chord changing

Repetition and small increases in speed.

Dm

Guides and pivots are also handy.... Here's a very basic video on it to give you the idea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JVJd4y33v3E

Keep in mind that chords have several voices/fingerings and with a little ingenuity you can apply this technique to most progressions.

The correct answers are above, but keep practicing.  That is the only way.  Take two chords, for instance, and play them back and forth.  Do this several times each day and then add another chord as you get better.  Keep adding and keep practicing.  Your fingers will eventually automatically remember where they are supposed to go next without thinking.  I believe this is called muscle memory.  It works.  It just takes time.  And good luck.

Welcome John!!

You didn't mention how long you've been playing. As the others said, practice is key. You must take it slow so you do it right. If you just blast thru it you will not learn the right way. Slow repetition builds muscle memory.

Good luck!!!!!

Z is right, muscle memory is a big part.  You can't just think too much.  For example, think skipping rope or dancing or riding a bike... you don't really memorize with your brain.  Your muscles learn.  So devote some of your practice to movements that go between chords without too much emphasis on playing a song or perfect chord.  It'll be a little sloppy at first.  Loosen your grip on the guitar neck.  I'm sure you grip it tightly at first.  Notice the same strong grip trying to get clean notes works against you on changing positions.  If you get through the song one good time, might want to stop right there.  You don't want your muscles to "remember" a bad practice.

Well I guess my answer is just another form of all the answers above - which come down to practicing (and not just practicing, but practicing slowly enough that you are practicing the right things). 

Here's what I did.  It may or may not work for you, but it has worked for me.  I took a song I wanted to learn and wrote down every chord change.  For instance if the chord progression was D - A - D - G and then repeat, that meant the chord changes were D to A, A to D, D to G, and G to D. 

I practiced each of the chords individually until I could get a good clean sound out of them.  Then I would practice each individual change (D to A, for instance) about twenty times.  Then I'd do the next one (A to D in the example) about twenty times.  I'd do this as long as I could stand doing it.  At this point, I wasn't trying to keep time yet, just get from one chord shape to the next one and get a good, clean sound on each. 

Do that until you become smooth.  It may take a night or may take every night for two weeks.  You're not on a time-table, just do it until it's clean.  Then I introduced time using a metronome.  Downstroke, downstroke, downstroke, downstroke - nothing fancy.  One stroke per beat.  String the changes together IN TIME one per beat as slowly as you need to go to get it clean. 

By this point, you've NAILED those chord changes and can use them in any song that comes along.  Now start worrying about introducing the rhythm.  Do the rhythm and whatever strum pattern you want to use IN TIME.  Slowly as you need to go to get it right.  Accuracy first, speed comes from accuracy. 

Then you're there. 

This is a very, very slow way of learning your first songs.  BUT doing it this way, you absolutely nail down the chord changes that you can use any time you need to change between those chords AND you absolutely nail down your strum pattern and can do it fast or slow or however you need to use it for any given song you do in the future. 

My usual comment is not to be surprised if you have to make chord changes thousands of times before you get it clean.  Twenty times per set, maybe five sets per night, for maybe a couple of weeks when you're first starting.  Some folks want to sound like the record right away, but you have to understand that those guys on the records have been practicing hours per day for decades to sound that good.  It's not something you're going to get in a couple months unless you are absolutely exceptional beyond belief - like Evginey Kissin with piano.  Maybe you are, but I've not met anyone like that in a lifetime around musicians.  That said, nearly anyone can learn to be a good, solid guitar player in time with dedicated and careful practice.  Some faster than others, but as the skills are learned they can be applied to all sorts of songs and styles.  So stick with it and be patient with yourself.  The Eureka! moments when you hear a song and think "I can do that!" will come. 

- Zurf

hello everyone.

i would just like to thankyou all forgiveing me all your advice on the problem that i was going through i have taken it on board and i will be doing things a lot different in the future it appears that i was trying to run before i could walk.

many many thanks for all your advice.

kindest regards.

john.

Hey, I'm having the same problem you were, I just now began taking my guitar lessons and skills seriously and I am having trouble with the chord changes... all of the answers to your question are great! But do you have any tips for the beginner who cant keep focused on something for more than 3 minutes? I love guitar, but I get so frustrated with myself when I can't get it right

                       Thanks, B