In reinforcing music staff reading, call on individuals to recite letter names and fret numbers for the reading exercises. This teacher is a strong believer in the value of verbalizing to the learning process. Provide a few minutes of “trying it out” time before playing each exercise together as a class.

The Major Scale on the Guitar:
The major scale is taught from a simple one-page handout. It has been added to the course as the result of many requests, but only the scales of C, G, and F major are included because of time limitations. (Guitar II teaches all fifteen major scales, one per week, throughout the semester.) C major is easy because students are simply asked to “play the alphabet from C to C” in first position, for one octave. It serves as a model for the whole- half-step formula, which is then applied to G and F major. The adjustment for the correct formula requires the F# of the G major scale, and Bb of the F major scale. All three scales are diagrammed on a tablature showing the spellings in first position only. The G and F major scales are played two octaves in first position

Test preparation:
The first written midterm is scheduled for the next class session. Some review of concepts covered is helpful to students.
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CLASS #5:

At this point in the course, students have learned the fretboard by letter names, and are ready to understand that the same letter may occur in different pitch registers. Working tablature in class provides an opportunity to discuss this important feature.
Pitch Levels of Letters and the Music Staff:
The perception of pitch levels and their relationship to staff notation relates to the concepts of “high and low” as associated with sound, not spatial location on the guitar. Pitch level is a very important concept to beginning readers, and is described on page 26 of Guitar QuickStart. Help students see that if the note is higher on the staff, it will be on a higher fret [on the same string] or higher string on the guitar. Conversely, notes that are lower on the staff are on lower frets [on the same string] or lower strings on the guitar. This principle is true within a given position, and applies to all reading in this course, which is limited to first position. Point out that three letters occur three times in first position (E, F, and G) and therefore have “high, middle, and low” notes. The rest of the letters occur twice (A, B, C, and D), and therefore have “high and low” notes.
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CLASS #6:

Discuss the Midterm Performance Test and look over the pieces with the class. Present any loose ends of information, such as ties and pickup notes.
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CLASS #7:

This is the last full class devoted to music staff reading, so tie up any loose ends regarding information: interpreting sharps and flats, key signatures, etc. Scan all tablature and notation work in students’ texts. It is mainly a way to check their understanding of the concepts, as well as preparation for material they will encounter in written tests. Chord diagram introduction. Discuss the difference between letter names for single notes as compared with letter names for chords. As a demonstration of the fact that chords have 3 or more letters, each string of the Em chord may be analyzed for letter names. The letter that names a chord (the root) is like an “initial,” with the other letters “understood” when one has studied music theory. The relevance to guitar is that the root will determine the lowest string to be included in a given chord. This is an important, easy, and useful concept to beginners.