How to Switch Chords Faster on Guitar (The Slow Way That Works)

This is where most beginners get stuck. You can make a G. You can make a C. But the song stops every time you move from one to the other.

That pause does not mean you're bad at guitar. Your fingers just have not learned the move yet. Making a chord is one skill. Changing to the next chord is a different skill, and it needs its own practice.

I'm Marty McLean. I've taught guitar for years and reached more than 500,000 people online. This is the way I teach chord changes.

In this post:

• Why chord changes feel slow at first
• How to switch chords faster in 5 steps
• 4 common chord changes and the finger to watch
• A 5-minute chord change practice plan
• Questions beginners ask about chord changes

Why chord changes feel slow at first

Chord changes feel slow because your fingers are doing too much work. They lift too high, they land one at a time, and your strumming hand stops to wait for them. Each of these has a simple fix.

What slows the change	What to do
Your fingers fly far off the strings	Lift them just enough to clear the strings
Your fingers land one at a time	Move slowly and try to land them together
You lift every finger, even one that could stay	Find the finger that stays put and leave it down
Your strumming hand stops and waits	Keep it moving, even if the chord is a little late
You only practice the whole song	Pull out one change and practice it alone

How to switch chords faster in 5 steps

Here is the slow way that works. You only need two chords and a few minutes.

1. Pick one change. Choose two chords from a song you want to play, like G and D. Leave the other chords for later.
2. Go slow enough to get it clean. Move from the first chord to the second with no buzz and no pause. If it buzzes, slow down more.
3. Keep your fingers close to the strings. The less your fingers travel, the sooner they land.
4. Find the finger that barely moves. In many changes, one finger stays on the same string. Leave it there and let the other fingers move around it.
5. Count four, then switch. Strum the first chord four times and count out loud. Switch on the next count and keep your strumming hand going.

Smooth changes are the T in the STRUM Method I teach. T stands for transition smoothly. It gets its own letter because you need it in every song you play.

4 common chord changes and the finger to watch

Many chord changes share a finger. That finger stays on its string, and it guides the rest of your hand to the new shape. Here are four changes you will see in a lot of easy songs.

Change	The finger to watch	Song to try it in
G to D	Your ring finger stays on the third fret of the B string	Ring of Fire
C to Am	Your first two fingers stay. Only your ring finger moves	What's Up
A to D	Your ring finger stays on the B string and slides up one fret	Three Little Birds
G to C	No finger stays, so move all of them together as one shape	Leaving on a Jet Plane

These tips use the G shape in the chart, with four fingers. If you play G a different way, your shared finger may be a different one. The idea is the same. Look for what the two shapes have in common.

G to C is the hard one for a lot of beginners, because nothing stays down. Give that change extra time. Go slow and try to set all your fingers down at once.

A 5-minute chord change practice plan

You do not need a long session to get faster. Five minutes on one change, every day, does more than an hour once a week.

1. Minute 1: Build each of your two chords. Strum slowly and check that every string rings.
2. Minutes 2 and 3: Switch back and forth with no strumming. Watch your hand, keep it slow and keep it clean.
3. Minutes 4 and 5: Add the strum. Play four down strums on each chord, count out loud, and switch on the next count.

Every song in the free JamFast songbook has a step like this built in. It names the exact changes in that song, so you know which ones to practice. Bad Moon Rising is a good test, because the quick D to G change is most of the song.

You can also practice a change away from your guitar. Your fretting hand is doing the learning, so any time it spends on the move helps. That is why I made Chordly, a pocket-sized guitar neck with real strings. Here is my honest look at whether guitar chord trainers work.

"I am very much a beginning player and was really struggling especially with the transition between C and G. Finding additional practice time away from the guitar, like when waiting for an appointment has helped me improve significantly."

Dale Shepperson, verified Trustpilot review

Want something to tell you which change to practice each day? The whole method is built into the Jam Path in JamFast. It's like Duolingo for guitar. You play a few minutes a day, one small step at a time.

Start the Jam Path

Start for free today. No credit card needed.

When your changes feel smooth, use them in real songs. Here are 10 easy guitar songs that use just 7 chords. For a longer session, try this simple daily guitar practice routine.

Questions beginners ask about chord changes

How long does it take to switch chords smoothly?

It depends on how often you practice. A few minutes every day works better than one long session a week. Stay with one change until it's clean, then add the next one.

Should I look at my hand when I change chords?

Yes, at first. Watching your fingers helps them learn where to go. Once a change feels easy, try it a few times without looking.

Why do my chords buzz right after I switch?

A finger probably landed too far from the fret, or it is touching the string next to it. Slow the change down and press just behind the metal fret.

Should I stop strumming while I change chords?

No. Keep your strumming hand moving at the same pace. A chord that lands a little late sounds better than a song that stops.

Marty McLean is a guitar teacher and the founder of JamFast. He has taught guitar for years and reached more than 500,000 people online.