UCL2 - WEEK 1
SONG 1 - BANANA BOAT SONG | SONG 2 - DEM BONES
Welcome to week 1 of your Level 2 course. This week you will discover how to play barred chords, and turn them into moveable chords, whilst put them into practice with some of our fun Halloween songs. You will also explore the half chuck technique which is similar to the calypso strum but with a more percussive sound on beat 2 of each bar for song 1.
As always, make sure you stretch out your shoulders, arms and fingers before class and warm up with the finger gym exercise. All of the techniques you will explore today are just introductions so go at your own pace for now. You will get plenty more opportunities throughout the term to practice these techniques.
MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD ALL 5 PDFS FOR THIS SESSION INCLUDING:
As always, make sure you stretch out your shoulders, arms and fingers before class and warm up with the finger gym exercise. All of the techniques you will explore today are just introductions so go at your own pace for now. You will get plenty more opportunities throughout the term to practice these techniques.
MAKE SURE YOU DOWNLOAD ALL 5 PDFS FOR THIS SESSION INCLUDING:
- Finger Gym
- Barred Chords
- Moveable Chord Shapes
- Banana Boat Song
- Dem Bones
FINGER GYM EXERCISE 1
Let's begin with a quick warm up, and remember to do some stretching and limbering up before you begin.
This is your finger gym challenge for the 1st half of term. Make sure you have the PDF handy for each session. Starting at 60BPM.
This is your finger gym challenge for the 1st half of term. Make sure you have the PDF handy for each session. Starting at 60BPM.
HOW TO PLAY BARRED CHORDS
A barred chord requires the use of your index finger to bar two or more strings at the same time whilst using your other fingers to complete the rest of the chord shape. Barred chords generally cover all 4 strings and although they can take a bit of getting used too.
EXERCISE: Watch the video below to see how to practice barred chords effectively:
EXERCISE: Watch the video below to see how to practice barred chords effectively:
BARRED CHORD SHAPES
Here are some of the barred chords that you will be exploring throughout various songs and exercises throughout this course.
EXERCISE: Watch the video below to see how to play the following 5 barred chords:
EXERCISE: Watch the video below to see how to play the following 5 barred chords:
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Moveable Chord Shapes
This exercise is great for finding alternative chords all over the fretboard. Download the PDF below for more information.
HALF-CHUCK STRUm
A half-chuck strum is a rhythmic strum where the pitch of the strings are deadened to the point that only a percussive sound is heard. The chuck beat is represented by a blue 'X' and in this case, falls under beat number 2. A full chuck (AKA: Chuck Strum) would also have a chuck at beat 4.
You will explore that strum later on in the course. For now get used to chucking on beat 2. As you can see the strum looks very similar to the calypso strum so if you can play that, you are half way to playing a half chuck!
You will explore that strum later on in the course. For now get used to chucking on beat 2. As you can see the strum looks very similar to the calypso strum so if you can play that, you are half way to playing a half chuck!
EXERCISE: Watch the video below to see how to play a half chuck strum.
SONG 1 - THE BANANA BOAT SONG
This song has just two chords, An F major and a C7. A nice and easy one to get you warmed up. Try playing along with the half chuck strum.
Look out for the chords with the green arrows next to them - and just play down strums on the amount of arrows illustrated.
There are alternative chords of the same value but higher up the neck - give them a go at any point but at this level, feel free to play the entire song with the basic chords when performing.
Look out for the chords with the green arrows next to them - and just play down strums on the amount of arrows illustrated.
There are alternative chords of the same value but higher up the neck - give them a go at any point but at this level, feel free to play the entire song with the basic chords when performing.
Have a listen to your part with just vocals and percussion.
SONG 2 - DEM BONES
Again, this song is made up of just two chords, A major and E7, but as a bit of a barred chord challenge and discover how moveable chords can be played all over the fretboard, we've added a bunch of key changes.
Don't panic if you don't get the hang of it right away and especially if the barred chords aren't perfect - it takes a bit of time, practice and patience to find the pressure and position to have them ringing with clarity.
You could potentially use the 1st moveable chord patterns (Bb & F7) and and play them right up the neck. See the videos below for more information and instruction.
Don't panic if you don't get the hang of it right away and especially if the barred chords aren't perfect - it takes a bit of time, practice and patience to find the pressure and position to have them ringing with clarity.
You could potentially use the 1st moveable chord patterns (Bb & F7) and and play them right up the neck. See the videos below for more information and instruction.
VIDEO SONG TUTORIALS
Video tutorials may take up to 24 hours to appear after your class taking place. If they are not yet available, please check back in as this is a great way to help with home practice.
BANANA BOAT SONG
DEM BONES
NOW OPEN