LESSON PLAN: Rock and Roll G to C
Objective
Students will be able to use the “anchor note concept” to play a classic chord progression used in a lot of favorite songs.
Resources
Guitars, picks.
Vocabulary and Terms
Procedures
- Show students that you can play a G chord and a C chord both with your pinky and ring finger anchored to the 1st and 2nd strings. Demonstrate that this way you only need to move the notes on the 6th and 5th strings to the 5th and 4th strings. The sound we get from playing these chords this way is very distinct and used in a lot of music we hear.
- Have students put their 3rd and 4th fingers (ring and pinky) in position on strings 1 and 2. Have them play a light strum pattern on just these high strings while you play the chords on your guitar to get them used to the feeling of the “anchor” in this chord change.
- Add the notes that complete the G chord and walk around to check that everyone understands how to play it. Since this chord uses fingers that spread across the entire fret board make sure they’re playing it with their knuckles in front of the fret board. If not this stretch will feel impossible.
Extension
- Listen to “Every Rose Has It’s Thorn” by Poison and/or Wish You Were Here by Pink Floyd to hear these sounds in action.
- Sometimes these same anchor notes are held over other chords played in this key (which is heard in “Wish You Were Here”). Encourage students who are interested to try playing this 1st and 2nd string anchor over the E minor chord, the A chord and even the D chord. It’s special sound works well on all of these chords.
National Core Arts Standards (Music)
Anchor Standard 5: Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.Example: General Music MU:Pr5.1.4 b. Rehearse to refine technical accuracy, expressive qualities, and address performance challenges. Anchor Standard 7: Perceive and analyze artistic work. Example: Harmonizing Instruments MU:Re7.2.H.8a (Intermediate) Describe how the way that the elements of music are manipulated and knowledge of the context (social and cultural) inform the response. Common Core Correlation: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RST.6-8.3 Follow precisely a multistep procedure when carrying out experiments, taking measurements, or performing