Tags: guitar

Today’s rotation: Bar Chords (continuing the cycle after Saturday’s Performance Session; next will be Arpeggiation). You’re continuing with Phrase 2 + Phrase 4 (the sections you’ve already been working on). Session length ≈ 30 minutes.

Warm-up (10 minutes)

1. Finger / wrist stretches (2 min)
   Gentle finger spreads, wrist circles, and light forearm stretches. Keep everything pain-free.

2. Chromatic fretting warm-up (3 min)
   On any string, play 1-2-3-4 ascending and descending slowly and cleanly. Repeat across all six strings at a comfortable tempo. Focus on even pressure and relaxed fretting hand.

3. Simple bar-chord shape warm-up (5 min)
   Cycle these shapes slowly (no song yet):

   • Major 7 shapes (e.g., C∆7, F∆7)
     
   • Dominant 9 / 13 shapes (G9, B♭9)
     
   • Minor 7 and half-diminished shapes
     Hold each for 4 beats, release, and move. Aim for clean notes with minimal tension. Use a metronome at 60–70 bpm if helpful.

Main exercises – Bar Chords focus on Phrase 2 + Phrase 4 (≈15 minutes)

Work only these two phrases. Prioritize clean fretting, consistent bar pressure, and smooth transitions over speed.

Exercise 1: Isolated chord shapes (4 min)
Play each unique chord from the two phrases as a clean bar-chord voicing. Hold 4 beats, then release.
- Phrase 2: F∆7 → G9 → C∆7 → E♭7 → Dm11 → G9sus4 → G9 → C∆7 → C7
- Phrase 4: F∆7 → B♭7 → B♭9 → C∆7 → C♯ø → F∆7 → A♭ø → D♭∆13 → C6
Do 2 slow passes through the full list. Adjust voicings to ones that feel most natural on your guitar (movable shapes preferred).

Exercise 2: Phrase-level transitions (6 min)
- Phrase 2: Play the three bars continuously at a very slow tempo (≈50–60 bpm). Focus on the hand shifts between G9 → C∆7 → E♭7 and the G9sus4 → G9 change.
→ 4 repetitions.
- Phrase 4: Same approach. Pay special attention to B♭7 → B♭9, C♯ø → F∆7, and the final D♭∆13 → C6.
→ 4 repetitions.
Stop and correct any buzzing or incomplete bars immediately.

Exercise 3: Combined Phrase 2 → Phrase 4 (5 min)
String them together (as they appear in A2). Play the full sequence slowly and steadily.
→ 3–4 full passes. If a transition is messy, isolate that two-chord pair for a few extra reps before continuing.

Keep the volume moderate and the tone clean so you can clearly hear every note.

Cooldown (≈5 minutes)

• Slow, gentle chord holds: pick any 3–4 shapes from today’s phrases and hold each for 8–10 seconds with light pressure, then fully release.
  
• Wrist and finger stretches (same as warm-up).
  
• Optional: listen to a recording of “White Christmas” while your hands rest, or just sit quietly for a minute.

Notes
- Stay relaxed—if your fretting hand tightens, stop, shake it out, and resume slower.
- No need to hit a fast tempo today; clean bar chords and reliable transitions are the goal.
- Tomorrow (Arpeggiation day) you’ll use the same two phrases but break them into single-note patterns.