4 replies to this topic

[artvandelay111]

I have been playing guitar for a while now and have started to see some improvements...especially in regards to moving between basic chords. However
for the past few weeks I have been stuck with switching from a barre chord to a normal chord...(in my case from Bm to G)
I have tried using the metronome at a very slow speed to make the switch and then gradually increase the speed like i did when learning the basic chords but I have seen
very little improvement and it seems no matter how much I play i cant make the switch faster.

I do realize that practice plays a big part in this and I will continue to do so, however i'm am looking for and tips or advice that could help to make the switch from a barre chord
to a normal chord at a quicker speed.

[Stu74]

I have the same problem but the other way around.Going from an open chord to a barre chord is what slows me down when i try to play a song .
I practice over and over again repeating the change just hoping eventualy i will get faster.Over the last 6 months i have only got very slightly faster and i practice every day.
Hopefully someone has a good tip to help speed us up but i think the only way is to keep on practicing.

[mset3]

Artvandelay,

Changing chords takes time to build up muscle memory. When using a metronome don't increase the speed until you can change perfectly from one chord to another at the current speed. This is a common mistake increasing the speed of the metronome when you aren't really ready yet. Start at a speed you are comfortable with no matter how slow it may be.

Practice your technique when changing chords and the speed will come in time.

Mike

[Jimbo70]

it takes time and practice but you know that already but there is more than one way to make a chord. Playing the guitar is about being not only fast but effecient and frugal in your movement. While your working on the change from a Bm to an open G why not use a Barre G? Your fingers retain the shape 2 strings up and your hand moves down a fret.

[Kirk Lorange]

If you're talking about about full six-string chords, yes, it gets tricky to make a nice clean change. Are you trying to get the full shape down in one go? That's a lot harder than starting with the bass string placement and then adding the other two fingers once you get that all-important root down.

Being a finger style player, it's easier for me. I rarely play full six-string chords, mine are usually bass note + three other strings, so I'm playing four-note chords. In the Bm (barre) to open G, I just release the barre to get the G triad on open strings 2-3-4 and add the bass note. Much easier.

I like Jimbo's idea: move from the Bm barre to the G barre.