STARTING GUITAR
LESSON 8
MATT FINN
Chords we have
looked at so far...
Label the chords with the correct name...
Recap on Strumming
Patterns
Pattern 1
Play with an Em
Pattern 2
Play with an A
Pattern 3
Play with a G
Pattern 4
Play with an E
Stretch Those
Fingers
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
Remember to play only one string at a time and one note at a time! It is
so important to stretch your fingers and to exercise them, as it means
that you will get stronger and be able to fret the guitar better all the time.
Changing the
Chord
The Freeze Method: Hold the chord shape, lift your fingers on and off.
Place all your fingers down on a chord you’re working on. Choose a new one you haven’t got
to grips with totally yet. Hold the shape.
2. Very slowly lift your fingers off the strings. As you do, try to freeze your fingers in the
shape of the chord. Do not lift more than 1cm off the fretboard at first.
3. Put your fingers back down on the strings. Try to make all of your fingers touch the strings
at the same time.
4. Notice how one finger always hits before the rest? You need to keep lifting your fingers
off the chord and back on till they start to hit the strings at exactly the same time. Lift your
fingers off a little higher as you can feel the muscle memory
forming.
Looped pair: Change between two chords over and over
This trick is similar to the Freeze Method covered above, except practised on two chords.
Pick a chord change you’re finding tricky. Our aim is to make this pair of chord shapes best of
friends and change smoothly with ease between each other.
Practice changing between the pair of chords slowly. Play one down strum only on each shape
as you repeat the movement. This is once again all about building up your muscle memory
and control.
Changing the
Chord
The Windscreen Wiper Method: Always keep your strumming hand moving
Even when your fretting hand is slow and your fingers aren’t landing the chord shape right,
you must try to keep your strumming hand moving. Just like the windscreen wipers on cars.
Think of your strumming hand like your own personal metronome. If it pauses, your rhythm
is thrown out of sync, then the chord change will sound wrong.
Your brain naturally wants both hands to move at the same time, hence
why at first it automatically makes the strumming hand pause and wait for
the left hand to hit the chord fully.
So trick your brain!
If you force your strumming hand to keep going (even though it
will sound messy at first) your left hand will automatically speed
up- magic!
A NEW Chord!!!
Am
X A E A C E
HOMEWORK
PRACTICE! PRACTICE! PRACTICE!
1. Practice G, C, D, Em, E and A chords. Practice moving between them.
2. Exercise your fingers so that they become more comfortable on the fret-
board.
3.Practice your strokes, both the downstroke only and the down and up-
strokes
4.. Stretch your fingers, its important that they are looked after!
5. ENJOY YOURSELF!!!!
