LESSON PLAN: Stickers and Guitar Mutes
Objective
Students will be able to play several different chords on 3 strings using stickers that show them where to place their fingers.
Resources
Paper towel guitar mute, small stickers, guitars, picks
Vocabulary and Terms
Procedures
- Make a 3 string guitar mute for strings 4, 5, and 6 by placing a folded paper towel underneath these strings. You may also want to tie a rubber band around the paper towel so that it doesn’t come off of the guitar, as can happen when new students are strumming hard against all of the strings. This will mute these strings allowing you to play simplified chords on strings 1, 2, and 3.
- Place a sticker underneath string 1 at the 3rd fret. The sticker should be small enough so that it’s clearly underneath of only the first string. Some teachers purchase tiny stickers of happy face circles that come in the ROYGBIV color scheme, using red for G and then following with the next color for the next note of the scale (orange for A, yellow for B, and so on). Other teachers use tiny stickers of fun images like frogs or bugs to place on the fret board. Whatever you choose can be turned into a fun beginner song chart made out of colors or the pictures of what’s on your stickers.
- Place a sticker at the end of strings 1, 2, and 3 just past the nut to represent the open E minor chord (using ROYGBIV, the color for E is indigo). Place another sticker underneath string 2 at the first fret for a 1 finger C chord (in ROYGBIV this is green).
- Have kids play the different chords to get used to the sound. You can call out chord letter names, colors, or what is pictured on your stickers! Now you’re ready to begin playing the songs from the Teachers Manual!
Extension
Adding the D to this vocabulary of chords opens students up to THOUSANDS of songs. Mountains of music is written using the “Axis of Awesome” progression (G, D, Emi, C) or the “Ice Cream Changes” (or “50’s) progression (G, Emi, D, C). Using this D chord is also a nice segue to using chords that are played on all 6 strings. Be careful not to introduce it until you see your students can play G, C, and Emi easily. The ROYGBIV color for the notes of the D chord is blue, the 5th color for the 5th note in the key of G. Using ROYGBIV this way is done in many popular music curriculums today including Boomwhackers Percussion Tubes and Music Mind Games.
National Core Arts Standards (Music)
Anchor Standard 5: Develop and refine artistic techniques and work for presentation.
Example: Harmonizing Instruments MU:Pr5.1.H Rehearse, Evaluate, and Refine.
Common Core Correlation: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.CCRA.SL.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.