Primary and Secondary Instrument Hierarchy
AMF Semester 1 works with two instrument interfaces — acoustic guitar and piano — but you do not pursue equal depth on both simultaneously, especially in Month 1.
Choose a primary instrument for Month 1. This is the instrument where the deepest drilling happens. All core AMF practice in Month 1 is on the primary instrument.
Use the secondary instrument as a visualization and exploration tool during Month 1. This means:
- Simpler versions of the same material
- Slower tempo
- Fewer sessions per week (one instead of five)
- No pressure to match primary instrument fluency
The secondary instrument deepens in Month 2 as your primary instrument stabilizes. By Month 2, your secondary instrument can start exploring the same weekly material, just with reduced complexity and tempo.
Which instrument should be primary?
- If you have more physical comfort and habit on guitar, make guitar primary in Month 1.
- If piano has more recent practice history, make piano primary.
- If genuinely equal, guitar is recommended as primary for Month 1 because the AMF guitar track uses higher physical complexity (muting, bass patterns, movable shapes) that benefits from early prioritization. Piano's visual clarity role makes it an excellent secondary instrument.
Required Materials
Instruments
| Instrument | Minimum Spec | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Acoustic or electric guitar | Standard tuning, 6 strings | Steel-string acoustic recommended; nylon-string works. Electric with clean tone is fine. |
| Piano or keyboard | 61 keys minimum | Weighted keys preferred for touch sensitivity. Apps (GarageBand, Piano — Play Any Song) work for early exercises. |
You do not need both instruments on Day 1. Choose your primary instrument and begin. Add the secondary when Month 1 feels stable.
Practice Tools
| Tool | Purpose | Free Option |
|---|---|---|
| Metronome | Steady pulse reference | Pro Metronome (iOS/Android), Metronome Beats, any DAW click track |
| Recording device | Weekly recording deliverables | Phone voice memo is sufficient. GarageBand or Audacity for more control. |
| Practice journal | Reflection and tracking | Paper or any notes app |
The Three Anchor Songs
These recordings are the historical backbone of the semester. Access them on any streaming platform.
| Song | Artist | Key detail |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet Home Chicago | Robert Johnson (1936) or the Blues Brothers version | Month 1 anchor — Chicago blues 12-bar |
| Blue Monk | Thelonious Monk (Prestige, 1954) | Month 2 anchor — jazz-blues form |
| The Thrill Is Gone | B.B. King (ABC/BluesWay, 1969) | Month 3 anchor — minor blues |
What You Do Not Need
- Sheet music or notation software (AMF is ear-based; lead sheets are provided as reference only)
- A teacher, metronome app beyond basic functionality, or expensive gear
- A DAW until the optional MIDI Lab work in Semester 2
Daily Practice Rhythm
The instrument tracks provide the detailed daily tasks. The core daily rhythm stays constant across the semester — it allows repetition without boredom and freedom without chaos.
Daily non-negotiables:
- Start slower than ego wants. Semester 1 values clean encoding over speed.
- Play the smallest useful musical action first. Complexity must be invited by the music.
- End with one sentence: what improved, what needs review, what returns tomorrow.
- Use visualization even on days you cannot touch an instrument.
- Record short samples. Do not wait until something feels polished.
Practice session structures:
| Time available | Structure |
|---|---|
| 5–10 minutes | Foundation Loop: one drill, one application, one sentence of reflection |
| 15–20 minutes | Foundation Loop + Listening Loop: drill, application, and five minutes of focused listening |
| 30+ minutes | Full arc: warm-up, principle drill, application in form, free sandbox, reflection |
Listening, Visualization, and Recording
These three practices are not optional extras. They are load-bearing parts of the learning architecture.
Listening: Each week includes a directed listening prompt. Listening is not passive music enjoyment — it is active evidence gathering. Use PDC while listening: What is the groove foundation? Who is providing stability? Where is space being left? What would you add or remove?
Visualization: Mental rehearsal away from the instrument. Imagine playing a 12-bar chorus at the intended tempo. Hear the form in your mind. Feel the moment where the IV chord arrives. This practice is measurably effective for skill consolidation and is especially useful on days when instrument time is limited.
Recording: Each week includes a recording deliverable. This recording is for your ears only — you are listening as a diagnostician, not as a judge. The goal is one thing to improve, not a verdict on your playing. The recording cannot lie. When you listen back with honest ears, it will tell you exactly what to work on next.
Semester 1 Completion Criteria
By the end of Week 12, the following should be true:
Form and time:
- Can navigate a 12-bar blues form confidently at a comfortable tempo on your primary instrument
- Can feel the form as three four-bar sections by internal sense, not only by counting
- Tempo remains stable across a full chorus without significant rushing
Internal Band:
- Blues Root is always present as the emotional ground — you do not have to think about it separately
- Can consciously choose a PDC role (support, answer, color, lay out) per section
- Has one stable rhythm cell that can be placed, anticipated, or stopped intentionally
- Can identify TPS triad support and use it over I, IV, and V
- Has one motif that can be developed rhythmically without wandering
- Can map a chorus with ARC (Aim, Route, Complete) before playing it
Cross-system:
- Can play a performance where more than one system is coordinated — e.g., a stable groove AND a triad support AND a SHAPE motif landing — without losing the form
- Can explain what you chose and why after a recording
Recordings:
- Has a complete set of weekly recordings from Weeks 1–12
- Has a Month 1, Month 2, and Month 3 anchor-song study version
- Has a capstone recording on each instrument
Source References
- Library of Congress — Sweet Home Chicago context: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200196398/
- Library of Congress — Blues and Great Migration: https://www.loc.gov/collections/songs-of-america/articles-and-essays/musical-styles/popular-songs-of-the-day/blues/
- JazzStandards.com — Blue Monk: https://www.jazzstandards.com/compositions-1/bluemonk.htm
- Blues Foundation Hall of Fame — The Thrill Is Gone: https://blues.org/blues_hof_inductee/the-thrill-is-gone-b-b-king-abc-bluesway-1969/
- Muse-Eek — Long Line Rhythm: https://muse-eek.com/long-line-rhythm-feel-time-correctly/