I've found this to be a good, if a little boring, way to practice chord changes.
First, spend some time just making the change real, real slow, attempting to move each finger involved at the same time. At first, you won't be able to move all the fingers at once; you'll be moving them one at a time. This is OK starting out, but as soon as you can, start moving them all at once.
Pay close attention to where the fingers start and end up. Are there any fingers that stay on the same string? Use that. Any finger that moves just one string over, like from a D to a C (what I am currently practicing). Use that.
Not too long after you start this "no tempo" practice, it's time to bring out the metronome. I use a Line6 Guitar Port unit on my PC, which gives me several metronome choices. I use the 4 beat click, which makes a drum sound on beat 1, and clicks the other three.
I start on the D chord, and stum it on the first beat. I immediately palm mute it, and start moving my fingers to the C chord, and I strum it on the next 1 beat, mute it, and start moving back to the D.
I start out at like 30 beats per minute, so I have a LONG time to get my fingers in position. I do this for as long as it takes for me to do it "almost" perfect. At some point, it will seem like I'm not getting any better. At that point, I up the tempo, say to 50 or 60. Still lots of time, but less than there was before. This makes me concentrate more on efficiency. If you bomb really bad at this point, slow it back down, but keep doing it to some kind of count.
You'll be amazed at how quickly you'll progress.
Take care.
P.S. One more thing, try to eventually eliminate the little "last second finger adjustments" after you arrive at the chord. There won't be time for them when you get fast - try to know that your fingers are going to come down in the right place and don't move them after they touch the strings.
:note2:
Learning requires a willingness to be bad at something for awhile.
+1 to that. I do a similar thing with jazzier chords, and I do this with stndars chords but adding fills between the chords. May sound like a tautology, but metronomes really are the way forward. Best thing I ever added to my rig and the best thing I ever added to my practice routine. Wish I'd got with the programme earlier.
Thanks for the tip FR. :note1:
- George
I totally agree. I had a nice little "breakthrough" with something I've been playing at no tempo for way too long last night all because I finally started using the metronome with it. :roll: I should have known better as I've also noticed the do it until its "almost perfect" and then increase the tempo thing otherwise I'm always stuck at not quite perfect but not getting any better.
Hi Folks,
It is nice to see the "no tempo" method I teach in "The Principles" finding its way into your vocabulary! Yes, it is the most powerful single method there is for training your fingers. But, it must be coupled with intense focus on relaxation of the hand, arm, and body, as well as focus on the breath. Many people stop their breathing without realizing it, which immediately tenses everything up.
I have made a free video on changing chords that you can get here.......
http://www.guitarprinciples.com/multi-signup.htm
Best,
Jamie
http://www.guitarprinciples.com
Best regards,
Jamie
www.guitarprinciples.com
Can't recommend this book enough, guys and gals. It really helped me. :D
Hi Folks,
It is nice to see the "no tempo" method I teach in "The Principles" finding its way into your vocabulary! Yes, it is the most powerful single method there is for training your fingers. But, it must be coupled with intense focus on relaxation of the hand, arm, and body, as well as focus on the breath. Many people stop their breathing without realizing it, which immediately tenses everything up.
I have made a free video on changing chords that you can get here.......
http://www.guitarprinciples.com/multi-signup.htm
Best,
Jamie
http://www.guitarprinciples.com
Learning requires a willingness to be bad at something for awhile.
Can't recommend this book enough, guys and gals. It really helped me. :D
http://www.guitarprinciples.com/multi-signup.htm
I concur. Jamie has published the keys to success. And the philosophy applies to far more than guitar.
I'm playing stuff I never expected I could just because I now know how to approach the challenges and puzzles along the way.
Unimogbert
(indeterminate, er, intermediate fingerstyle acoustic)
Thanks for the support guys, I appreciate it! And I am glad my work has helped you.
I like to contribute material to guitarnoise (as in the lesson I did on David's arr of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps". If any of you have a question on something or a piece you are working on that you find troublesome, let me know, and I will answer your questions or create a lesson around the problem.
Best regards,
Jamie
www.guitarprinciples.com
If any of you have a question on something or a piece you are working on that you find troublesome, let me know, and I will answer your questions or create a lesson around the problem.
Jamie,
My problem right now is that I have been playing for over a year without knowing how to properly mute strings.
I saw a good video on YouTube ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeGg2hnwT3o ) from Next Level guitar on string muting, and I never had it explained to me like that. It really helped, but now I've got to learn to play all over again. :(
Learning requires a willingness to be bad at something for awhile.
Hi Fred,
I watched the video. I am not sure if you are saying that you have solved the problem by watching the video. If you have, great.
However, from what I see, it seems that Dave is showing you what needs to be done, but is not giving you a way of becoming able to do it other than "trying it" and seeing if the right thing happens.
I know for a fact that many people will still not be able to mute strings even if they watch someone do it. Some will, many won't. This is why I devised a very specific exercise for learning to do the right hand muting. It is included in my "Rock & Blues Foundation Course". Perhaps after I finish the last installment of David's arrangement, I will extract it from my course post it over here for you guitarnoise folks.
In general, it is good to keep in mind that there is a big difference between showing people what needs to be done, and giving them a way to become able to do it. Having sat across from guitar students for so many years who could not do things no matter how many times I "showed" them has taught me that, when it comes to guitar, there is a big difference between knowing how to do something, and being able to do it!
Best regards,
Jamie
www.guitarprinciples.com
Jamie,
You're right, I know "what" he's doing - he explained that well, but not "how". I have tried it, and I see how it could work, but you are correct, I have not been able to teach my hands what to do.
Learning requires a willingness to be bad at something for awhile.
Fred, I will see about posting that lesson from my course. I would recommend you check the course out in the meantime, if you are serious about making progress and getting results from practice. You are smart enough to appreciate the difference between being shown what needs to be done, and being given methods by which to become able to do what needs to be done. That is the difference between my course and all others.
http://www.guitarprinciples.com/shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=2&products_id=6
Best regards,
Jamie
www.guitarprinciples.com
