Fumbling chords
 

When I first pick up the guitar and play a progression of chords it often goes smoothly for a few progressions and I'm thinking wow I've got this, and then I start fumbling the chord changes.
Any thoughts and or suggestions, besides the obvious of practicing/playing more? Does this kind of thing happen to any of you?

Chas,

Both during practice and at the occasional gig I'll be (like you) grooving along just fine, really feelin' it -- and then I start thinking about something else (easy to do at a restaurant gig where there activity all over) -- and I hit a bad chord or lose my spot in my sheet music -- in other words, THINKING leads to distraction. And when you make a mistake, just keep going like it never happened. When practicing you might stop and reflect on your mistake, but not at a gig.

Happy strumming!

Yep it’s easy to get distracted, or even sabotage yourself by just being happy you’re nailing the chords. Then you start to worry about keeping up the groove and that’s when you start messing up. Just feel the music and if you mess up, just keep going.

How does that saying go? Oh yeah, "Amateurs Practice Until They Get It Right; Professionals Practice Until They Can’t Get It Wrong"

I'm slowing down (slower than you'd actually want to play it) during practice
a lot... as slow as it takes to play all the right notes and do all the rolls or
whatever. And with a metronome some of the time. Not so much that it is
not fun to practice, but enough that I think it is doing some good.

-Mike

When I was learning to ski as soon as I’d think “hey, I’m doing alright!” Boom, down I’d go.
Now that I’m learning to play guitar, as soon as I think “hey, I’m doing alright!” Boom, down I go.