5 Guitar Chord Changing Exercises You’ll Want to Learn
When playing the guitar, it is rather easy to learn how to play chords. It doesn’t take long before even the freshest beginner knows how to achieve guitar chord changing. The problem comes after learning a few chords – and that is putting them all together.
Changing from one chord to the next can sound like the choppiest mess of stuttering sounds one has ever heard. And keeping up with the tempo is going to be next to impossible!
If this sounds like you – don’t worry. We were all there once, too. It is all part of learning how to change chords smoothly. But, like anything else in life, with regular practice, you will soon learn beautiful transitions that make you sound like the well-seasoned guitar player you are destined to be.
To help you get started, you will find 5 guitar chord-changing exercises you will want to learn. Add them to your daily practice, and you will quickly start to notice a difference.
1. Slow… and Repeat
Breaking things down at a slow pace means being able to get the hang of it easier. Whether you are trying to understand a question on a test or the instructions when learning a new game. You break things down and go slow. Musicians do the same thing. It is not uncommon for piano players, for instance, to break down a piece measure by measure to learn it easier.
As part of your practice, make it a point to go slow through your guitar chord changing- and repeat them over and over and over. Slowly. Pay attention to any choppy movements. The slower you go, and the more you repeat, the easier it will be to play them from muscle memory without having to stop and think of where to place your fingers. Make sure you are holding your hands and fingers where they need to be so that the transition is smooth.
The more you practice slowly and repeat, begin to increase the pace. This likely will not happen overnight. So take your time, go slow, and repeat. Again and again and again.
2. Use the Best Fingering for You
Depending on how new you are to learning guitar, you may or may not know that there are different fingerings for different chords. Some may be more comfortable than others – especially if you are a young one with small hands. And some may be more convenient when it comes to the chords that are next, making it much easier to transition smoothly.
Take the time to review your music and the potential fingerings. Try and see what works best for you – and adjust accordingly. You may find right away that playing chords in a more convenient way or more fitting way automatically makes your chord-changing sound sweet.
3. Set the Timer
Sometimes having a timer going can force you to do something for a certain period of time. For instance, setting the timer to brush your teeth for two minutes. In this instance, though, it is all about playing different chords.
In this simple exercise, you will set the timer on your phone – or any clock with a timer. Set it for 30-45 seconds. Then, choose two chords to play. When you are ready, hit the timer – and go. Play your chords, one and the next, transitioning between each other for the entire duration. You may even want to extend the time if you think you can do it – or add in a third chord!
The idea is to get your fingers moving comfortably so that it all begins to feel like second nature.
4. Increasing the Tempo
After you have spent time working the timer, you may find that you are playing at the same tempo without making any changes. While it may help with those choppy transitions at one pace, it may not help if the tempo is increased.
Using a metronome, start at, say, a solid and very doable 60 BPM. Practice it until your movements are smooth and the transition is perfect. Then, increase it. Try 70 BPM, 80 BPM, 100 BPM, 120 BPM, etc. The faster the tempo, the faster your transition needs to be. Spend some time on each one to make it feel good and comfortable. You may be surprised at how simple it is.
5. Buy a New Piece of Music
Sometimes playing the same two or three chords over and over again can be annoying. We get that. It can also be very boring. One idea is to invest in a piece of sheet music for a song that you’d really like to learn. Rather than picking random chords for transition, use the chord changes in the piece of music. Practice them just like we discussed above. The only difference is this time, you are working toward a song that you’d love to learn how to play – which makes it all the more exciting! It may just be the spark you need to finally smooth out your guitar chord changing.
Practice Every Day
Practicing regularly – as in every day – is crucial for the development of your chord changes. You cannot make your fingers move effortlessly from one chord to the next without getting yourself comfortable and making the changes second nature to you.
Repetition is the key to getting better at anything you do – including playing the guitar. Be intentional during the practice time you set aside. Show up ready to work, learn, and grow. Don’t simply play the easy stuff, but push yourself to be better. Don’t settle for choppy and jerky chord changes, but push yourself to get them smoother. Go through these exercises and explore videos online that will help you get a better idea of how to better yourself as you move between one chord and the next.
Playing the guitar can be both fun and challenging. But once you get over the hurdle of dealing with any choppy chord changes, things will flow much easier going forward. You can do it!