You are not logged in. Please login or register.
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Acoustic → Help with changing chords
Hi, Ive only been learning acoustic for about a week, so Im as beginner as they get. I've mastered the basic chords (A, D, E, C and G) and Im attempting to learn a few songs using them, but Im having trouble moving from each chord and was wondering if there were any exercises I could do to make the transistions a bit smoother? Any advice is welcome! Thank you!
The only exercise I can recommend is to do the chord changes a lot. What I did is to pick out a couple songs I wanted to learn and printed chord charts for them. Then I wrote down on a piece of paper every chord change:
G to A
A to D
D to G
Like that.
Then I practiced each chord change twenty times in a row and practice the next one twenty times. When I had practiced each chord change 100 times each night, I tried to play the song slowly, putting the chord changes into context in the song. Just quarter note steady strums, nothing fancy. Try and maintain good steady rhythm 1,2,3,4 while doing the chord changes. It took a few weeks of it, practicing each chord change 100 times each night, and then practicing the song with a steady rhythm for as long as I felt like I was making progress. And then it was ingrained. By doing this, I ended up practicing each change thousands of times in just a couple weeks and it really got the muscle memory solidly into my fingers.
Note that I am teaching myself, and that this method worked for me. I'm not representing it as working for everyone, or as being the best way to learn. I'm just tossing it out there for consideration and saying it helped ME to learn. Your mileage may vary.
- Zurf
As you practice think of the chord progression of a song:
Key of "G". The major chords would be - G....C.....D
Key of "A". The major chords would be - A....D......E
Key of "C". The major chords would be - C....F......G (may want to wait awhile of this'un)
Key of "D". The major chords would be - D....G......A
Key of "E". The major chords would be - E.....A......B (may want to wait awhile on this'un, too)
The major chords of "B" and "F" are hard on beginners but need to be practiced. The easy progressions would be in the keys of "G", "A" and "D". Just by learning these chords in their progressions you would be developing "muscle memory" and "hand strength". I would pick out a easy song or 2 to learn or just practice movement between the chords. You will not learn overnight so take your time, pay attention to detail and you will retain more.
Nela
Phycology of playing chords:Do it about Three thousand times before your fingers go towhere there supposed to go.....That means alot of chord changes - it really helps when you copy your favourite song or artist.
Example I learn't guitar thanks to David Bowie - it's all his fault.But I just had to play his songs.....Some easy songs to learn would be three chord songs.Go from E to A to D and you have Gloria. Go G Em C D and you have many songs in that chord Pro......Good Luck....
Right on Ziggystardust - 3 chords and the truth will get you a long way!
Hey, thanks for all your suggestions. They've all really helped, it goes down to practice again, the more Im doing the easier its getting. Thank you!
Bad Moon Rising by CCR is D A G, easy as pie and great song to get you started.
DANCER, I am not a "music genius", but I play pretty well, EXCEPT KEEPING MY RHYTHM", but that's another problem.
I am able to change quit fast chords, even getting more than once comment or critics that I make it more complicated, like taking a chord, leave some fingers in position and change 1 or 2 fingers to take that chord. BAS HABIT? I don't know. The only, personal advise I can give is, you know how to play A C D E C G, my suggestion is to try now minor chords,like Em. It is an E chord where you let your 2 fingers on the second and third string, second fret, and you DON'T use the finger on the 4th string, fret one. A --> Am, Gm is more difficult, so start the chords who are a lot easier.
- practice the chords you know as much as you can, and SWITCH, like E to A to D and back.
- you have "online chords" like www.chordbook.com, use chords and once it starts to go better, you will have a lot more self confidence which improves it more.
In respone to Gitaardocphil, thats exactly what I did. Ive learnt a few more chords and Im playing them in an order that makes sense when I hear it (almost making up my own little song) and Ive got a lot faster at changing between them from doing that. Then I looked at the simpler songs on the website and 9 to 5 is pretty simple so Ive been practising that. Thanks for the tips tho.
Hi, Ive only been learning acoustic for about a week, so Im as beginner as they get. I've mastered the basic chords (A, D, E, C and G) and Im attempting to learn a few songs using them, but Im having trouble moving from each chord and was wondering if there were any exercises I could do to make the transistions a bit smoother? Any advice is welcome! Thank you!
thats exactly where i am except i know a few more but thats okay
im a little slow so i will usually strum once then move my fingers
me and my dad play together
so he plays most of the chords
and i backup strum
try it
you sound wonderful even if you suck
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Acoustic → Help with changing chords
