Chord changes are perhaps one of the biggest challenges to overcome when playing the guitar. Being able to switch from one chord to another when playing a song without that awkward pause in between is something that all of us want to be able to do successfully, right? But sometimes it just gets so frustrating, even if you have been working very hard and practicing all the time, you still can’t switch from one chord to the next in time.
Well, you can stop fretting because there are some things you can do about it. You won’t be able to switch chords quickly and accurately overnight, but with enough practice and dedication, you will be able to get it.
Exercise 1: Practice playing scales
Yes, playing scales may sound all boring and technical, but there are certain advantages this, such as becoming familiar with the different notes and their positions on the guitar. If you really want to master the guitar and become a good guitarist, then you will have to learn scales. Scales are a pattern of notes that are played on the guitar, and there are many different kinds such as the major and minor scales, the pentatonic scale, the whole tone scale and the diminished scale. For beginners, it is usually best to start with the pentatonic scale.
In playing scales, remember that you do not have to memorize the notes you have to play, but rather, it is best to know and understand the pattern behind it – if you will look at each scale you try to learn, you will see a pattern on the notes you play. Once you familiarize yourself with the pattern, it will be easier for you to move throughout the scale.
Exercise 2: Practice chord drills
Chord drills are another useful exercise for you to learn that will help you master chord changes. You can do this by starting on the major keys – for example, you start practicing the chord changes in the key of C. Set yourself a deadline for mastering the chord changes in this particular key. After you have mastered one key, you can move on to another, until you have gone through all the major keys.
Practicing chord drills is similar to playing scales, it will teach you, over time, to be able to move through notes and chords quickly but with accuracy as you become more and more familiar with the different notes/chords and their positions in the guitar fingerboard.
Exercise 3: Practice position drills
One chord has different ways of being played on the guitar – there is the open chord version, the barre chord version, and sometimes, even a power chord version. Another way for you to master chord changes is by practicing position drills – this is done by playing one chord in all its different positions in the guitar fingerboard. Let’s say that you practice one chord everyday and you devote your practice time to switching between all the known chord versions of one particular note or chord. Getting to know the different positions of any given chord will help you a great deal because later on, when you are playing more songs, you will be able to identify which of these positions are the best to use in each particular situation you are playing in.
These are just some of the exercises that you can do in order to further improve your chord changes, and help you become an even better guitarist. Of course, this only serves as a guide, and the bulk of the work is really up to you. With practice and determination, you will be able to get those chord changes, and we’re sure that in no time at all, you will be rocking it out!