It’s best to concentrate on down strokes first; - to develop a good sense of rhythm and volume; and it will also prevent one rhythm pattern becoming stuck in your mind. Later lessons teach other strums with down and up strokes for texture and colour.

Keep your wrist relaxed and flexible, but don‘t bend it in towards the guitar. The action is also like doing your hair, it moves sideways, and twists a little, but the thumb is in a straight line with the forearm… Hang the bend in your arm over the front edge of the guitar. The fingers should reach near or above the sound hole in the guitar...

There are several methods to choose from:

• - Index fingernail - the thumb points straight out from the arm, the index finger is curved behind it, so they cross between the tip and first knuckle, the other fingers are tucked under, or stuck out in front.
• - Flat pick (.60 mm) held between thumb and index finger placed as above like an extended fingernail.
• - Thumb - the hand is open - use outside edge of thumb. This makes a quieter sound for soft songs, so is useful...

Begin slowly - it's important to keep an even beat going while changing chords… imagine having to stop in the middle of a song while you change! It’s better to be slow than jerky…

CHANGING CHORDS in sequence (see pg. 7) is the best way to learn to play chords together fast. You don’t need to think about watching the words of songs, and if you memorise the progressions, you can watch your fingers at first, until you get the hand brain connection, and can do it without looking. This can happen in a few days, if you practice often, even if only a few minutes at time…