on accuracy. Practising regularly will make your fingers stronger and more agile over time.
Learning to Play a New Song
Week 4 is the perfect time to expand your song repertoire by learning a song that combines your newly acquired skills. Choose a song that features some of the new chords or techniques you’ve been practising. This will help you apply what you’ve learned and give you a tangible sense of progress.
Songs to try:
• “Wonderwall” (Oasis): This classic uses power chords and a few 7th chords, making it a great choice for week 4.
• “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Bob Dylan): This simple song has an easy-to-follow chord progression and is perfect for practising timing and transitions.
Learning complete songs is a fantastic way to build confidence and motivation, as you’ll see how your skills are developing in a real musical context.
Improving Picking Techniques
If you’ve mainly been strumming up to this point, try incorporating some picking exercises this week. Learning picking techniques, like alternate picking, will make your playing more versatile and help with more intricate songs.
Beginner picking exercises:
• Alternate Picking: Practise picking each note with alternating down and upstrokes. This technique is widely used and will help improve your accuracy and speed.
• Basic Arpeggios: An arpeggio is when the notes of a chord are played individually rather than strummed together. Practise picking through the notes of chords to develop control and finger independence.
Tip for picking practice: Start with slow, consistent picking, making sure each note rings out clearly. Gradually speed up as you feel more comfortable.
Recording and Self-Review
By week 4, recording yourself is a useful tool to track progress and identify areas for improvement. Listening back to recordings can help you hear where you’re improving and where you may need more practice.
Ways to use recording for progress:
• Review Your Rhythm and Timing: Listen for any timing inconsistencies and adjust your practice accordingly.
• Check for Smooth Transitions: Pay attention to how smoothly you’re transitioning between chords. If it sounds choppy, focus more on those specific transitions in your practice.
Using Online Tools and Resources
Technology can be a great aid at this stage. Here are some recommended apps and resources to continue supporting your progress:
1. GuitarTuna (Free): This app is perfect for keeping your guitar in tune and offers exercises to help with rhythm and chord recognition.
2. Ultimate Guitar (Free and Paid): With a huge collection of guitar tabs, this app is useful for finding the songs you’re practising and exploring new ones.
3. Yousician (Premium): A structured lesson-based app that provides feedback on your playing, helping you to correct mistakes and progress faster.
Consistency in Practice
Consistency remains key, and by now, a routine should be in place. Aim to practice daily for 20-30 minutes, dividing your time between chord transitions, strumming, finger exercises, and song practice.
Sample practice plan:
• 5 minutes on finger exercises to build strength and control.
• 10 minutes on new chord transitions and strumming patterns.
• 15 minutes learning and practising a new song.
Regular practice, even in small sessions, is what leads to steady improvement.
Week 4 Summary
By the end of week 4, you should feel comfortable with a variety of chords, strumming patterns, and basic picking techniques. Adding finger exercises and recording your playing can offer additional insight into your progress, helping you refine your technique further.
Remember, learning guitar is a journey. Keep practising, stay consistent, and enjoy seeing the progress unfold. Next week, you’ll be ready to take on even more challenges and continue building on the strong foundation you’ve created.
FAQs About Guitar Lessons with Ben Makes Music
What is Ben Makes Music?
Ben Makes Music provides guitar lessons for all levels across Essex, including Rayleigh, Hockley, Hullbridge, and surrounding areas.
What types of guitar lessons are available?
Lessons cover a range of styles, including rock, blues, classical, and more. Whether you’re a beginner or advanced player, there’s a lesson for you!
How do I book a lesson?
Booking a lesson is simple! Contact us online or by phone to arrange your guitar lessons in Essex, including Rayleigh, Hockley, Hullbridge, and beyond.
Are online lessons available?
Yes! High-quality online guitar lessons are available for students in Essex and beyond.
Are the lessons suitable for beginners?
Absolutely! Whether you're in Hockley, Leigh-on-Sea, or elsewhere, step-by-step guidance is provided to help you get started on your guitar journey.
Where can I take lessons?
Guitar lessons are available in the following locations across Essex:
Guitar Lessons in Rayleigh
Guitar Lessons in Hockley
Guitar Lessons in Hullbridge
Guitar Lessons in Wickford
Guitar Lessons in South Woodham Ferrers
Guitar Lessons in Leigh-on-Sea
Guitar Lessons in Eastwood
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Why choose Ben Makes Music?
Each lesson is personalised to meet your goals, ensuring fast progress and a fun, engaging learning experience.
Are guitar lessons worth it?
Definitely! Personalised feedback helps you progress faster than relying on free resources.
Can I try a lesson first?
Yes! Book a trial lesson to see if the approach works for you before committing.
Let’s get started on your guitar journey!
