Offline Guitar Program — New Delhi

Foundation Course

Absolute beginner to Grade-1 ready in 8 weeks
Duration
8 weeks · 16 sessions
Schedule
Wed 45 min · Sat 60–75 min
Outcome
Ready for Trinity Grade 1 prep

Course Overview

This Foundation course takes a complete beginner — someone who has never touched a guitar — to the point where they can confidently play open chords in time, strum in two patterns, read TAB fluently, improvise over a simple blues, and perform three songs end-to-end. On completion, the student is ready to enter the Trinity Rock & Pop Guitar Grade 1 preparation track.

By the end of Week 8, the student can:

Schedule Rhythm

DayDurationFocusWhat Happens
Wednesday45 minTechnique & TheoryWarm-up · scales / chord drills · ear or reading · short homework review
Saturday60–75 minRepertoire & ApplicationSong work · strumming and rhythm · improvisation · monthly recording

Student Practice Expectation

Minimum: 15 minutes per day, 5 days a week (75 min/week).
Recommended: 20–30 minutes per day, 6 days a week.
Students practising less than this will fall behind the 8-week pace and need consolidation time.

Required Materials

Free Resource Stack (used throughout course)

NeedResourceHow It Is Used
Structured referenceJustinGuitar.com — Grade 1Student watches specific modules as homework support
Tabs with playbackSongsterrAll song assignments linked from here
Backing tracksYouTube (searches listed per session)Improvisation and strumming practice
Music theory drillsMusicTheory.netOptional enrichment
Ear trainingTonedear.comIntroduced in Week 6

Chord Reference — The Foundation 8

These eight open chords are taught across weeks 1–4. Every Foundation song uses only these chords.

000000
Em
2 fingers · easiest
000000
E
3 fingers
X00000
Am
3 fingers
X00000
A
3 fingers · tight
XX0000
D
3 fingers · triangle
XX0000
Dm
3 fingers
000000
G
3 fingers · spread
X00000
C
3 fingers

Legend: Numbered strings top to bottom on the guitar — low E, A, D, G, B, high E (left to right in these diagrams). O = play open · X = don't play · ● = press here.

Strumming Patterns Taught

Pattern 1 — Down-only (Weeks 1–3)
↓
·
↓
·
↓
·
↓
·
1&2&3&4&
Pattern 2 — DDUUDU "Wonderwall" (Weeks 3–8)
↓
·
↓
↑
·
↑
↓
↑
1&2&3&4&

A-Shape Minor Pentatonic — Position 1

Introduced in Week 6. Box pattern rooted on the 5th fret (A minor pentatonic). Numbers on dots indicate suggested finger (1 = index, 3 = ring, 4 = pinky).

5678(9) EADGBe 1 4 1 3 1 3 1 3 1 4 1 4

Red dots = root notes (A). Black dots = scale tones. Finger numbers shown on each note.

Month 1 — "Get Sound Out of It"

Session 01
Holding the instrument & first sound
Wed · 45 min

Objective

Student can hold the guitar correctly, tune it, name all six strings, and play two open chords cleanly (Em, E).

Warm-up (5 min)

  • Parts of the guitar — head, neck, body, bridge, soundhole
  • Sitting posture & how to hold a pick

Technique & Theory (20 min)

  • String names (E-A-D-G-B-E) — mnemonic "Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie"
  • Tuning with a clip-on tuner
  • Fret vs. string; how sound is made
  • Left-hand pressure — on fingertip, behind the fret

Application (15 min)

  • First chord: Em (2 fingers)
  • Second chord: E (add 3rd finger)
  • Strum once per chord, slow down-strum

Homework

  • Tune the guitar daily
  • Play Em and E — 5 minutes per chord, focus on clean notes
  • Write down the string names 5× in notebook
Session 02
First song — two chords, one groove
Sat · 60 min

Objective

Student plays along with a complete song using Em and a second chord at steady tempo.

Review (10 min)

  • Tuning check, posture reset
  • Em clean-check, E clean-check

New Content (20 min)

  • Strumming Pattern 1 — Down-only, 4 per bar
  • Using a metronome at 60 bpm
  • Counting "1 2 3 4" out loud while strumming

Song Application (25 min)

  • "Horse with No Name" (Em / D6add9 — simplified as Em / Dsus2)
  • OR "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" (G / D / Am / C — simplified Em version)
  • Play along with YouTube backing track at original tempo

Homework

  • Play the chosen song 3× per day
  • Clap the pulse ("1 2 3 4") to any song they like
Session 03
Adding D & G · One-Minute Changes
Wed · 45 min

Objective

Student knows 4 open chords and can switch between any two of them in under 2 seconds.

Technique & Theory (25 min)

  • Teach D — the triangle shape
  • Teach G — the spread shape
  • One-Minute Changes drill: count how many clean Em↔G changes in 60 seconds. Log it.
  • Repeat for G↔D, D↔Em, Em↔E

Application (15 min)

  • Chord progression: Em — G — D — G, 4 strums each
  • Slow, clean, metronome at 50 bpm

Homework

  • One-Minute Changes daily — log score in notebook
  • Target: 30+ changes per minute by next Saturday
Session 04
Four-chord song — full playthrough
Sat · 60 min

Objective

Student plays a recognisable four-chord pop song from start to finish in time.

Review (15 min)

  • One-Minute Changes — all pairs
  • Check HW log

New Content (15 min)

  • The "Axis of Awesome" four-chord progression: G – D – Em – C
  • Concept: one strum pattern, loop forever, songs layer on top

Song Application (30 min)

  • "Let It Be" — simplified (G D Em C)
  • Alternate option: "Zombie" by The Cranberries (Em C G D — but they're the same 4 chords)
  • Play full song along with track at slowed-down speed

Homework

  • Record a 30-second phone video of the song, send to teacher
Session 05
C, Am, Dm · completing the open-chord family
Wed · 45 min

Objective

Student knows the full 8 open chords. Focuses on fixing buzzy or muted notes.

Technique & Theory (25 min)

  • Teach C — hardest so far, careful fingering
  • Teach Am — almost same shape as E
  • Teach Dm
  • Concept: major vs minor — the 3rd. Demonstrate Em vs E.

Application (15 min)

  • Diagnostic: play each chord one at a time, listen for clean strings
  • Fix common errors (thumb position for C, pinky curl for G)

Homework

  • "Clean chord tour" — play each of the 8 chords once, every string ringing, daily
  • One-Minute Changes: C↔G, C↔Am
Session 06
DDUUDU — the pattern that unlocks every song
Sat · 60 min

Objective

Student can strum DDUUDU continuously on one chord without pausing.

Review (10 min)

  • 8 clean chords check
  • 4-chord song from Session 4

New Content (25 min)

  • Strumming Pattern 2 — D D U U D U
  • Count: "1 — 2 & — & 4 &"
  • Practise on one chord (Em) until locked in, then rotate chords
  • Common error: stopping the hand on "and of 2" — keep the wrist moving, just miss the strings

Song Application (25 min)

  • "Wonderwall" intro section — Em7, G, Dsus4, A7sus4 (teach simplified Em, G, D, A versions)
  • OR "I'm Yours" — Jason Mraz (G, D, Em, C)

Homework

  • DDUUDU on each of the 8 chords, 1 minute each
  • Daily play-through of the new song
Session 07
Reading TAB · single notes · alternate picking
Wed · 45 min

Objective

Student reads 4-bar TAB cold and plays a single-string melody using alternate picking.

Technique & Theory (25 min)

  • TAB — 6 lines = 6 strings (top line = high e), numbers = fret
  • Notes on low E string (0=E, 1=F, 3=G, 5=A, 7=B, 8=C, 10=D, 12=E)
  • Alternate picking: down-up-down-up, never two downs in a row

Application (15 min)

  • Read and play 4 bars of TAB on the low E string
  • Exercise: chromatic 1-2-3-4 on each string, alternate picked

Homework

  • Chromatic exercise on every string, 60 bpm, 5 minutes
  • Name the notes on low E string from memory
Session 08
First riff · Month 1 milestone
Sat · 60 min

Objective

Student plays a famous rock riff to tempo. Month 1 skills assessed.

Review & Assess (20 min)

  • Play all 8 chords in sequence, clean
  • DDUUDU on any chord named
  • Read a new 4-bar TAB unseen

New Content (20 min)

  • Teach "Smoke on the Water" riff — low E string
  • OR "Seven Nation Army" — low E string (easier)

Application & Record (20 min)

  • Play riff with backing track
  • Phone recording — Month 1 milestone video

Homework

  • Riff to tempo, 5 min/day
  • Choose a song for Month 2 from the approved song list

Month 2 — "Play Like a Musician"

Session 09
Palm muting & dynamics
Wed · 45 min

Objective

Student can switch between muted and open strumming on cue within a groove.

Technique & Theory (25 min)

  • Palm muting — edge of right-hand palm rests lightly on the bridge
  • Dynamics: soft / medium / loud strumming
  • 16th-note feel introduction — count "1 e & a 2 e & a"

Application (15 min)

  • Muted verse, open chorus — on any 4-chord progression
  • Exercise: 4 muted + 4 open, repeat

Homework

  • Muted / open alternation daily, 5 min
Session 10
Song with muting — full arrangement
Sat · 60 min

Objective

Student plays a song with two distinct dynamic sections from start to finish.

Review (10 min)

  • Palm muting on/off

New Content (20 min)

  • "Zombie" — The Cranberries (Em C G D · muted verse, open chorus)
  • OR "Wonderwall" — Oasis (full song arrangement)

Application (30 min)

  • Play full song with backing track
  • Focus on transitioning from muted to open on time

Homework

  • Daily full playthrough, phone-record once at week's end
Session 11
A-minor pentatonic — position 1
Wed · 45 min

Objective

Student plays A-minor pentatonic up and down at 60 bpm with alternate picking.

Technique & Theory (25 min)

  • The pentatonic box shape — 5 notes, 2 per string
  • Fingering: 1-4 on E, 1-3 on A/D/G, 1-4 on B/e
  • Notes on A string (0=A, 2=B, 3=C, 5=D, 7=E, 8=F, 10=G, 12=A)

Application (15 min)

  • Ascending & descending, metronome 60 bpm
  • Say the note names out loud while playing

Homework

  • Scale to metronome, 5 min/day
  • Aim for 80 bpm by next session
Session 12
First improvisation · blues in Am
Sat · 60 min

Objective

Student improvises 8 bars over an Am blues backing track without stopping.

New Content (20 min)

  • 12-bar blues concept — Am / Dm / Am / E7 / Am structure (simplified)
  • Improvisation rules: stay in the box, play fewer notes than you think, rest is music
  • 3 "licks" to use as vocabulary

Application (40 min)

  • YouTube search: "A minor blues backing track slow 60 bpm"
  • Teacher plays 4 bars, student copies 4 bars
  • Student solos 8 bars while teacher claps time

Homework

  • Improvise 5 min/day over the backing track
  • Record best take at week's end
Session 13
Fingerpicking basics — PIMA pattern
Wed · 45 min

Objective

Student can fingerpick a smooth PIMA pattern on any open chord.

Technique & Theory (25 min)

  • Right-hand finger names: P (thumb), I (index), M (middle), A (ring)
  • Thumb plays bass strings (E, A, D) · fingers play G, B, e respectively
  • Basic pattern: P — I — M — A — M — I — P · rest

Application (15 min)

  • Pattern on Em, then Am, then C, then G
  • Very slow — accuracy before speed

Homework

  • PIMA on one chord for 10 minutes/day
Session 14
Fingerpicked song
Sat · 60 min

Objective

Student plays a 16-bar fingerpicked song section.

Review (10 min)

  • PIMA pattern on 4 chords

New Content (20 min)

  • "Nothing Else Matters" — Metallica (intro, simplified)
  • OR "Dust in the Wind" — Kansas (basic Travis-style pattern)
  • OR "Tears in Heaven" — Clapton (intro)

Application (30 min)

  • Learn first 16 bars slowly
  • Play-through attempts, focus on clean notes

Homework

  • Slow playthrough, 10 min/day
Session 15
Gap-fill & sight-read
Wed · 45 min

Objective

Address weakest areas. Confirm student can sight-read unseen TAB at Grade 1 level.

Diagnostic (20 min)

  • Full chord check (8 chords)
  • Both strum patterns, on cue
  • Pentatonic up/down to metronome
  • Unseen 4-bar TAB sight-read
  • PIMA on any chord

Targeted Work (25 min)

  • Identify 2 weakest items from diagnostic
  • Spend remaining time drilling only those

Homework

  • Prepare 3 songs for Session 16 recital:
    1 strummed, 1 muted, 1 fingerpicked
Session 16
Mini recital & Grade-1 readiness decision
Sat · 75 min

Objective

Student performs 3 prepared songs on video. Teacher decides: advance to Grade 1 track, or book a Month 3 consolidation.

Recital (40 min)

  • Song 1 — strummed with DDUUDU
  • Song 2 — with muting dynamics
  • Song 3 — fingerpicked
  • Bonus: 8-bar Am blues improvisation
  • Record each on phone

Review & Next Steps (35 min)

  • Review recital videos together
  • Celebrate the 8-week journey
  • Teacher's written assessment: ready / needs consolidation
  • If ready: introduce the Trinity Grade 1 syllabus, pick an exam window
  • If not: Month 3 plan — what to consolidate & for how long

Appendix A — Approved Song List

All songs below fit the 8-chord open-chord toolkit. Teacher assigns based on student taste.

Strummed Songs (Pattern 1 or DDUUDU)

  • "Horse with No Name" — America
  • "Knockin' on Heaven's Door" — Bob Dylan
  • "Let It Be" — The Beatles
  • "I'm Yours" — Jason Mraz
  • "Wonderwall" — Oasis
  • "Zombie" — The Cranberries
  • "Wagon Wheel" — Old Crow Medicine Show
  • "Stand by Me" — Ben E. King (with capo)
  • "Tum Hi Ho" — simplified (Arijit Singh)
  • "Pehla Nasha" — simplified (Udit Narayan)

Riffs & Fingerpicked

  • "Smoke on the Water" — Deep Purple
  • "Seven Nation Army" — White Stripes
  • "Come As You Are" — Nirvana (intro)
  • "Sweet Child O' Mine" — intro (reach)
  • "Nothing Else Matters" — Metallica (intro)
  • "Dust in the Wind" — Kansas
  • "Tears in Heaven" — Eric Clapton (intro)
  • "Blackbird" — The Beatles (stretch)

Appendix B — Weekly Practice Log Template

Student ticks one box per day. 5+ ticks = on track. Bring the log to every Wednesday session.

Task MonTueWed ThuFriSatSun
Tune & warm-up
Chord clean-check
One-Minute Changes
Current song practice
Free play / fun time

Appendix C — Teacher's Assessment Rubric (Session 16)

SkillReady for Grade 1Needs Month 3
Open chords (8)All 8 clean, every string ringing2+ chords still buzzy
Chord changes30+ clean changes/min on 3 common pairsUnder 20 on any pair
StrummingDDUUDU without stoppingHand stops between strums
TAB readingReads unseen 4-bar TAB at tempoSlows or stops mid-read
PentatonicUp/down clean at 80 bpmUnder 60 bpm or errors
Song performance3 songs, one full playthrough eachRestarts or drops more than once
Practice consistency5+ days/week on logUnder 4 days/week

Decision rule: 6 of 7 "Ready" → advance to Grade 1 track. Otherwise book Month 3 and reassess.

Foundation Curriculum · 8 weeks · 16 sessions
v1.0 — Delhi Offline Program