Precise Playing through Chord Planting
This lesson is a branch from Area 1 from the Playbook for Beginners and Beyond main lesson. Visit the main lesson to see my philosophy on the five different areas of learning to play.
I have a technique I developed when I was teaching myself that has worked very well for me and then my students over the years. This will help you to switch between chords quickly and cleanly.
I'd like you to select three chords at one time and follow these exercises:
- Take the C, D and G chords. Play the first chord, C, slowly. Make sure that each string is sounding (you're playing the chord cleanly). Now switch to the D chord and make sure each string is sounding, and the same for the G chord. Continue this pattern, all without regard to any type of rhythm and just using down strokes, 20 times. Pick up speed as you progress, but only as you are able to keep each chord sounding cleanly. Next, try keeping the middle chord as the fourth chord and do the same: C, D, G, D and repeat the pattern.
Remember to always play cleanly and never progress until you can do so. Are you seeing that your fingers are moving to the next chord as a group? Right!
Next, pick any three other chords and do the same exercises. Take C, D, Em for example. Then try C, D, Em, D. Then try D, Em, F, etc. Try as many different combinations as you wish.
Some other great combinations to learn: C, F, G and Am, E7, G and C, Am, F, G7 and D, A, G.
The idea behind
Chord Planting is for you to incorporate this technique and keep it with you always. What it does for you is that it helps you to form the chord formation in the air with your fingers before placing them on the strings so you place your fingers on the strings all at once instead of 'feeling' for the chord one string at a time.
It's called
Chord Planting because the tendency then is for you to 'pounce' on the strings, which is the goal. You'll find that you can now switch to other chords very quickly. This will be helpful because sometimes when we want to switch chords we switch to the wrong one. You'll be able to switch to the correct one very quickly, and no one will be the wiser! Not only that, this is going to help you to switch chords within the rhythm of the song. You'll be more than ready when it comes time to switch. It helps because you won't have to give so much brain power to the chord formation, leaving your mind free for making music.
You'll find that you are so efficient at switching between chords that you'll be on time, every time.
A) no one will be the wiser that
you've chosen to play the chord that you're playing. You can switch to the 'correct' chord at your command.
B) this is the beginning of instilling confidence in your playing within a given rhythm. Soon, you won't be stopping when you make a mistake. You'll just plow ahead.
A byproduct of learning this is it helps you develop muting unwanted string sounds with the palm of the picking hand. This also is a part of the equation in becoming a clean player.
I've been using it since 1970, and it's a part of my practice routine that assures me of the ultimate performance. As you learn new chords, new songs, you'll be quite happy that you stuck with this because you will be the cleanest guitar player people have ever heard.
All the best,
Steve
