Theory
Yesterday you bounced one chord with R–5–8. But a song doesn't stay on one chord — you have to move the root to a new spot every time the chord changes and navigate, and then it becomes a real song. Today's progression is E–C–G–D, four chords cycling one per bar. Even if the four chords sound different, your job is always the same — fretting each chord's root exactly.
Memorize the four roots' spots. E is the open 4th string, C is the 3rd string, 3rd fret, G is the 4th string, 3rd fret, and D is the 3rd string, 5th fret. This progression is actually the same progression as the beginner electric graduation song — when your guitar-playing friend holds the chords, you back them with the roots and you're jamming right away.
Today's real goal is not stopping. If your hand hesitates at the bar boundary, the song cuts off. The trick is to prepare the next root one beat ahead — while you play this bar's last note, your eyes and hand already head to the next spot. Even if you slip, don't stop and flow into the next bar — that's the whole of today. Even if you slip in one bar, the next bar's first beat is always a chance to start fresh.
Today too, the fingering is identical on a 4- or 5-string. On a 5-string, keep the low B (5th string) asleep with your thumb. Four weeks ago one open string was everything, and today your hand navigates four spots — go slow, and build the unbroken flow first. Once the four spots are in your hand, this hand can follow any song by its roots.
See it
Today you look at two examples of navigating the four chords by root. First you learn the four spots slowly in whole notes, one per chord, then you roll it in quarter notes to carve an unbroken flow into your hand. Each example is laid out in both a 4-string and a 5-string version.
Example 1 — root navigation (slow). E→C→G→D, one per bar, long in whole notes. While a note rings, your hand finds the next spot in advance. Land on the final green D.
▶ BPM 75, 4-string. Four blue roots, one per bar. E(4th)→C(3rd)→G(4th)→D(3rd), landing on the final green D.
▶ BPM 75, 5-string. The fingering is identical to the 4-string. Cover the low B with your thumb to keep it asleep.
Example 2 — navigating in quarters (today's finished piece). Now each root four times in quarter notes. At the bar boundary, cross to the next root without pushing the beat.
▶ BPM 80, 4-string. Each chord's root four times. At the bar's last note, prepare the next string in advance so it never breaks.
▶ BPM 80, 5-string. The notes and positions are identical to the 4-string. Keep the low B asleep throughout.
Today's practice
0–7 min · Warm-up Roll yesterday's R–5–8 again at BPM 60. Warm your hand while checking whether the octave box is clean.
7–17 min · Today's skill Repeat Example 1 (root navigation) at BPM 75. Watch whether your hand moves exactly to the four spots and whether the one-beat-ahead prep works.
17–27 min · Applying it (today's finished piece) Play Example 2 (quarter navigation) 4 times at BPM 75 → when it doesn't break at the boundaries, raise it to BPM 80 for 4 more. Learn it on the 4-string, then confirm the same feel on the 5-string.
27–30 min · Check Write down the BPM you reached, and record 30 seconds to hear whether you passed the four chords without stopping.
Done when: you can pass the four-chord progression E–C–G–D by root, without stopping at the bar boundaries, unbroken at 75–80 on both a 4- and 5-string.
- Beat lag at the change. If the next chord's first note is late, the flow cuts off. Fret the next string and fret in advance at this bar's last note.
- You stop when you slip. Halt over one wrong note and the song dies. Let the wrong note go and keep going to the next root.
- You confuse G and C. Both are at fret 3, only the string differs — G is the 4th string, C is the 3rd. Build the habit of telling them apart by string number.
- Getting careless with the low B (5-string). Keep the B covered with your thumb the whole way as you move spots. Focus on navigating and drop the B, and the low end leaks.