Tips for Chord Transitions

So many of my students have been working hard on playing their guitar chords cleanly and quickly--and I can sympathize with them.  It's a hard and painstaking process--but if you put the time and effort into it, you will get there.  I promise!

Just a few quick tips as you work on the transitions:

1. Keep your fingers as close to the fret board as possible.  Let your fingers "hover" over the fret board, just above your strings. When that pinkie and third finger start flying out in space, it takes longer for them to come back down to a new chord.

2. Build your chords from the bottom string up.  For some reason a lot of students get into the habit of building chords from the highest string down--for example, they will finger a C major chord starting with the 2nd string, then 4th, then 5th.  The problem with that method is your pick is going to hit the bottom strings first, so get those notes placed first!  Find the root of the chord on the bottom three strings, and aim there first!  That extra split second will give you a chance to get the last top bits of the chord in place.  I know it seems like a negligible amount of time, but you’ll be surprised how it can improve your guitar playing.

3. When moving from one chord to the next, move the finger that has the farthest to go first.  For instance, in moving from G major to C major in the open position, your first finger has to move all the way from the 5th string to the second.  Lead with that finger and you’ll find that your other fingers naturally pull along behind to end up close to their intended frets as well.

4.  Stay relaxed and let the natural movement of your hands help you get to the chord.  Believe it or not, the guitar is actually designed very well to accommodate the natural movement of the human hand.  When you use tip #3 and lead with the farthest finger, your other fingers will follow along behind it naturally and you can get them to settle in the right place.  If you tighten up they won’t move as naturally, so stay loose.

5. Keep your right hand moving.  The way your brain works has a lot to do with how your hands react.  As a beginner, your brain is giving you permission to stop in between chords and rationalizes it as “we’ll get it eventually.”  It’s normal and happens on a subconscious level.  You can easily change that by setting up a dissonance in your brain--in other words, presenting your brain with a problem it needs to fix.  Here’s the way it works:  You brain loves when your hands are moving together.  So if you force your right hand to keep strumming, no matter what happens in your left, your brain will want to solve that dissonance by making your left hand move faster to keep up with your right.  Exactly what we’re looking for.

Good luck--and Happy Pickin'!!  Enjoy the video below:

Video--Tips on Changing Guitar Chords