Lesson 15

Getting Serious About Chords

It's about time to start practicing them like you mean it!

Playing and changing chords is perhaps the most important skill that new guitar players have to master. If we have become comfortable changing between chords like G and D or C and G, it is because WE PLAY THEM HUNDREDS OF TIMES.

This is the same approach we should take to playing all chords as we learn new ones. We have to PLAY THEM HUNDREDS OF TIMES in order to master them. The most obvious way to do this is just to practice simple changes over and over again. Just pick a chord combination - say, G and D - and go back and forth at least 30 times. Then move on to another two chords - say G and C - and do the same - 30 times.

Make a list of the chord combinations you want to work on, and then just go through the list.

Play each chord combination at least 30 times.

Go through the list every time you sit down to practice. You'll be amazed how quickly you will become better at changing chords.

Here' a sample list:
G to D
G to C
C to D
C to F
Am to E
Em to A
Dm to F
A to D
A to E
E to B7
...and so on.

Of course as you progress to more complicated chords (like barre chords) you should apply this same routine to those chord combinations.


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