Chord changing - Essential knowledge but the worst-covered topic out there on guitar?

Old_Swanner

Still to meet a new student who knows this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhM5UdJFxnk

monquixote

Can you explain what it is so people don't have to click on the video?

Old_Swanner

monquixote said:

Can you explain what it is so people don't have to click on the video?

The little-known mechanics of perfect chord changes explained ... video is 3 minutes long.

It would take me a lot more than 3 minutes to write the explanation. 

sev112

Even quicker
move your fingers

Old_Swanner

sev112 said:

Even quicker
move your fingers

Very old man these days. very frail.

sev112

Just had a look mate. Your point about practising changing from one chord to the same chord is a very good practise point.
The one thing I would add is that anyone who has difficulty doing that is unlikely to be able to play right hand down up down up in the perfect timing that you are able.  So maybe they will struggle with that rather than the lifting fingers and putting them back down in the same spot.

And good on you for sharing a simple nugget, but one piece of friendly advice smile more  

But the person above who said “what’s the summary?” Is spot on.  No way of knowing what you are opening up from just a screen shot, and there are so many dodgy / crap / hour long etc videos out there, that we might miss out your nuggets of wisdom

keep it up

Old_Swanner

"No way of knowing what you are opening up from just a screen shot,"

I have added a couple of words to the thread title. Hopefully clearer.

Old_Swanner

"anyone who has difficulty doing that is unlikely to be able to play right hand down up down up in the perfect timing that you are able."

Practice usually needs to be at micro-speeds to retrain the correct (perfect) movements in so I've never (yet?) known the strumming hand to be a problem.

CaseOfAce

I think it's important to add / tell the beginner that the fingering /  chord shape you move to also heavily depends on what you plan on doing extension wise with the other fingers (either during the chord or for the next chord). For instance the G shape you use there is great for adding the sus 4 on the b string 1 st fret - Something you can't do as easily if you use the conventional G major shape with first finger on A string 2nd fret.

You also finger an A chord in a way I would never use - 2nd finger above the first.... but then again if you are going to an A major 7 after the A major triad it would work. Like most players I invariably play an A chord barring across the D, G, and B strings with first finger.

Switch625

Clicked out of curiosity. Nothing to say about the content but in terms of production the volume is very low and heavily panned towards the left channel? It's a bit distracting when using headphones that your voice is only coming through the left channel...

sev112

Looking forward to seeing some more

Danny1969

It looks to me like you are using the open strings as a bridge between chord shapes, which is a trick Lennon used all the time. As you only hear it momentarily for a split second it works to make the change seem more fluid but it's actually chord - open - new chord  ... ? 

sev112

I really quite like the change chord to itself trick /exercise, as it also leads exactly to what @Danny1969 suggests, and also starts to introduce the correct pressure to use to hold down chords, and also leads onto left hand muting.

good luck with the site @Old_Swanner , I like what you are doing there 

Old_Swanner

CaseOfAce said:

"For instance the G shape you use there is great for adding the sus 4 on the b string 1 st fret"

I go into that a bit in the article I link in the video.

"You also finger an A chord in a way I would never use - 2nd finger above the first"

I always teach it that way to beginners these days; it's way better for bigger fingers (many physically cannot play the 1,2,3 fingering cleanly) plus the real kicker is that when changing from A to E it's much more efficient - no large elbow movement needed and the fingers barely have to move by comparison!

Old_Swanner

Danny1969 said:

It looks to me like you are using the open strings as a bridge between chord shapes

It's something I realised a while back that most who'd ended up sounding good were doing though I'd never really seen it addressed anywhere. Hence my focus on it.

CaseOfAce

Worst covered topic out there on guitar? 
You'd be amazed at how many people out there can't play guitar standing up.
I'm not kidding.

Lewy

The ability to form the chord shape in “mid air” and land it all at once is the key, as you say. I’ve found the quickest and most effective way of training the fretting hand to do that is to start by holding down the chord shape and playing it with quarter note strums. Then start relaxing the pressure after you’ve strummed to make it a staccato chord *but keep your fingers on the strings*. 

Then after a minute or two of doing that start to go from only relaxing the pressure to actually lifting your fingers a tiny little bit off the strings and snapping them back down for the strum, and then gradually increase that lifting distance. Any time you fluff it, go back to a decreased lifting distance or back to keeping your fingers touching the string. Before you know it you can pretty much take your hand all the way off the neck between strums and snap that chord down cleanly when it’s time for the next one.

I’ve been able to get unfamiliar chord shapes reliably under my fingers in about 15 mins doing this.

Old_Swanner

Lewy said:

"I’ve been able to get unfamiliar chord shapes reliably under my fingers in about 15 mins doing this."

Agreed ... I split it into 4:

1) Strum ... check every string sounds correctly (including mutes if applicable)
2) Relax ... release the pressure but keep the chord shape lightly in contact with the strings.
3) Lift ... 1mm to start (then 2 then 3 etc. as it gets easier)
4) Touch ... return to the relaxed position

Repeat, ensuring the chord still sounds perfectly when strumming. If it doesn't then work out why, go slower and correct.

guitarjack66

CaseOfAce said:

Worst covered topic out there on guitar? 
You'd be amazed at how many people out there can't play guitar standing up.
I'm not kidding.

Guilty as charged.