Tips for chord improvement C chord pictures

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by JonPR

The Am > C change ought to be one of the easiest there is. Like BFD says, keep your index on the 2nd string and your middle on the 4th string. Then your ring finger just moves across from 3rd string to 5th string.
If you're not currently doing it that way, I really recommend practising it that way.

I was going to say that. Practice that Am to C transition and it will help immensely with muscle memory.

[SunnyDee]

Seconding what others are saying about using a anchoring finger. Practically all my chord changes involve some anchor. I "crawl" across the fretboard, rather like James Taylor does.

That being said, I had a bit of buzz almost every time I hit a C for the first time in a song for quite some months. It really irritated me. But then I slowed WAY down, like slow motion, "bullet-time" slow, and then I saw it - I was, ever so slightly, rolling my ring finger away from the fret. As soon as I saw it and practiced a few days not doing it, the problem disappeared. SLOW your movements so slow that you can see the tiny mistake that's causing the problem. This works for so many issues.

[Darylb23]

I am by no means an expert but I have found that playing with a click or a drum beat or something is the very best way to get chord changes better. What happens is your right hand has to stay on time. If your left doesn't get there, it just doesn't get there but the right hand keeps playing. If you aren't getting there, slow the tempo until it is a speed that works. Get that smooth and turn it up a little. Then more and more until you get to game speed.

For the, the single best thing I have bought since I began learning to play (late starter) has been the DigiTech Trio+. It's kind of a band in a box plus a looper. Play a progression in and it creates a bass and drum part. You can change the style until it sounds like you want and you can turn the bass part down if you don't want it. It also has a looper so you can play over that rhythm part. More importantly, I can slow it down to learn a part and speed it up when ready. Before that I used an app on my phone that had a bunch of different beats that I could control tempo. I think there are also tools you can record a backing track into and control tempo.

Either way, playing in time is the deal. And adjusting the tempo allows you to slow down and play it right first.

[caissiel]

Love my trio for learning new songs. Like you said it allows me to slow it down with same beat style. It also feels as if I am playing live wit a band. I noticed that playing solo without it it feels there is something missing. I feel it but​ the audience don"t.

[SprintBob]

PS, you have a lot of great advice here and I'll add something else to try. Put a capo on at the first or second fret then play the C chord in a progression and see if that does not improve your consistency. If it does, you may discover you fit a 12 fret and/or short scale guitar better ergonomically than the standard scale GA you are currently playing. 6 of the nine acoustic guitars I currently own are 12 frets and only two of those are not short scale. They are just more comfortable for me to play with less tension in the fretting hand. I used to have similar issues that you describe and I found it was easier to work out of it playing my 12 fretters. You may also find that a 14 fret guitar with a short scale is a better fit. I played a Martin Eric Clapton OM with a short scale recently that was very comfortable to play.

Good luck.

[Earwitness]

Originally Posted by JonPR

The Am > C change ought to be one of the easiest there is. Like BFD says, keep your index on the 2nd string and your middle on the 4th string. Then your ring finger just moves across from 3rd string to 5th string.
If you're not currently doing it that way, I really recommend practising it that way.

Well, yes and no. The change is only one finger moving two strings and one fret, but for me, it draws on a strange linkage of forearm/wrist/hand that has always been a little harder than what it looks like.

Being common, and often beautiful, I have made that change 50,000 times now and would never “miss” it but even now, it does not come naturally as a finger flexion—or carpal tunnel or whatever.

[1neeto]

Also try and make a habit of muting the low E string with your ring finger as you fret the C note on the A string.

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by Earwitness

Well, yes and no. The change is only one finger moving two strings and one fret, but for me, it draws on a strange linkage of forearm/wrist/hand that has always been a little harder than what it looks like.

Being common, and often beautiful, I have made that change 50,000 times now and would never “miss” it but even now, it does not come naturally as a finger flexion—or carpal tunnel or whatever.

I finger Am with the index on the B string, middle on G, ring on D, and my middle and ring fingers stay in the same orientation for Am, Em, C, little F, and G. You might find that position/motion easier on your hand.

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by Pillowsplat

For instance, playing stand by me G Am C D.
The Am to C seems to be a 50% success rate.

Ok John... Here's the deal. I believe your problem with Am to C is purely conceptual. If you see the image here, the Am and C are almost identical, execept that the 3rd finger moves to the C (5th string/3rd fret as shown). Nothing moves except your third finger. Simple as that. Practice going from Am to C and back to Am and you'll see how easy it is.



What can be more difficult is G to C and back. Most people finger the G 2-1-3 (shown on 2nd image below, bottom left photo) or 2-1-3-4. While the stretch is easier this way and useful in some circumstances, I think it is a much clumsier way to finger G when you have to move to most of the other cowboy chords. Then the whole hand has to rotate to find the C maj chord. Or if going in the other direction the same thing applies. What's easier to get to the C chord, if you have the flexibility is to finger the G 3-2-4 (also shown) You only have to shift fingers 3 and 2 over, lift the pinky and put down the index on the C (2nd string/1st fret). Then a non-barred F is only one more shift away. After you get this under your fingers you'll see that C, F and G are related a I, IV and V chords in the key of C and require minimal shifting or movement to go back and forth. And when you incorporate this with the concept of the relationship of the fingering between C and Am and realize how Em is right next door. Learn G major as I illustrated and you'll discover how ridiculously easy it is to move between most of the basic chords in the key of C.



I hope this helps you... at least with the Am to C.

[Pillowsplat]

Wow! You folks are great! I really appreciate everyone making positive, encouraging comments.
More metronome work, more practice, I will get it.
And to confirm my knucklehead status.
I meant Em to C instead of Am to C. To make matters worse I fret the Em with one finger. It cuts down on muting for me. When you guys said index anchor. I knew I was doing something really wrong, then I realized. Oops.
A Martin might neck include getting murdered by my wife.
4 live lessons
4 live video lessons
An online lesson service Jamorama.
Playing with a couple of friends.

[vindibona1]

Originally Posted by Pillowsplat

Wow! You folks are great! I really appreciate everyone making positive, encouraging comments.
More metronome work, more practice, I will get it.
And to confirm my knucklehead status.
I meant Em to C instead of Am to C. To make matters worse I fret the Em with one finger. It cuts down on muting for me.

DON'T DO THAT FOR NOW! Play Em with 2 and 3. To get to C 3rd finger moves over one and down one and the 2nd finger just moves over 1.

As a new play I want to share one thing that perhaps you will take to heart:
IT TAKES 20 MINUTES TO INSTILL A BAD HABIT AND 20 YEARS TO UNLEARN IT. Anyone who tells you it's ok to take short cuts to learning or use cheats is not doing you any favors at all. It may take a few more days to learn things the right way, but they are tools that you'll use over and over again and will aid in your improvement.

Take my advice as you will.

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by Pillowsplat

Wow! You folks are great! I really appreciate everyone making positive, encouraging comments.
More metronome work, more practice, I will get it.
And to confirm my knucklehead status.
I meant Em to C instead of Am to C. To make matters worse I fret the Em with one finger. It cuts down on muting for me. When you guys said index anchor. I knew I was doing something really wrong, then I realized. Oops.

This is even easier. It sounds to me like you might be using one particular fingering for each chord regardless of the changes you are going to make. For Em, if you put the ring finger on the A string and the middle finger on the D string, then you just slide the middle finger over right into the C, then drop the index to the B string. I'm not sure why more people don't play it this way, because it makes for some great sliding changes between C and Em and down into Am and up into G keeping the ring finger above the middle one for all of them.

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by vindibona1

Ok John... Here's the deal. I believe your problem with Am to C is purely conceptual. If you see the image here, the Am and C are almost identical, execept that the 3rd finger moves to the C (5th string/3rd fret as shown). Nothing moves except your third finger. Simple as that. Practice going from Am to C and back to Am and you'll see how easy it is.



What can be more difficult is G to C and back. Most people finger the G 2-1-3 (shown on 2nd image below, bottom left photo) or 2-1-3-4. While the stretch is easier this way and useful in some circumstances, I think it is a much clumsier way to finger G when you have to move to most of the other cowboy chords. Then the whole hand has to rotate to find the C maj chord. Or if going in the other direction the same thing applies. What's easier to get to the C chord, if you have the flexibility is to finger the G 3-2-4 (also shown) You only have to shift fingers 3 and 2 over, lift the pinky and put down the index on the C (2nd string/1st fret). Then a non-barred F is only one more shift away. After you get this under your fingers you'll see that C, F and G are related a I, IV and V chords in the key of C and require minimal shifting or movement to go back and forth. And when you incorporate this with the concept of the relationship of the fingering between C and Am and realize how Em is right next door. Learn G major as I illustrated and you'll discover how ridiculously easy it is to move between most of the basic chords in the key of C.



I hope this helps you... at least with the Am to C.

That’s how I finger the G, even if the next chord is D (most 213 advocates say that’s the reason why they finger the G with 213). To me having that “floating” index finger when I finger a G chord opens up more effortless chord transitions (Especially barre chords on the first two frets) it simply makes sense. The only one that can be tricky is D, but I’m so used to finger the G with 324, that my D transitions are just as smooth.

[rick-slo]

Yes, Am-C-Am-C for example is pretty easy. You just have to watch that you do not mute the open G string on the C chord with the index or middle finger. Also, have your fingernails very short on the fretting hand so that your fingertips can be vertical to the fretboard without the nail touching the fretboard.

[SunnyDee]

Originally Posted by 1neeto

That’s how I finger the G, even if the next chord is D (most 213 advocates say that’s the reason why they finger the G with 213). To me having that “floating” index finger when I finger a G chord opens up more effortless chord transitions (Especially barre chords on the first two frets) it simply makes sense. The only one that can be tricky is D, but I’m so used to finger the G with 324, that my D transitions are just as smooth.

I know which G chords this describes but I don't understand the numbering used here. I would have referred to these as 320033 or 320003 which, of course, is frets, not fingers. Can someone tell me what do these numbers describe exactly?

I use the 4-fingered G only when playing a song that seems to be written for it, because it calls for Dsus or Em7 or Cadd9... chords that are easier with that fingering, or if I need the sound of the extra 5th. Otherwise, I like my index finger free, too.