Learning Guitar Chords? Try These Chord Progression Exercises To Build Your Ability And Confidence!

If you are learning guitar chords, hopefully you have mastered some of the basics. Sometimes, playing individual chords is not too hard, but when you start moving from one to another, that's where it can get confusing. But to make progress, you are going to need to learn how to switch between chords quickly, almost without thinking. Of course, this takes practice, but once you get into it, you can soon get the hang of it. Once you begin to master this, you can move onto chord progressions.

Practice this progression first - E minor to G. Strum the E minor chord four times, and count aloud 1,2,3,4, as you do this. Try to keep a steady rhythm - use a metronome, slowly if necessary, as this will help.

Now move to the G major chord, once again counting 1,2,3,4. After 4, move back to E minor. Just keeping switching between these 2 chords - E minor 1,2,3,4, G major 1,2,3,4. Keep at it. After a while it will become almost second nature to you. You are performing a chord progression. Once you feel comfortable, change things around a little. Count 1 AND 2 AND 3 AND 4. Strum down on the count, and up on the 'AND'. You' are now playing downstrokes and upstrokes, and even these 2 simple chords begin to sound interesting.

Once you have mastered this progression you are ready to attempt another. Just take your time - as a guitar beginner, don't try to run before you can walk. In the way that you kept practicing E minor to G major until it felt natural, so you should do the same with these.

Try the progression from E major to A major, counting in the same way as before. E major 1,2,3,4, A major 1,2,3,4. Once this feels comfortable, try changing it like this: - 2 beats on E major, then 2 beats on A major. So this would be E major (1,2) A major (1,2). Keep practising these 2 beat parts, and it will test your ability to switch, and get you used to it more quickly. This progression is also known as I IV progression, and you will find it used in many songs in your guitar tuition programme.

Next, practice the chord progression from E minor to A minor. As before, practise changing chords after the 1,2,3,4, count, before moving to the 1,2 count version.

All the time you should find yourself feeling more at ease switching between chords, and before too long will be able to attempt this progression. G major, D major, C major, C major. In each case, the chord should be played for the 1,2 count. If you listen you should notice that you are playing the progression for Bob Dylan's 'Knocking On Heaven's Door'. By just switching the progression to G major, C major, D major, C major, you'll be playing 'The Joker, by The Steve Miller Band. Learning guitar chords can be great fun.


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