Theory
Congratulations. Today is graduation day. Think back to day one, four weeks ago — even ringing one open string cleanly was a struggle. Yet now you've stacked power chords, given rhythm a face, joined verse to chorus, and even tasted the pentatonic. Today we gather all of it and finish one song, start to finish. Isn't it amazing that all of this came into your hands in just four weeks? The goal isn't to play well, it's to go all the way through without stopping.
Today's finished song is a chorus that turns on four chords — E5→C5→G5→D5. One chord per bar, ringing wide open with downstrokes. This four-chord loop is actually the backbone of countless famous songs. Tunes like 〈Smells Like Teen Spirit〉 and 〈Song 2〉 roll along on exactly this kind of progression. Memorize just the order the chords turn in, and your hands already know the rest. Carry the tabs onward with whatever song you love — today, this hand opens the door to those songs.
The final mission is recording. Record your finished song once, start to finish, and play today's you to the you of four weeks ago. It doesn't have to be perfect. If you went all the way through without stopping, that's already a fine graduation piece. Listen back a few months from now and you'll see how precious today's recording is. So — shall we leave one last song behind?
See it
Before the finished song, rehearse the four-chord changes slowly. Two beats per chord, settling the spots where the shape changes into your hand.
▶ BPM 80. The four chords (E5→C5→G5→D5), two beats each. Settle the spots where the shape changes slowly into your hand, and land on the green D5.
Now this month's finished song. One chord per bar, a chorus ringing wide open with downstrokes, start to finish.
▶ BPM 100, wide open with downstrokes. One chord per bar (E5→C5→G5→D5), ringing four times each. Drive the verse palm-muted, then lift the palm on this chorus to ring wide open, and the song feels like it "bursts." A progression you never tire of, no matter how long you loop it.
Today's practice
0–7 min · Warm-up At BPM 80, grip and release last three weeks' power-chord shapes (E5·C5·G5·D5) one by one to warm up your hands.
7–17 min · Today's skill Repeat the change prep at BPM 80. Check the shapes connect smoothly, without stopping, at the spots where the four chords change.
17–27 min · Applying it (this month's finished song) Run the chorus loop start to finish at BPM 90 → once there's no break, raise it one step to the target BPM 100. Four bars in one flow, wide open with downstrokes.
27–30 min · Check Record the whole finished song once at the target BPM. As if playing it to yourself on day one, four weeks ago.
Done when: you can play the power-chord song (the E5–C5–G5–D5 chorus) start to finish without stopping and record it. (1-month graduation piece!)
- Beat lag at the chord changes. Hesitate as the bar changes and the song breaks. Settle the changing spots into your hand in advance with the change prep.
- Chasing perfection first. Today the goal isn't a flawless take. Going all the way through without stopping is already a graduation piece.
- Skipping the recording. Recording isn't embarrassing, it's proof of growth. Leave just one behind and it becomes a big gift later.
- Wobbly downstrokes. Push the whole chorus with downstrokes so the sound stays solid. If your arm tires, you can drop the BPM a touch.
## Graduation — four weeks of growth, and the next journey
Looking back, you've gained a lot in four weeks. The table below lays out this track's target BPMs. Write the BPM you actually reached in the next column, and when the next track ends you'll get to measure your growth once more.
| Week | Finished piece | Target BPM | My BPM |
|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | First sound — open strings & alternate picking | 60 | |
| Week 2 | First riff — single-note riff | 80 | |
| Week 3 | First rock riff — palm-muted power-chord riff | 90 | |
| Week 4 | First song — power-chord chorus song | 100 |
Where to next? Today's finished song isn't the end, it's the start. Three paths await you.
- If the solo felt good → the Scale/Solo track. Truly master the pentatonic Box 1 you tasted today and complete your first solo.
- If the rhythm thrilled you → the Funk Rhythm track. Sharpen your picking-hand groove and build a rhythm that moves your body on its own.
- If you want to stack more chords → the Chord Building track. Accompany and comp songs with the real chords beyond power chords.
Whichever path, it starts from this hand today. Wonderful work over these four weeks — you are a person who plays guitar now.