Half Notes

Lesson 2
Author : Chris Colby van Scyoc
Last Updated : April, 2024

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LEARN

HALF NOTES
Written Materials for This Lesson
Fretting Hand - Mute all strings
Strumming Hand - Strum all strings, Downstroke

You already know that Whole Notes get four beats. What's half of four? That's right! Two is half of four. So, whole notes are worth four beats. Half notes are worth two beats. Easy! Remember: each bar (measure) still has four beats. We continue to count bars of four. This means that we play the first half note of each measure on beat One and the second half note on beat Three. There are two half notes per measure.

Mute All Strings

• E (6th) string (Low) = mute
• A (5th) string = mute
• D (4th) string = mute
• G (3rd) string = mute
• B (2nd) string = mute
• E (1st) string (High) = mute

PLAY

Play #1

Play #2
Written: Ex. 1
Tempo - 72 BPM

Play #3 Written: Ex. 1

Play #4 Written: Ex. 1

Even faster... Play #5 Written: Ex. 1

Play #6 Written: Ex. 1

JAM!

JAM #1

JAM #2

Break Your Fall

JAM #3

These Thoughts Will Change My Mind

Review: What We Know!

• NEW: From this Lesson:
• Half Notes


• PREVIOUS:
• Whole Notes
• Downstroke
• Counting bars (measures) of four. Also known as 4/4 ("four, four time")
• Muting all the strings with the fretting hand
• Playing on beat one of every measure (the first beat of each measure)
• Playing in time
• Now: Let's build upon this! Fantastic!

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