I use this for many beginners, it is especially great for little kids because they love working on melodies that they recognize.

For complete beginners I ask that they play the melody only with the third finger, and shift the hand around to change the frets. I do this because the third finger tends to balance the hand out, more so that the first finger. A beginner who uses the first finger for a melody will often clamp down the first finger and do all sorts of weird and wonderful contortions with the other fingers. If the students hand is struggling to hold down the string enough to get a clear sound, they can use two fingers.

The goal with this piece is

  • To make a clear, sustained sound for each note and to play it in time.
  • Maintain a good left hand position while shifting around the fingerboard.
  • Keep the other fingers (first, second, and fourth) relaxed and spread out.
  • Make sure the thumb stays behind the neck in the middle and it doesn’t poke its head over the top of the fingerboard!

Free Download: Twinkle Twinkle Little Star