Part 2: Give the notes time · Lesson 020 / 117
Practice stop: four bars that stay together
Practice stop — no rushKeep a simple rhythm through one familiar chord change.
Today has no new notation. Use a four-bar plan: C for two bars, then Am for two bars. If either chord is uncomfortable, use two other familiar chords; the rhythmic task is unchanged.
For the first pass, strum only on beat 1 of each bar. Count the remaining beats and prepare the next grip without shortening the final beat. For the second pass, play four quarter-note strums per bar. For the third, return to one attack per bar and listen to the space.
Choose a tempo at which the change remains calm. Faster is not automatically better. When you miss a change, keep counting and rejoin at a known beat rather than squeezing the lost strum into the wrong place.
Return to the earlier rhythm page that matches the difficulty: pulse, held notes, rests or subdivisions. This is a consolidation session, not an exam you must pass on the first attempt.
Hear it
C Am Rhythm
Audio fileFour-beat count-in · 60 BPM · Warm sampled electric guitar. Listen once before playing along.
A concrete example
C | C | Am | Am. Four beats in every bar. First pass: one whole-note strum per bar. Second pass: four quarter-note strums.
Try it, slowly
- Count and tap the four-bar plan before fretting.
- Play the whole-note version twice.
- Play quarter notes once, then write which part of the change disturbed your count, if any.
Check one idea
If the chord change is late, should you add a beat to finish the old chord?
Show the explanation
Not when playing with a fixed backing or click. Keep the four-beat structure, simplify your part, and rejoin the next clear beat. Practise the physical change separately afterwards.
A good place to stop
You can keep the form and explain one rhythm in beats, including its silence.
Return to the example after a short break. A clear explanation matters more than speed.