Phase 2 — Skill Diagnostics

D1 Fretboard note recall — timed

Why: directly measures the note-name gap you called out. Baseline tells us exactly how wide it is.

Protocol

1. Metronome at 60 bpm (1 click/sec).
2. Pick a note. Play every instance of it across all 6 strings, low-E to high-e, one per click. Stay within frets 0-11.
3. Start timer when you start, stop when you finish. Count errors (wrong note, hesitation > 1 click, skip).
4. Repeat for all 7 natural notes.

Log

D2 Scale-degree location — random prompts

Why: tests whether you can translate "I want the b7" into a fretboard location in any key, in real time — the actual skill needed for improv.

Protocol

1. Metronome at 60 bpm. Pick a key (start with E major).
2. Write out 20 random scale degrees on a list: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, b7 (country). Shuffle.
3. Reveal one at a time. Play that note on the G string (3rd), any octave. Count as success if you hit it in < 2 clicks.
4. Repeat on the B string (2nd). Then repeat everything in A major.

Log

D3 RECORD Max clean tempo — diatonic thirds

Why: directly relevant to your goals. "Clean" is the key word — we want the tempo where it still sounds musical, not where you can hit notes while slop-buzzing.

Protocol

1. Use thirds-compare as your map. E country (mixolydian) on B + G strings, ascending only, eighth notes.
2. Try each tempo: 60, 80, 100, 120, 140 bpm. Record audio at each.
3. Clean = no buzzed strings, no hesitation, no mis-frets, locked to the click.
4. Listen back the next day and judge honestly (your real-time sense will lie).

Log

Max clean tempo: bpm

D4 RECORD 1-minute improv baseline — the most important one

Why: in 6 months you'll be shocked one way or the other. This is the before-picture.

Protocol

1. Get a backing track: E country shuffle (I-IV-V = E7-A7-B7), ~100 bpm, 60 sec.
   • Fast: YouTube — "E country shuffle backing track 100 bpm"
   • Or Suno: "E shuffle, Texas country, guitar-bass-drums, 100 bpm, no lead guitar, 60 sec"
2. Record yourself improvising. One take. No do-overs.
3. Listen back the next day. Score each dimension 0-5.

Log

Audio filename:

D5 Lick inventory dump

Why: curriculum design. I need to know what's already in your toolbox before prescribing what to add.

Protocol

1. List every country lick you can play from memory. Brief description is fine.
2. For each, note keys you can do it in and rate:
   • 0 — heard it, can't play
   • 1 — slow / isolated only
   • 2 — at tempo, clean
   • 3 — deploy mid-solo, multiple keys, without thinking
3. No limit. Bigger the dump, better the curriculum.

Enter below (one per line, format: description | keys | rating). Or edit licks-inventory.md in the repo — same data either way.

D6 RECORD Ear-to-hand test

Why: the core weakness you named. Also the one most responsive to training.

Protocol

Part A (sing → find): sing/hum an 8-note melody you make up. Immediately try to find it on the guitar. Log time-to-find per note and % correct.

Part B (play → sing back): play a short melody on the guitar (don't memorize it in advance). Sing it back without looking. Tests the other direction.

Do 3 melodies for each part. Record audio.

Log

Audio filename: