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Sawyer O’Neil
Past Notes
October 28th, 2024
It was fun teaching Sawyer, I'll miss seeing her every week.
Today at the last lesson we stared with Dear Future Husband, and then added No Excuses by Meghan Trainor.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7KPiawVym4
October 21st, 2024
In Sawyer's lesson we learned a lot of pretty easy songs today. There were, in order:
Megan Moroney, I Know You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBZatCKv9Js
Megan Moroney, Mama I Lied (which we ended up skipping because it was a bit hard for her)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sA4CL_WtP0w
Meghan Trainor, All About That Bass
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6w_4k62uHc
Meghan Trainor, Lips Are Movin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNR_Az50l3E
We started Dear Future Husband, but ran out of time before finishing it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0V6UhSMm5k
October 7th, 2024
We started out reviewing Didn't I at a couple of speeds, and then went back to the song we abandoned last week, "Hell Is a Dance Floor." After that, we reviewed Austin again. Good job today!
September 30th, 2024
We played through Am I Okay, by Dasha, at 75% and then 100% speed. Some of Sawyer's chords are not pressed down quite hard enough to sound, but I kept encouraging her to try.
We then started to add Hell Is a Dance Floor (key of A), but she changed her mind, and we did Didn't I instead,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1C9RiF2w-U
September 23rd, 2024
Sawyer seemed tired today... a big weekend!
She didn't want to refine Cinderella Snapped anymore today, but wanted to add Am I Okay? by Megan Moroney:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZymiLp8fweE
It's a bit challenging because it has an F#m7 in it, and Sawyer doesn't want to use the regular fingering for it, and then when it comes time to change to the E chord, that makes it even harder for her to get to. We worked for a while on just the transitions to that fingering, and then played through the song at 75% speed.
September 16th, 2024
Sawyer was only here for the first 20 minutes because of hockey. We went through Cinderella Snapped and added the intro part with the first verse... but didn't do it all. We'll continue next week.
September 9th, 2024
Sawyer jumped right in with a review of You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift. We then added a new song, called Cinderella Snapped by Jax:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHBxLx2FouY
June 27th, 2024
Twenty One Pilots, Heathens
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zZUttFHwy10
Adele, Hello
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=be12BC5pQLE
Lizzo, Good as Hell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WmgQekz4RQ
June 20th, 2024
We added a new song right off the bat, by Chainsmokers called Closer. It's got a challenging syncopation to it, so we went over it quite a bit to help her get the hang of it.
We then added Bones by Imagine Dragons.
We then added Easy On Me by Adele.
June 13th, 2024
Today we started with Trouble, and then worked our way through some past songs. We did
Welcome to New York
Bad Blood
Shake It Off
You Belong With Me
June 6th, 2024
We added Trouble by Taylor Swift, and played it on the 11th fret in G, because Sawyer balks at some of the chords she hasn't learned yet. It might make more sense to play this in E with the capo on the 2nd fret, or even D with the capo on the 4th fret. She needs to practice the B minor chord for certain. The F chord is also one I recommend she focus on.
May 30th, 2024
In Sawyer's lesson we reviewed Power by Little Mix, and she did really really well on it!
Then we added Meghan Trainor, Lips Are Movin
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDc_5zpBj7s
and /I think/ we added Taylor Swift, I'm Only Me When I'm With You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lt5VIJGWSN0&list=RDMM
May 23rd, 2024
Sawyer was ready to learn a new song - we skirted around a bit, and settled on Little Mix, Power: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbW82T3dChE
May 16th, 2024
We looked at Me Too by Meghan Trainor again, but Sawyer wasn't that interested in learning the guitar part for that, so we added a new song. We tried 5 Seconds of Summer, Youngblood:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwhrqd3UaKo
She did fairly well on it, but often got lost. We weren't sure whether that was from not counting correctly, or having struggle getting to some chords. I think when chords change in the middle of the bar, that is harder for Sawyer to grasp than when they change at the beginning of every bar.
May 9th, 2024
Sawyer said she didn't practise again this week.
She played through Good 4 U, and then we added Carly Rae Jepsen, Call Me Maybe, and started Meghan Trainor, Me Too before running out of time.
May 2nd, 2024
Sawyer came back today!
We returned to working on Honey I'm Good and then added Olivia Rodrigo, good 4 u:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=byfiQA8HRaE
April 25th, 2024
Sawyer hurt her hand so Sadie-Lou took her spot today.
April 18th, 2024
Sawyer hurt her hand so Sadie-Lou took her spot today.
April 11th, 2024
Sawyer was away, but Sadie Lou took her spot.
April 4th, 2024
Jessie J, Bang Bang featuring Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HU129T9tJM
Andy Grammer, Honey, I'm Good
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaF4HSL9xak
March 28th, 2024
I didn't take notes right away with Sawyer so couldn't remember what we were doing. We did go through Made You Look again, but don't remember whether we added another song. Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift is the next one in my browser history, but her sister was doing that.
Here's the link to that song, just in case:
Taylor Swift, Cruel Summer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JLJcHbYSlB8
March 21st, 2024
Sawyer played through the chords of Kings and Queens, but wanted to Change the song because it's too hard. It does change quite quickly.
We then added Meghan Trainor, Made You look
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHTRpQi1GSc
I've noticed Sawyer balking a bit because songs are getting harder, and I'd like to encourage you to remind her to practise and push herself. That's the key to doing well, putting time in working on things that are difficult.
March 14th, 2024
Instead of reviewing this week's songs, we went straight to a new one, Charlie Puth, Left and Right.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Otkibvs-aAs
Sawyer picked it up quite quickly, so we had a few minutes left to look at the start of the next song she wanted to learn, Ava Max, Kings and Queens:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3a9fT3gWJlE
March 7th, 2024
Sawyer found the Man too hard, but we went over Welcome to New York, and then added Taylor Swift, Is It Over Now?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2evBtswt-A
February 29th, 2024
We reviewed Blank Space, and then added two new songs, Welcome to New York and The Man, both by Taylor Swift.
February 15th, 2024
Sawyer added Taylor Swift, Blank Space:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHpcbSsPrRE
And then we also talked about finger picking and worked through some patterns for E minor, G, and A minor.
February 8th, 2024
Sawyer is doing well, we stopped working on 22 because she has it essentially down, but not perfect yet. She wasn't as much of a fan of that song, so we added Miley Cyrus, Flowers.
This required learning a new chord: D minor. We also reviewed an old new chord, F. We played it through at 70% speed.
February 1st, 2024
We wrote out the chords for 22 - it's got some tricky timing and changes, but Sawyer did really well by the end.
January 25th, 2024
Sawyer had an extra 10 minutes from her sister's lesson today.
We started with review, and then added Taylor Swift, Bad Blood:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXKEdnasDto
We had extra time, so added Taylor Swift, 22:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkk2A9sn0pM
We didn't have enough time to go through all of it, so we can continue next week.
January 18th, 2024
Sawyer played through Anti Hero for me - she's doing very well! After that we added a new song (which I didn't write down right away, oops!) -- I think it was You Belong With Me, by Taylor Swift:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xgf9XDT846M
January 11th, 2024
Sawyer was able to get the song up to 100% speed today, which is AMAZING! Imagine if she'd been practising!!! That would be so cool.
Next week we'll start a new song, but Sawyer, please practise this song more this week.
January 4th, 2024
Sawyer played through Ready For It, and we worked on some of the areas that were a bit rusty still. The bridge was really the only problem area, once she'd remembered the song and how it worked.
We then added a new song, Taylor Swift, Anti-Hero:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WXPVN8w5DQ
We put the capo on 2 to play it in D instead of E.
December 28th, 2023
Sawyer played through Ready For It this week. Not a lot of practising because of Christmas, so we're going to work on this song for another week.
December 21st, 2023
Sorry for going over your time today!
We went over Last Christmas, and worked on Jingle Bells Rock (which I did a wonderful job of messing you up on!)
Then we went to a new song by Taylor Swift, called Ready For It:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wQUXFnyqiI
We'll work more on it next week.
December 14th, 2023
Sawyer is doing very well. We went over Last Christmas, and then added Bobby Helms, Jingle Bell Rock
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqwk7uR1BI8
We didn't get to the second page, so we'll look at that next week.
December 7th, 2023
Sawyer did a great job on Rudolph, and then we added Last Christmas by Taylor Swift. The capo goes on the third fret.
The chords are D, Bm7, Em, and A.
Good job!
November 30th, 2023
Sawyer's in Florida
November 23rd, 2023
We continued playing through Rudolph. Sawyer said she had forgotten to practise it, and just had played Roar. I suspected she was fibbing, lol, but we still worked our way through it, and focused especially with strumming. She has a bit of a tendency to speed up, so we played along with a drum beat to help her stay constant.
November 16th, 2023
The girls are not able to come in today.
November 9th, 2023
We went over Dark Hours together. Great job on switching chords, Sawyer!
Then we added Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. We focused on the strumming (DOWN up DOWN up DOWN up DOWN up)
November 2nd, 2023
Sawyer was having some trouble with the F and C chords in Dark Horse, so we put a capo on 6, and I wrote it out in an easier key.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvkUVhZSjKU
I helped her with transitions between chords, timing her to get them swifter. She can do this as she practises on her own as well.
October 26th, 2023
We put the capo on 1 and played through Dark Horse by Katy Perry. I showed her how to play a G/A (g over a) and an F chord.
We slowed it down to 70% to make it easier to play along with.
I encouraged her strum from the wrist not the elbow.
October 12th, 2023
Sawyer and Sadie forgot their books today, so we spent the time just reviewing the chords and honing their switching abilities.
We went over Shake It Off a bit, and she is doing those chord changes nice and quickly. We then tried Party in the USA, which is tricky, but I think she's picking up the chords exceptionally considering she just started.
We also went over Dark Horse, trying to find the best place on the neck to do it without too many strange chords. I taught her E quickly, and A, but it's likely easier to move on if she has her book with her.
October 5th, 2023
First we reviewed Shake It Off and then we added Party in the USA.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBm6ji5mWlU
That was pretty easy, so afterwards we looked a bit at Katy Perry, Dark Horse, just to see if it would be one to learn in the future.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvkUVhZSjKU
September 28th, 2023
This week we reviewed the chords, played the made-up song, and then learned Taylor Swift's Shake It Off.
Next week, if she has a capo, maybe we'll do Miley Cyrus, Party in the USA. The capo isn't necessary, but it means we can play it in the same key as the recording.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBm6ji5mWlU
September 21st, 2023
Sawyer is doing very well on her chords. She was able to play the three chords we learned last week, and quite quickly. We added three more, A minor, C, and B minor.
We worked on switching between them quickly, and then wrote out a little made-up song for her to practise through.
Then we listened to Taylor Swift's song Shake It Off, which is in the key of G (the collection of chords we're learning first). It starts out like this:
Am / / / | Am / / / | G / / / | G / / / |
Am / / / | C / / / | G / / / | G / / / |
I didn't put it in her book because we ran out of time, but we can continue with it next week.
September 14th, 2023
This was Sawyer and Sadie-Lou's first lesson. Sawyer took the later time slot today. She came with her grandpa, Mitch.
Like Sadie, we started with learning the names of the parts of the guitar, and I asked her to also redraw the guitar on a piece of paper, and use pencil crayons or crayons to colour it, and label all the parts to help her remember them.
We then learned three chords: E minor (Em), G major (G), and D major (D). We played through them a while, and the some races, moving her hand from her knee to the chord while I count seconds.
We also did a race in which she switches chords from one to another while I count seconds.
I asked her (and Sadie too) to make a list of songs she wants to learn in lessons.
September 7th, 2023
Sawyer and Sadie-Lou are starting next week.
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