Year 6 Music Lesson Plan: Introduction to Guitar

Subject: Music

Year Level: 6 (Ages 10-11)

Duration: 50 Minutes

Class Size: 6 Students

---

Learning Objectives

• Understand the layout of the guitar neck including string names and note placement.
• Learn how to read guitar tablature.
• Identify and play several basic open chords.

New Zealand Curriculum Alignment

This lesson aligns with The Arts in the New Zealand Curriculum. Specific focus is on Music – Sound Arts, aiming at levels 2-3, where students develop practical knowledge in music by exploring musical elements and instruments.

NZ Curriculum - The Arts

---

Resources Needed

• Acoustic guitars (one per student)
• Guitar picks (one per student)
• Handouts on guitar anatomy, tablature reading, and open chords
• Whiteboard and markers
• Projector or smartboard (optional for visual aid presentations)

Lesson Structure

Introduction (10 minutes)

1. Welcome and Learning Objectives Overview: Briefly discuss the plan for the lesson and the skills the students will be working on.
2. Exploring the Guitar: Each student gets a guitar. Begin by naming parts of the guitar – headstock, neck, frets, body, strings.

Lesson Development (30 minutes)

Part 1: Guitar Neck and Strings (10 minutes)

• Activity: Interactive whiteboard presentation showing the guitar neck, string names (E, A, D, G, B, e), and how notes are laid down on it.
• Students repeat string names and note placement out loud.
• Play a "note finding game" on the neck (Teacher calls out a note, students find and play it).

Part 2: Reading Guitar Tablature (10 minutes)

• Explanation and Handout: Give out sheets that explain tablature – the six lines representing the strings of the guitar, how numbers show frets.
• Practical Application: Display simple tablature on the board (e.g., open strings, simple melody) for students to try playing.

Part 3: Open Chords (10 minutes)

• Chord Sheets and Practice: Hand out diagrams for open chords (C, G, D, Em, Am).
• Demonstrate each chord, focusing on finger placement and strumming.
• Students practice forming and strumming each chord, assisted by teacher.

Conclusion (10 minutes)

Review and Reflection (5 minutes)

• Quick recap of what was learned: note locations, tablature, and chords.
• Ask students to identify one new thing they learned and one thing they found challenging.

Clean Up and Prepare to End Class (5 minutes)

• Organise the classroom, ensuring all guitars and picks are safely stored.
• End with encouragement for practicing the chords at home and a preview of the next lesson focusing more deeply on strumming patterns and song playing.

---

Assessment

• Observation of student engagement and ability to recall string names and note placements.
• Assessment of accuracy in reading tablature and playing the correct notes.
• Check correctness of finger placements and sound production when playing chords.

Links for Further Learning

• Introduction to Reading Guitar Tabs
• Guitar Chords for Beginners

As a teacher in New Zealand, enriching students with musical skills like guitar playing aids in broader educational development fulfilling specific artistic and creative elements of the national curriculum.