Changing chords without stopping
Guitar · Open chords and strumming · Level 2 · 10 min
Knowing a chord is not enough: you must get there on time. The real beginner's challenge is the chord change. Here are the methods that work.
1. Pivot and guide fingers
Between C and A minor, fingers 1 and 2 stay put: only finger 3 moves. Between D and A, finger 1 slides along the same string without leaving the neck (a guide finger). Spot these links before practising a change.
2. The one-minute drill
Pick two chords. For one minute, alternate them, strumming each chord once, and count the successful changes. Write down the score every day: it doubles within one or two weeks.
3. Changing “early”
The last “and” of the bar can be played on open strings: the fretting hand is already moving to the next chord. Listeners hear nothing, and the rhythm never stops.
M:4/4 L:1/4 Q:1/4=72 K:C clef=treble-8 "C"[CEGce] [CEGce] [CEGce] [CEGce] | "Am"[A,EAce] [A,EAce] [A,EAce] [A,EAce] | "Dm"[DAdf] [DAdf] [DAdf] [DAdf] | "G7"[G,B,DGBf] [G,B,DGBf] [G,B,DGBf] [G,B,DGBf] |]
See the next chord in your head before moving: picture the shape, then put all fingers down at once, like a stamp.