1

NOTES ON THE FIRST STRING

E

1. Our First Note - E

zzz zzz zzzz s

Play the open E string.

Open

{{{{ {{{ {{{{ x

2. Our Second Note - F

Play first finger on E string.

3. Playing E and F

zzzz {{{ zz{{ z{z

Copyright 2007 Children's Music Workshop, Los Angeles, Inc.

zz {{ zz z{z

4. A Funny Pair
0

z{z{ zz{ {{zz s

5. Skate Board Sam

^ ^ E E ^ E ^

6. Half Notes Happen

{{E {{E zz^ E

7. Catch that Note

8. Our Third Note - G

w
w
w
w
w
w
4

Play third finger on the E string.

w
w
w
w
{
{
{
{
z
z
z
z
zzzz

9. Couch Potato
0

w
w
w
{
{
{
{
z
z
z
z
^

10. Puppy Dogs

4
E
E ^ E ^ ^
^

11. Apple for the Teacher

w
w
{
{
{{ zz{{ ^ ^
z
z

12. Bad News Bears

z{4 w{^ z{w{ s

4
4
w
w
{
{
^
^
z
z
^

13. Bumper Cars

14. Notes Without Letters

0

NOTES ON THE SECOND STRING 5

B
C

The fingering for

these songs are the
same as the first three
in the book - but on the
second string instead
of the first.

15. Our Fourth Note - B

Play the open B string.

g g g
0

16. Our Fifth Note - C

Play first finger on the B string.

" " "

1

17. Playing B and C

gggg """ gg"" g"g

0

6
18. Crazy Boy (CB)

gg "" gg"" g"g

19. Forward March

g"g" gg" ""gg I

20. Cruisin' Along

- - P P - P -

21. Country Hoe Down

""P gg- ""- P

22. Our Sixth Note - D

yyyy yy.

Play third finger on the B string.

23. Second String Slide

gggg """" yyyy gggg

0

24. Three Dancers

yyy """ ggg g"-

25. Birthday Roses

8
26. Eagle March

gg"" yy"" gg"" - .

y
y
"
"
"
" ]
g
g

A "time signature" tells you how

many beats there are in each
measure of music.

27. Apples and Arrows

. - - . gy"" gy-

g"y" gyP gy"y ]

.
y
y
P
P
"
"
g
g

28. Technical Foul

w
w
4
E
^

y
y
.
P

w
w
{
z
^
^
y
y
"
g
29. It's a Ringer

yyyz {{{{ ww{z R

30. Kids Rule!

. yy ^ ^ {{E s
{{{w ^ z{ . zz R

31. Slip and Slide

10

Some of our songs now have chords indicated.

You can ignore this for now, and when you learn
your chords, re-visit the page and play again.

w
4
z
z
z
^
z

y
y
y
y
.
"

32. Mary Had a Little Lamb

C

G7

yyzy I

G7

Forte
Play with a full volume.

Piano
Play with a soft volume.

33. Loud and Soft

- - ^ ^ g"yz . .

y"gy P P

11

34. Jingle Bells

C
zz^ zz^

zw"y s

{{{{ {zzz zyyz . 4

D7

G7

{{{{ {zzz ww{y I

G7

12

35. Dreydel, Dreydel

wzwz w^ z ww{z . .

{y{y {. y w{zy I

G7

G7

4
E
z
z
z
z

y
y
y
y
"
"
gg

36. Skip to My Lou

C

G7

G7

zP y z{. y- " yzP

37. Shoo Fly, Don't Bother Me

C

G7

G7

13

14

{ { { z z z y y y "
y y y z z { { { E

38. Electric Eighths

39. Cabbage Song

zzzz{ { zzzzy y

z z z z { { { { z z y y " "

G7

G7

G7

G7

15
40. Write in the note names then play the selection.

Second string notes

First string notes

For the next song, allow each note to sound as long

as possible. This technique is called legato.
Play smoothly and look ahead to the next note as you play.

{
^
z
z
y
y^
P "" gP

41. Crusader's Hymn

zzw{ ^ w{ ^ .

16

NOTES ON THE THIRD STRING

Play the open G string.

Play first finger on the G string.

42. Playing Open G - Our Seventh Note

w w w w
0

43. Playing A - Our Eighth Note

, ,
1

44. Playing G and A

w4 w !, !

17
45. Aura Lee

(aka Love Me Tender by Elvis Presley)

y
.
"
"
"
I
g
g
g
!
!
w
C

D7

zz^

D7

zz^

C (E7)

G7

G7

zy"y s

C (Am)

C (E7)

zz{z y!y" "gzy I

D7

G7

18
Notes that come before the first
full measure of a piece of music.

46. Snake Charmer

! g P

! g

{
z
z
z
z
y
"
"
"
g
,

z y g " y y y z y " ! g

"

! g

,
g

"

A "tie" is a curved line that connets

two or more notes of the same pitch.
Hold the note for te combined value
of the notes.

19

47. When the Saints Go Marchin' In

R
"
g
w

Oh,

when

y w g y

in

the

saints,

march

y w g " .
Oh,

when

the

- ing

saints

go

g !
C
G
G
y
y
.
P
4 4
G
P
.
"
g

G
D7
,
,
t
w

go

march

ing

want

in,

to

be

when

march

D7

ing

the

in

that

saints

in.

Oh,

num

ber,

go

20

LEARNING ABOUT CHORDS

A chord is made up of more than one note.
On the guitar, we play more than one string at at time.
Our first chord uses three strings - G, B and E.

E minor (Em)
The circles (o) mean to play the open strings.

To play the E minor chord,

simply play the open first,
second, and third strings.
G B E

The basic strum is a downstroke (

) on each beat of every measure.

Em

Romanza has a

time signature.

21

There will be three equal strums

(called "beats") per measure.

Strums the chords softly and evenly while your

teacher plays the melody.
Then try the melody while your teacher
plays the chords.

Em

z
g g g g ! w w g

48. Romanza

GBE

Em

z g z z z z y "

z z ^
g ! g g g

Em

Em

22

To play the G major chord, use your third

finger to press the first string down at the
third fret. The second and third strings are
played open.

GBG

Songs in

Use a down stroke to strum the first three

strings.

time will often get two equal strums (beats) per measure.

To produce a clear sound, use the fingertip to press the string down
just behind the third fret. If the sound is not clear, add a little more
pressure with your third finger.

.
G
"

g
g
g
!
!

w w w

49. Row, Row, Row Your Boat

w
w w y y y g g g

w w w
G

y
G

" g

 The song below uses both the G and E minor chords.

23

Count aloud as you strum evenly.

Change chords when the chord names changes.
Your teacher will play the melody
When you change from G to Em, lift the tip of your third finger
off the string just enough to allow the open strings to sound
clearly. Your finger will then be in position to play the G chord
again without pausing.
Em

z zz y z
w w w w g
50. Rockin' with Chords
G
Em

Em

^
y
y
"
g
g ! w !

g
G

w w w w

z zz y z

Em

w
w
w
4

z
y

4
G

24

G7
To play the G seventh chord, use your
first finger to press the first string down
at the first fret.
The second and third strings are played
open.s

respresents a whole note strum.

GBF

The symbol

Strum the chord one time only, holding it for four beats.

z { z { z

y
y
y
y
y
y
y
g
g
ww
51. The Same Chord Blues
G7

w w y y g y z y
G7

= one beat
= four beats.

Count aloud as you strum the song.

1-2-3-4

25
When playing the C chord, the first
finger must not touch the first or
third strings. These strings should
sound clearly.
Try singing the words to the song
as you strum the chords.

GCE

y
"
"

52. Are You Sleeping?

C

4
{
z
Are

you sleep - ing?

z
y
"
"

4
{
z

you sleep - ing?

Are

w { z " w { z "
w !
w !

Broth

er

John,

Broth

er

John,

"
P

"
P

Morn ing bells are ring - ing, Morn - ing bells are ring - ing,

Ding, dong, ding!

Ding, dong, ding!

G7

26
53. Mary Ann
C

^ 4

day

All

z yE

P ^
all

{{ - .
.

by the

Mary - Ann

night,

y "P

G7

down

sea - shore

sift - ing sand.

Can you strum every other beat (2 and 4) in Mary Ann to play
a Caribbean rhythm?

54. London Bridge

C { 4
G7
w
4
{
{
E
z
z
z

y
w !
C

Lon don bridge is

fall ing down,

fall

- ing

down,

fall ing down.

w { z { 4 G7. 4 Cz P
w !
C

Lon

- don

bridge is

fall

- ing

down,

my

fair

la

dy.

27

Open D

D7
Keep the third finger
on the first string when
changing from G to D7
and from D7 to G.
This is called using a
guide finger.

D A C F#
The D7 chord uses four strings.

55. Hush Little Baby

G
y

g g g " g ! ! ,
D7

Hush,

lit

- tle

ba

by

don't

say

a word:

g ! w 4
!
!
!
!
y- y G

D7
G

G
D7
G

Pa pa's gon na buy

If

that

mock

Pa pa's gon

- na

you a

ing

buy you a

mock

bird

dia

ing

don't

- mond

bird.

sing,

ring.

28
Go back to the sign and
play until "Fine".

The "sign"

56. Ode to Joy

w
{
z
z

z
y
"
"

D7

w { z y

z y .

C G C

Fine

C
G
{
z
z
z "
y
y
y
"

G
C
D7
G
z { z y " y
y

4
G

D.S. al Fine

When changing from C to D7, leave your first finger

in position on the second string, first fret.
C
This technique is called common finger.

29
D7

Remember to use the two techniques

you have learned: common fingers and
guide fingers.
When changing from C to D7, use a

finger.

When changing from D7 to G, use a

finger.

57. John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt

! w

John

D7
"
his

Ja

cob

is

my

y-

Jin

" " y !

name

D7

" " " P

gle

- hei - mer Schmidt,

name

too.

When

"
"
"
"
"
g
g
g
g
g
y
w z
ev

- er

D7
y
John

we go out,

the

peo ple al ways shout there goes

G
z
y y"g! w
4
y
- - -

Ja cob Jin

gle

hei mer Schmidt!

30

Low E
A dotted quarter note gets one
and one half counts.

CHORD REVIEW CHART

C
D7
G
Em
G7

58. Amazing Grace

gw -

4
y-

maz

ing

! 4

G7

Grace!

gw -

How

.
!
sweet

the

. y 4
. g y g y g

4
w
^
z

g w
.
4
y

! 4
4
G

sound,

That

Em

saved

wretch

like

G7

once

was

lost,

me!

but

now

Em

found;

Was

D7

now

D7

blind,

see.

but

am