Your First Song
1Lines 1 and 2
Done ✓
Teaching tip for grown-ups
Say: “The second line starts with blue circles. Get your finger ready before we get there!”
Watch for: Being late to the blue circle. Put the finger on the blue fret a beat early.
Now add the words
Tabs can have words, too! The song’s words go above the lines, and each circle sits under a bold word. That’s when you play. Sing the words, and strum on the bold ones.
These are the same two lines you played at the end of Level 2. Now you get to sing them!
2Lines 3 and 4
Done ✓
Teaching tip for grown-ups
Say: “Line 3 is just like line 1! Line 4 is like line 2, but it ends with ‘All through the town!’”
Watch for: Stopping after a miss. Keep going: the band doesn’t stop, and neither do we!
3The Whole Song
Done ✓
Teaching tip for grown-ups
Say: “Now all four lines, start to finish. Missing a few is okay. Just keep playing!”
Watch for: Frustration. If it isn’t working, go back to two lines, or try again tomorrow.
4Play It for Gerry
Done ✓
Teaching tip for grown-ups
An audience: Playing for someone, even a pretend someone, builds confidence. Invite a grandparent, a sibling, or a stuffed animal to listen to your song.
Praise your player: When the song ends, tell your child what they did well. Maybe they held the banjo nicely, they strummed along, maybe they even fretted the blue chord. Find something good to tell them about what they did.
Be proud: Learning an instrument is hard, and just showing up is wonderful enough for the lesson.
Level 3 complete! 🎉
Gerry loved it! You played The Wheels on the Bus all by yourself, straight from the tab. You’re a banjo player! Gerry has another request: pick a song together from our tablature library, print the tab, sit down side by side, and play.
Go to the Tablature Library →