Practice Routine & Songs

This lesson compiles everything from Level 4 into a structured practice routine and a focused set of song recommendations. The emphasis at this level is on refining details — rhythm accuracy, dynamic control, power chord speed, and fretboard navigation in new keys. The recommended songs are chosen specifically to test these skills in real musical contexts, spanning AC/DC's rhythm mastery through Hendrix's lead vocabulary to modern alternative rock.

What you will learn:

• A 40-minute practice routine covering warm-up, rhythm, power chords, and scales

• How to alternate focus areas within your practice sessions

• Key Malcolm Young songs for rhythm guitar mastery

• Hendrix songs for the pentatonic superhighway

• Modern rock and indie song recommendations for power chords and F♯ riffs

A 40-minute practice routine covering warm-up, rhythm, power chords, and scales The routine starts with five minutes of warm-up: X's up the fretboard followed by any two-finger hammer on and flick off combinations from earlier levels (three-finger combinations come at the next level). Then ten minutes on rhythm practice — either the tresillo pattern or the AC/DC style dynamics, depending on which is your weaker area. Ten minutes on fast power chord changes using the jam tracks and push-up method. And finally, scale practice with the minor pentatonic superhighway, focusing on the connected three-octave run from open position to the 12th fret.

How to alternate focus areas within your practice sessions Not every session needs to cover everything equally. If your rhythm is solid but your power chord speed is lagging, spend more time on chord changes and less on rhythm that day. The routine is a framework, not a rigid schedule. The important thing is that over the course of a week, you're touching all the key areas. Alternating focus keeps practice from becoming stale and ensures you're always working on your weakest point rather than reinforcing what's already comfortable.

Key Malcolm Young songs for rhythm guitar mastery Malcolm Young is the gold standard for rock rhythm guitar, and his playing is the primary model at this level. Recommended songs include Long Way to the Top, High Voltage, Whole Lotta Rosie, Let There Be Rock, and Jailbreak. These all work on the same core skills: dynamic picking, the mixolydian-flavoured rhythm sound, palm muting control, and the ability to make simple chord progressions sound powerful through right-hand technique alone. If it's not sounding right, the details need refining — and that's exactly the work of Grade 4.

Hendrix songs for the pentatonic superhighway Purple Haze and Voodoo Child are the two essential Hendrix songs for this level, both of which traverse the E minor pentatonic superhighway across three octaves. Getting even the main riff sections of these songs clean and in time will prove that your superhighway navigation is genuinely functional. The three-note pattern study applied across the connected shapes is the best technical preparation for these riffs.

Modern rock and indie song recommendations for power chords and F♯ riffs Reptilia by The Strokes covers the modern indie angle. Are You Mine and Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor bring in F♯ riffs with fast chord changes. The Changing Man by Paul Weller adds a Beatles-inspired flavour that tests picking accuracy. And the Drop D recommendations from the previous lessons — Psycho, Killing in the Name Of, and others — round out the repertoire. Each song is chosen because it specifically tests a Grade 4 skill, not just because it's at the right difficulty level.