Playing the guitar as a background to singing is like playing a musical drum.
Until you can change chords fast, you won’t really be able to enjoy playing the guitar. You haven’t learnt it, until you can use it – and working with these will do it. Hum along as you play to make it more fun, you might even find you’re making up a song!
D-A7: D A7, D A7, D A7, D D D A7, A7 D, D A7, A7 D
D-G-A7: D G A7 D D G A7 G [X3]; D A7 D D
A-D-E-E7: A E, A E, A E; A A A D A E7, A E7 D A
Em-D, Am-E7: Em D [x3]; Em Em Am E7 [X3]; Am Am
G-C-D7: G D7 G D7 G C D7 D7 [x3]; D7 C G
Am-C-Em: Am C [x3] Em Am G Em C D7, C D7 G
Dm-Am-G7: Dm G7, Dm G7, Dm G7, Am Am
C-Am-Dm-G7: C G7 [x3]; C C C Am Dm G7, [x3]; Dm G7 C C
E-A-B7, Em-Am-B7: E A B7 A, [x3]; E A E E Em Am B7 Em
1/ Learn to shift fingers as a group when changing chords, rather than one finger at a time. (Although if they stay in the same place for different chords, then you leave them there - e.g. 1st and 2nd fingers on Am and C.)
2/ Memorise the sequence you want to use, then play it - first watching your fingers - then not watching them. Use the strumming points pg 6. Hum along as you practice, to make it more fun, even find words to fit, for your own songs! Then you are ready to try songs from the book and others, which use the chords…
CHORD SEQUENCES
Here are some chord patterns in the different keys… I’ve given a few suggestions, but make up your own too, especially for the changes you find difficult...
Begin slowly - it's important to keep an even beat going while changing chords. It sounds better to do a song slowly than to stop it in the middle to move your fingers!