Guitar (& Bass Guitar) Beginner Method with Tablatures/note names, Chord Charts

A resource for primary classroom or peripatetic teachers to assist total beginners.
Intended as a gentle and gradual introduction to music reading.
The Bass Guitar Method is a complimentary resource for class/school orchestras to allow a bassist to accompany the guitarists.

The method includes three PDF booklets:

• Guitar Tabs & Chord Charts (incl. How To Guide)
• Chord Diagrams
• Bass Guitar Tabs

THE METHOD
The Beginner level consists of 12 lessons which are 8-bar music exercises. Each exercise introduces a new note/rest length or another musical symbol. Lessons are named after the topic they cover. The notations are formatted in landscape orientation, to be used on electronic devices or printed.

FOR WHOM?
This method is recommended for students in primary school education without any previous music knowledge.

GUITAR TABLATURES (MELODY)
At this level, notations are not used. Rather, the standard guitar tablature is utilised, containing 6 lines representing the 6 guitar strings, with numbers for the frets to be pressed. The fret numbers contain note parts (stems, flags and beams) to indicate the length of notes.
Instead of notes, note names are given below the tablature staff, allowing the students to start grasping the music theory through the eyes of the guitar, and not the other way around.
To assist young learners, the tabs and note names are colour-coded by pitch.
The 12 lessons cover only 4 note pitches; the rest are introduced at the Intermediate level.

Lesson names / topics covered

1. Music Fractions (1/4 + 1/8 notes, G-A notes, Am & Dm chords )
2. Half note (D major chord)
3. Quarter Rest (G major & no chord sign ‘r’)
4. Half Rest
5. Three Notes (G-A-B)
6. Repeat (A major chord)
7. Dotted Half Note
8. Dotted Quarter Note
9. Four Notes (G-A-B-C; E major chord))
10. Waltz
11. Pickup bar
12. Triplet

CHORD CHARTS & STRUMMING
Under the tablature staff, another single-line staff is added for chord strums. The chord strums are represented with the standard strumming symbols for guitar/ukulele, with up/downstrum signs on top of each strumming note.
Chord names are given above the strumming staff.
The method starts with two easy chords and new chords are introduced gradually.
When new chords are introduced, they are marked in the subtitle of the appropriate lesson.

The HOW TO
This is a single-page resource attached to the main booklet, packed with information that might be useful to beginners. It visually presents the ‘mirror perspective’ of reading guitar tabs, containing an image of the guitar with the neck presented as the 6-line tablature staff, with specific info about reading tabs.

THE CHORD DIAGRAMS
This is a separate booklet containing major, minor and 7th chord diagrams. Colour-coded by pitch.

THE BASS GUITAR TABS
This is an optional resource that could be used either for an individual student on its own or as a member of a guitar ensemble. It provides very easy bass guitar parts for the tunes used in the guitar booklet.