How to Change Chords on Time While Strumming Guitar
Being able to change chords in time and strum smoothly, its one of the cornerstones of playing
guitar.
I�m Tomas Michaud from Real Guitar Success. If you can play a few open chords and can
strum a little bit but youre still having a hard time getting from one chord to the
other in time and smoothly, this video is gonna be great for you.
I remember when I first started learning, it was fairly easy for me to play some basic
chords but I had a very difficult time getting from one chord to the other in time so that
it sounded like a real song. I was playing at a campfire one day with a bunch of friends
and I remember looking down and being pleasantly surprised that I was strumming and changing
chords with no problem without even thinking about it. It took me about a year to get to
that point. And if I had known the information that I�m gonna share with you in this video,
I gotta got to that place in a fraction of time.
In this video, were gonna start off by going through some of the basic foundation of how
to make a chord cleanly and clearly. This is just to make sure we are in the same place
but also a lot of the problem with transitioning I�ve noticed with chords it has to do with
not really being clear on how to make chords clean from the very beginning. Then were gonna
going to some trying two tips on how to transition chords properly. And I have a very important
tip that I�m gonna save towards the end. Once we have the basic structure and some
exercise to practice then I will show you four great exercises progressive exercises
that we can use and finally I�ll share with you a Jam Track that you can use to practice
along with it, that makes it a lot more fun than just playing by yourself with a metronome.
This is something a lot of beginners and even some people who have been playing for quite
a while have problems with. If this is you, if you�re having a hard time switching cleanly
between chords and on time, you are not alone. Don�t feel bad.
Okay let�s go on to some basic principles of creating chords . Now I know this will
be review for some of you, please bear with me. And sometimes its good to review the basics,
you might get reminded of some tips that you forgot. Were gonna use three chords actually
in this lesson and I�ll show you the chords right now. We�re gonna use a D chord, were
gonna use a Cadd9. A lot of times students used the regular C chord but I found the Cadd9
and its just a little cooler chord and it fits with modern progressions. So If you don�t
know this chord, I encourage you to learn it. And then the G chord and I am using my
forefinger version of the G. It fits well with the transitioning of these three chords.
So here some basic tips of making chords. Were gonna use the G chord for this tip. And
if you don�t know this chord, let me explain it to you the fingering. It looks like this.
Now put your third finger and your pinky next to each other on the third fret and I got
my pinky on the first string, the high E and then the second string the B string is my
third finger third fret. Im gonna stretch my second finger all the way over to the sixth
string and Im gonna put on the third fret, and then my first finger is on fifth string
second fret. Some nice full sounding G chord.
Now take your hand and pretend like youre holding a ball in your hand maybe a baseball
or something bigger a soft ball. This is the basic, good, relaxed hand position for your
chords. And what you do is you just put this around the neck. Put your thumb behind the
neck of the chord, at the guitar fret board and then make your chord. Now you noticed
I have my fingers. Theyre angled up and then down. This is a good position where you can
get a lot of leverage. Your fingers are too flattened out. You wont get much leverage.
You have to press, you have to use a lot of muscles basically and get very little effect.
So my hands is relaxed and my arms are relaxed hanging down. Don�t crook your hand up too
high like this. It will make it really hard to stretch or cross and if youre having a
hard time that might be the issue. But also don�t push your hand up too much this way,
this will hurt your wrist after a while. Its not fun having pain in your wrist. So let
your arm kinda hang. I kinda think of it is just enough pressure to hold my hand there
and if I let go of my arm it just fall off. So my arms not holding up really hard. I got
my fingers just on the strings hard enough to keep my hand there. If your finding that
your having a hard time stretching sometimes its because your elbow might be out too far
so check your elbow. Make sure its kinda hanging down or a little closer to your body. My fingers
are angled in such a way that their tips are hitting the fretboard. So you don�t want
to angle your fingers too much on the flat part of the fingertips just go for the fingertips.
I�m also keeping my fingertips close to the frets. You get the easier sound that way.
Easier to make a good sound that way when your fingers stay close to the frets. Remember
to stay relaxed.
Now good way to practice this is to just make the chord and feel what it feels like. Look
at your chord, try to memorize what it looks like but even close your eyes and then just
memorize the feeling of the chord. Give it about 10 seconds and take it off and then
put it back on.
Now try that same thing with the C chord. Lets go through the fingering of the C chord
for those who are new to the Cadd9. It looks a lot like the G only we remove the first
and second fingers over one string to the fifth string and fourth string so that�s
one way to think about it. Im gonna finger it, one finger at a time. Pinky on the third
fret first string, the third finger right next to it on the second string third fret.
My second finger stretching over the fifth string now third fret, and the first finger
on the fourth string second fret, Cadd9. Some people call it Cadd2, same chord. Same thing,
Im relaxing my hand. Use just enough pressure to make the sound good but no more. Be careful
youre not clenching too hard that will tire you out and make pain in your hand over time,
your finger and the middle of your hand so just enough to make the chord. If I loosen
up too much it starts deadening out. Okay and Ill give a little pressure, a little more,
there we are. Loosen up, okay. That gives me an idea of where I need to press in terms
of how much pressure. Release the fingers and your hand drops. My elbow is relaxed.
Now lets talk about transitioning from one chord to the other and were gonna start with
just the G chord and the Cadd9 chord. The only thing youre transitioning are these two
fingers. One way to get started with is to .. once youre clear on where the chord is
practice just moving your fingers with no timing or rhythm from one chord to the other.
Hold your fingers from there for a few seconds and then move your fingers over. First you
might just want to do one finger at a time. But try little at a time to move them both
at the same time. Hold them there for a few minutes. If the fingers got sore, stop, take
them out and start over. Start with the G chord. Try this with me. Play the G chord
and I move to the C chord. Just get used to the feeling of the movement from one chord
to the other. In a way your memorizing inside your mind what it feels and looks like. Back
to the G. Lets move to that Cadd9 again. Fingers sore? Shake them out. Start again, G. So do
that for a while before we do the exercises.
So now after you practice that basic moving from chord to chord for a few minutes and
you might wanna do this a little bit each day, just get used to the chord that way.
Im gonna give you the 4 exercises that you can practice and the progressives. So you
wanna get comfortable with the first one before you go on to the second and so on. Get comfortable
with the second one before you go on to the third.
First exercise, #1 is gives you the most time to transiton from one chord to the other.
We will start with the G chord. Were gonna do two sets of counting of 4 � 1, 2, 3,
4 and then 1, 2, 3, 4 and you�ll gonna hit. Strike the G chord on the one of each sets
of 4. It sounds like this 1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3, 4 then change chords to the Cadd9 and
start again 1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3, 4. Now here is an important trick, when your playing the
G chord the second time, you don�t wait until 4 to start changing to the Cadd9. You
start ahead of time so Im just gonna show you the second set of four 1, 2, 3, 4. See
I�ve already taken my fingers off and get ready to put them down and be ready on one
of Cadd9 - 1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3, 4. You see on 3 I take my fingers off and get them right
there and ready on the G chord. So that will save you a lot of trouble.
You know when I started I tried to quickly make the change right when its time and you
cant do it even when your experienced, that�s hard to do and nobody will noticed that little
part. Believe me on this, everybody does it. I can tell it�s a little breathing in the
guitar when your strumming and playing chords. Nobody knows those little gaps where your
moving your fingers so that�s the first exercise.
Exercise #2, now it�s the same two sets of four beats but were gonna change more often.
Were gonna change on 1 and 3 so it sounds like this, G chord 1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3 change
1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3 change � 1 I actually see that in my head 4 � 1 and so on. So
you have more chords going on but you still have plenty of time to change on that last
beat of 4. That�s the second exercise. So you wanna make sure you can do that first
exercise fairly well and try it with the metronome. This will keep you honest with timing so youre
not slowing down and speeding up with the transition. What you wanna do is keep the
pulse steady and go as slow as you have to, to make the change. So rather than slowing
down in the middle, make the total pulse slow and then pick it up little by little until
you can change to the faster tempo. Get to where you can change to at least 60 beats
per minute before moving on to the next exercise.
Number 3, were gonna add and up stroke. To do that, were gonna add a concept called an
AND so instead of 1, 2, 3, 4 now were gonna go 1, 2 and � and the end is on the upbeat
so it can count like this 1, 2 and 3, 4 - 1, 2 and 3, 4. The end accounts for the second
half of one beat. Were dividing the beat in half. With the chord, it gonna sound like
this, were gonna strum up on the end. So its 1, 2 and (thats the Up) 3 and then nothing
on 4 and that gives you a space to change chords - 1, 2 and 3, 4. Here we go then change
to Cadd9 - 1, 2 and 3 and then 4. Nothing there, no strumming. Again, two time each.
With the tempo, Im playing with the metronome. I wouldn�t stop between chords. It sounds
like this 1 and 2 and 3, 4 - 1 and 2 and 3, 4 - 1 , 2 and 3, 4 - 1 and 2 and 3, 4 and
then back - 1 and 2 and 3, 4 - 1 and 2 and 3 and Im taking my fingers off 1 and 2 and
3, 4 - 1 and 2 and 3 fingers off 4. Exercise #3.
Now lets go on to Exercise #4. Of course this is the most strenous and don�t go here until
you can do exercise #3 at least its 60 beast per minute when you test it with the metronome.
By the way, don�t always practice with the metronome. Just use it once in a while to
kinda test your rhythmn and then go back playing without. You don�t wanna be stuck to the
metronome constantly. Heres the fourth exercise. Were just adding a down strum on beat four
so 1 ,2 and 3, 4 � 1, 2 and 3, 4 and take my fingers off. Now Im taking my fingers off
on the end of fourth so to speak. Im not strumming the end. Im taking my fingers off. So you
have less time to transition - 1 ,2 and 3, 4 - 1 ,2 and 3, 4, fingers off - 1 ,2 and
3, 4 - 1, 2 and 3, 4, fingers off and so on.
One of the most important tips I can give you, is when your transitioning chords don�t
wait to switch the next chord before you start thinking about it. Visualize where youre going
before you jump there. Think about it. If you waited too long to think about where you�re
going, youre gonna be caught off guard. What you wanna do is visualize the next chord in
your mind while you are still on the chord youre at. This is something that can make
a big difference in your transitioning. I did give you a practical example from on the
G chord your gonna go to the Cadd9. Im already thinking about the Cadd9 and what my fingers
look like. And then I actually jump the gun before Im on the one move my fingers right
there. Im thinking of the G chord before I actually have to be there. This is something
that gets better with practice so that�s why I give you this exercises. Practice thinking
about the next chord before you actually have to change. Visualizing your mind what it looks
like but even what it feels like. A way to practice that is to just make the chord and
close your eyes and just visualize what that feeling is like. Take your fingers off. Make
it again. Try making it without looking. It will be harder first but it just practice.
And use these exercises to practice that concept as well. Practice visualizing where youre
going.
Now for the fun part, were gonna play along or Im gonna show you how to play along with
the jam track. This jam track is three chords. Im using the D chord, the Cadd9 and the G
chord. Each of them has two sets of four beats. So when your playing with the jam track, youll
start with the D chord, and if your new to the D chord just to make sure, let me show
you how I finger it. I got my first finger on the third string second fret. My second
finger is over here on the first string, the high E second fret and then my third finger
is on second string on the third fret in between these two fingers. Its the basic D chord.
Again keep your hand relaxed. Your elbow just slightly holding up the chord. Then were gonna
go two sets of four on the Cadd9, and then two sets of four on the G. If this is still
hard for you playing along with the jam track don�t worry practice the exercises and try
it with the metronome sometimes and without until you can get to playing with the jam
track. And when you start with the jam track, just start with the simplest exercise. Don�t
try the more complicated one until you can do the simple one with the jam track. But
will help you to play in time and it�s a lot more fun just playing with the metronome
so lets do this.
Exercise # 1 - 1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3, 4
back to the D 4 - 1, 2, 3, 4. Exercise # 2 1, 2, 3, 4 - 1, 2, 3, 4 to the G 1, 2, 3,
4 fingers off 1, 2, 3, 4 Exercise # 3 1, 2 and 3, 4 - 3 1, 2 and 3, 4 - 3 1, 2 and 3,
4 and change 1, 2 and 3, 4 - 3 1, 2 and 3, 4
and change 3 1, 2 and 3, 4. Lets do exercise #4 1, 2 and 3, 4 - 3 1, 2 and 3, 4 and change
1, 2 and 3, 4 - 1, 2 and 3, 4 - 1, 2 and 3, 4 - 1, 2 and 3, 4 - 1, 2 and 3, 4. Make up
your own exercise.
Thanks for spending this time with me. I hope you�ve got incredible value out of it and
even better. I hope you use these ideas and exercises to prove your guitar playing and
have more fun. That�s what really count. If you enjoyed this video, please give me
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you get you some new lessons and tips. I also want to mention that I created a service called
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and a PDF download at the end that can save you literally months of your guitar training.
Its completely free and you can get it by clicking on the link. I put the link on the
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Take care. See you soon.