| How quickly can your fretting hand switch from | | | | you will see that chord changes are not that |
| one chord to another? The speed and confidence | | | | difficult to do.When changing chords, first |
| you have in making chord changes is key to | | | | memorize all the chords involved in the song, and |
| mastering the guitar and successfully playing the | | | | then visualize exactly which fingers of the fretting |
| instrument.The key to learning any instrument, like | | | | hand are involved in playing the chords. When |
| most intricate human activity, is to develop brain | | | | playing simple barre chords, the most important |
| and muscle coordination, more commonly called, | | | | finger is the index finger, which will squeeze all 6 |
| muscle memory needed to play the instrument. If | | | | strings across the fretboard. So as you move |
| you picture a basketball player, for instance, the | | | | towards playing the chord, you have to position |
| key to a good shooting performance is the | | | | the index finger across the proper fret, or place, |
| proper hand-to-eye coordination in order to bring | | | | along the fretboard before positioning the other |
| the ball up, prepare, aim, and throw it towards the | | | | fingers of the chord. When playing a broken or |
| hoop. The different muscles of the arms, wrist | | | | simple chord, it is usually the index finger that is |
| and hands will learn the right movements and | | | | the most important finger. Primarily, the index |
| strength needed to score. Constant practice will | | | | finger and the thumb will form a stable anchor on |
| condition the brain, eyes, and entire body to know | | | | the guitar neck in order for the other fingers to |
| the routine of shooting the ball.This is similar to | | | | press the other strings of the chord. The index |
| guitar playing. The muscles involved would be the | | | | finger is usually played on the lowest fret and the |
| arms, wrists and the fingers, with the eyes, ears | | | | highest string (by pitch, or string 1), where it could |
| and brain working in unison to relate the | | | | more easily find the proper note, and the other |
| movements to the music being read and the | | | | fingers can follow to complete the chord.When |
| notes produced by the guitar. This is the | | | | playing a particular song, keep time with the |
| mechanism that works when a guitar player | | | | music, but anticipate in which bar and on which |
| starts to change chords.Luckily, there are simple | | | | beat the next chord will continue. For beginners, it |
| techniques that can help the beginning guitar | | | | would be preferable to practice the entire song |
| player to develop these muscle memories and ear | | | | slowly from beginning to end, taking care to |
| training for proper chord changes. Read below and | | | | change to each chord on time and on tempo. |