Members runnrdad Posted February 5, 2009 Members Posted February 5, 2009 I am learning the basic chords and working on changes. I just can't seem to build up any speed. Em-Am-C-Fmaj-G, that sort of thing. My fingers just seem like once they are on the chord moving to the next one fast enough to keep time is impossible. (I am a new student, but I've been working on this for a few weeks.) Any tips?
Members 1001gear Posted February 5, 2009 Members Posted February 5, 2009 Give yourself another 10 years.
Members bgator Posted February 5, 2009 Members Posted February 5, 2009 Strictly a matter of practice. We've all been there.
Members Virgman Posted February 5, 2009 Members Posted February 5, 2009 There's nothing wrong with you. It takes many years.
Members LP50 Posted February 5, 2009 Members Posted February 5, 2009 I am learning the basic chords and working on changes. I just can't seem to build up any speed. Em-Am-C-Fmaj-G, that sort of thing. My fingers just seem like once they are on the chord moving to the next one fast enough to keep time is impossible. (I am a new student, but I've been working on this for a few weeks.) Any tips? Like everybody else said, it takes time. Here are a few things my old guitar teacher taught me that might speed things up for you: 1) When learning chords, hold the chord down and practice taking one finger off and hammering back down so the note will sound. Also practice taking off two fingers, and hammering them down to sound the notes, and then taking all fingers off, hammering down, and sounding the chord. No picking should be done when doing this. Doing this for each chord you learn will get that position stuck in your brain (well.. muscle memory, at least). This may also help your finger strength some, too. 2) Look for fingers to "anchor" while switching chords, or for similar positions between chords. For instance, using your example of Em -> Am -> C -> Fmaj -> G: From Em to Am, your 2nd and third fingers are in the exact same position, on the same fret, just shifted down one string. From Am to C, your index and 2nd fingers stay on the same notes (C at 1st fret on 2nd string, E at 2nd fret on 4th string). Keep those fingers down while moving the 3rd finger to form the C. From C to Fmaj (barred, anyway), your third finger (C at 3rd fret on 5th string) stays put while the other fingers make the rest of the barre. 3) Practice switching chords to a metronome. 4/4, one chord change per 2 beats, or something. (i.e., while strumming downstrokes, C - C - Am - Am - C - C - Am - Am, etc...) 4) Don't give up. Hope that helps. Good luck.
Members runnrdad Posted February 5, 2009 Author Members Posted February 5, 2009 That helps! Thank you. Since it obviously takes time (years!), why is my teacher giving me 10 chords to learn and change exercises to learn over a few weeks? Just trying to move me along?
Members mosiddiqi Posted February 5, 2009 Members Posted February 5, 2009 In addition to the good stuff above, try and visualise the next chord before you have to change. See it in your mind clearly...I found this helpful when I started out..and still do "practise" this way when I don't have a guitar with me.
Members The Hogester Posted February 5, 2009 Members Posted February 5, 2009 Write down a couple of pages of the chords you need to learn in a random order. If you have a problem with any of the changes, go back to do that change 10 times. This is what my teacher got me to do, and within a few weeks i made a massive improvement.
Members Virgman Posted February 5, 2009 Members Posted February 5, 2009 That helps! Thank you. Since it obviously takes time (years!), why is my teacher giving me 10 chords to learn and change exercises to learn over a few weeks? Just trying to move me along? You will become familiar with the chords that way. Proficiency takes years however.
Members DanSlime Posted February 5, 2009 Members Posted February 5, 2009 play slower - play slow enough that you can play each chord at the right time. use a metronome...maybe you have to put it on an extremely slow speed. It is really important to play with the right timing...and with continuity. Its not good to play with the right timing except for one little spot. That "one little spot" needs to be worked up to speed and that will never happen if you are playing too fast. Well maybe "never happen" isnt true...but it will take you longer to get rid of a bad habbit like that and will take longer to learn the change. If you are playing along and then have to pause to switch cords at a single point, practice the part that makes you pause. Practice the trouble spots, not the easy part. Then once you have that down play the whole song. Start speeding it up as the change becomes easier. Say you have to play at 40bpm. If you have trouble with the slow speed, then put the metronome on a 2X speed...like 80bpm. Now each click is an 8th note instead of a quarter. You would still play at 40bpm...its just the metronome is doing 2 clicks per beat.
Members runnrdad Posted February 5, 2009 Author Members Posted February 5, 2009 "If you are playing along and then have to pause to switch cords at a single point" That's where I am now. I'm pausing. I'm so worried about gettting my fingers placed on the right notes, it takes me looking, placing them, firming them so they sound right...and by that time I'm WAYYY behind. And since I've been given new ones (when I still don't have the first ones), I'm just wondering if I'm a lunkhead or perhaps it isn't important to get everything perfect right away...but they have to be perfect at some point, don't they? Thanks for the insight.
Members Virgman Posted February 5, 2009 Members Posted February 5, 2009 Many good suggestions here. Relax. Slow down. Make each chord correctly. You are not a lunkhead. Patience Yago, patience. Enjoy practicing.
Members Knottyhed Posted February 9, 2009 Members Posted February 9, 2009 I am learning the basic chords and working on changes. I just can't seem to build up any speed. Em-Am-C-Fmaj-G, that sort of thing. My fingers just seem like once they are on the chord moving to the next one fast enough to keep time is impossible. (I am a new student, but I've been working on this for a few weeks.) Any tips? Learn and play songs. Songs tend to contain all the common chord progressions. If a particular change in a song trips you up, focus on that change and then go back to the full song. Realise that it takes time to be able to 'grab' the chords without thinking.
Members Bumhucker Posted February 9, 2009 Members Posted February 9, 2009 Muscle Memory... I gotta admit it was a lot easier to learn when I was younger... Started playing when I was 14.... But its the same as when I started learning sweep arpeggios.... Repetition... Soon enough it will become second nature and you won't even have to think about it.
Members jonPhillips Posted February 9, 2009 Members Posted February 9, 2009 1) When learning chords, hold the chord down and practice taking one finger off and hammering back down so the note will sound. Also practice taking off two fingers, and hammering them down to sound the notes, and then taking all fingers off, hammering down, and sounding the chord. No picking should be done when doing this. Doing this for each chord you learn will get that position stuck in your brain (well.. muscle memory, at least). This is quite a nice tip
Members Echoes22 Posted February 9, 2009 Members Posted February 9, 2009 it doesn't take years if you're putting in time every day... played like {censored} for many years myself and eventually put in the hour a day for strict practicing (by practicing I don't mean learning/playing songs either....) .. it's crazy how sometimes you can make more progress with a routine in a month than you would otherwise in a year.
Members tinear Posted February 11, 2009 Members Posted February 11, 2009 Suggestion made by the guy on justinguitar.com: Practice changing between chords you have trouble with for one minute every day. Time yourself with a stopwatch and keep a count of how many changes you manage to make in a minute. I've just found that site and I really like his lessons.
Members rockitsauce Posted February 11, 2009 Members Posted February 11, 2009 Relax. I just had a lesson with a new teacher and realize how sloppy I have gotten with the last couple teachers. Almost everything bad about my technique came from too much tension. Soon as he pointed that out, I realized how my lower back and shoulder tension were holding me back and I know this but was thinking about other stuff and it became subconscious. After a bit and playing in a relaxed state of mind and body, I was able to actually move faster. Its been so long since I had any attention to the this rigidity that its actually habitual so I have to be conscious about it to avoid it. Try not to fall into this habit.
Members Jkater Posted February 15, 2009 Members Posted February 15, 2009 Use the finger(s) that is on the right string for the next chord and use it as an anchor so to speak. This should beome easier as you progress. We've all been there. Practice. Have fun"
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