Week 4 · 12 min
Join the opening four bars
By the end, you can join four bars of Recuerdos at 100 BPM with four strokes per click.
Before this lesson
Lesson steps
1 Isolate the join
Join bars 2 and 3 without interrupting the thumb.
3 min · 84 bpm · 4 notes per click
Check for · 2 bars at 92 BPM — the return to fret 5 comes just after the new bass.
More detail
The melody moves from fret 3 to fret 5. Open string 5 marks the start of bar 3.
2 Put the join back in context
Play all four bars in one go, following the melody.
3 min · 84 bpm · 4 notes per click
Check for · 4 bars at 92 BPM — all four attacks stay in place across the join.
More detail
If you hesitate at bar 3, practise the isolated join. Then replay all four bars.
3 Reach the practice tempo
Increase to 100 BPM once the join is smooth at 92.
3 min · 92 bpm · 4 notes per click
Revisit the tablature · Step 2
Check for · 4 bars at 100 BPM — you hear six four-stroke groups in each of the four bars.
More detail
With four attacks per click, 100 BPM here equals a quarter-note tempo of 50 in the original score.
4 Listen to your loop
Loop the four bars for twenty seconds using the microphone or your own ear.
3 min · 92 bpm · 4 notes per click
Revisit the tablature · Step 2
Check for · 20 seconds at 100 BPM — the attacks stay even and you can follow the tune through each repeat.
More detail
The microphone compares attacks. Listen to the tune as well. Three passes at the same tempo confirm that level. You can also mark it yourself.
You can move on when…
You pass when you loop all four bars for 20 seconds at 100 BPM with a continuous melody and no gap at the join.
If a movement feels difficult
There is a gap between i and p.
Slow down and space all four sounds evenly across the group boundary.
The tune breaks at a fret change.
Locate the new fret before the last i. Fret the note during the next bass attack.
The thumb covers the melody.
Repeat one bar with a lighter bass. Keep listening for all three upper notes.