Eighth Notes
Outline
This exercise looks at playing eighth notes. There are two eighth notes per beat and in this lesson we will play straight eighths in two different strumming patterns to the chords in the key of C major.
The first pattern alternates between downstrokes and upstrokes while the second pattern plays all downstrokes.
Keep it slow and with the beat and work on making quick changes between the chords.
Concepts
* Eighth notes
* Downstrokes and upstrokes
* Chords in the key of C major
Playing time: 4:21
Chord Progression
The chord progression used in this exercise:
C | C | Dm | Dm | Em | Em | F | F | G | G | Am | Am |
Things To Work On
Work on creating clean sounding chords and making the chord changes as quickly as possible.
For the left hand, fret the strings with the finger tips by arching the fingers and place them close to the frets.
For the right hand, strum down (down stroke), and then up (upstroke) with a combination of wrist and elbow movement. Keep your hand close to the strings without using excessive movement.
Stick to the beat.
Ear Training
Practice singing the root notes of each of the chords and listen for the differences between the quality, major or minor, of the different chords.
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