Fast chords

When playing chords on the guitar, you've got to be able to switch between them quickly. Your goal should be to form a chord instantaneously by having your fingers land in the right "shape" on the strings, instead of forming it one finger at a time. Here’s a little trick when first learning them. Make the chord, then lift your fingers up just a little bit, to where they’re still touching the strings in the right place, but they’re not pressing down hard. Then press them back down hard onto the chord again & strum it once. Do this a few times, then, lift your fingers just barely off the strings, hovering right above where they should be for the chord, then press them down again. Strum once. Keep repeating this, but each time lift your fingers farther off the strings, then get them back down onto the chord & strum again. Finally, when lifting your fingers off the chord, wiggle all your fingers out, to where they “forget” where they just were, then as quickly as possible, play that same chord again & strum once. Your goal with this exercise is to get fast at putting your fingers in the right place for the chord. Making a chord, holding it and strumming it for 5 minutes straight is not going to help you learn the chord as much as this will. 5 minutes of this exercise will get you super-fast at making & playing the chord. And you need this speed, because when you’re playing a song & changing chords, the moment you hesitate and have to search for the next chord, you’ve lost the rhythm & the vibe is gone. Then, start alternating between different chords, & try to land each one with all fingers in the "shape" of the chord.

Also, if you want to really get good at changing chords quickly, do the above exercise with your eyes closed. That’s right. Do it by feel. You’ll be absolutely amazed at what your mind & body can learn to do without your eyes getting in the way. I've forced many a student to do this during a lesson, & they're always skeptical & scared at first, then a minute or 2 later, they're stunned & excited at what they can do. Give yourself a chance, now, & only open your eyes when you’re totally off base. Ultimately, you’re going to be trusting your mind, fingers, & especially your ears. So begin now, & trust them & be patient. You'll get it soon enough.

Down below is some intro to music theory also, but it's just the tip of the iceberg. If you're looking for a more thorough explanation & method to learning, you should find someone or something that can educate you. There's a lot of people & resources out there to choose from, & a few I've listed below, if you want to learn quickly from some awesome teachers. It's not the same as having a real person in front of you, but in many ways it's better. And a helluva lot cheaper, each gives you TONS more information than a few months' worth of lessons would get you. And the nice thing about learning from e-courses online is that you can learn at your own pace, & you don't have to wait til next week to find out what your teacher will show you next. It's all well-organized, so you can progress much faster. (I've actually gotten the last one on the list, the Nashville country chicken pickin' style program, & it rocks! It takes a bit of work to get the chops, but it's sweet being able to see all the licks broken down for you.) Be sure to check out the music theory bit & see if that helps you tie some concepts together.