Using your 1st finger as an anchor will help you move between your chords a lot faster...

Video Lesson

Drop the anchor to guide the way

Keeping your first finger on the 3rd string (G) will help you guide all of your fingers to the new positions when you change chords. You don't need to keep the pressure down, but leave it in contact with the string all the time.

Start with a change from E to A. Put your fingers down for the A then lift your second and third fingers while leaving the first finger in it's place. Slide the first finger back one fret (to the 1st fret) and then place your second and third fingers down in the correct frets to form an E chord. After a few times changing between them I'm sure you will find that the anchor finger makes it a lot easier to make the change.

Once you are cool with that then have a go an using the same technique changing from A to D. This time the first finger will stay in the same place. Try it.

Once you are there with that then move onto doing D to E still using your first finger as an anchor.

You should aim to be able to make any changes between the chords A, D and E while keeping that first finger in contact with the string. It doesn't have to be hard, but don't let it lift from the strings... if on the change from D to A you want to keep your finger down, it won't make any difference as it's staying in the same place!

At this point I still recommend trying to get your fingers down one at a time, usually in finger order, starting with your first finger, then second and then third finger. But of course keeping the third finger throws this off balance a bit... I would suggest still placing the first finger down then the second, just for consistency. I wouldn't make much difference really if you want to put them down together or the other way round though - so don't get worried about it.

This concept can be used any time a finger needs to stay on a string, but of course it only works with certain chord changes. But use it where you can.

Try and maintain your accuracy as best you can while doing this stuff. The next thing we're going to look at is speed development (getting your chord changes faster) where accuracy is less important, but for other things, try and keep it as correct as you can!

Remember too that at the start you are bound to make little mistakes. Be patient with yourself and enjoy the journey. Little mistakes will get corrected with time and practice, so don't beat yourself up if you have not mastered the guitar in the first week. It may take a little longer ;)

Try doing it a few times slowly now and get used to the feeling and then it's time to really get your chord changes moving a quick as you can doing BC-115 • 1 Minute Changes

 

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