Changes
Smooth chord changes
Almost every beginner hits the same wall: you know two chords separately, but switching between them sounds like a train derailment. Good news — it almost always comes down to the same few things, and it's solvable with focused practice.
Change trainer
Zet 60 seconden en wissel zo vaak mogelijk schoon tussen C en G. Tel alleen wissels waarbij elke snaar helder klinkt.
The classic one-minute changes: pick two chords, hear them, set the metronome to a relaxed tempo, and count how many clean changes you can do in a minute. Try to nail one more tomorrow.
On video
Professionele videoles · met Jesse Buitenhuis
See the changes and fingerings demonstrated
The change trainer above trains the movement; this video lesson shows you how to set the fingerings. Jesse demonstrates the basic, barre, and power chords — including the tricky F and B that trip up many changes.
Basis, Barré en Power akkoorden zit in de abonnementen Gitaarles en Alles-in-één. Probeer een maand voor € 1.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the chord change keep getting stuck?
Three most common causes:- You're watching your fingers land one by one. Fingers must land at the same time, not one after another.
- You're lifting too high. The farther your fingers travel from the strings, the longer it takes them to come back.
- You started too fast. Smooth chord changes at speed are a physical skill that lives in your muscle memory — and that memory builds through slow practice.
What is an anchor finger?
A finger that stays on the exact same spot between two chords. When switching C → Am, your first finger stays on the first fret of the B string; your second finger stays on the second fret of the D string. Only your third finger moves. By consciously finding this in every change, your hand makes shorter movements — and shorter movements are faster and smoother.How do I practice chord changes most effectively?
One-minute changes: set a timer for 60 seconds and switch back and forth between two chords as cleanly as possible. Count how many times you manage it. The next day, try to get one more. It sounds absurdly simple, but it works: you're training the exact movement you need, isolated from the rest of the song.Do I always have to practice with a metronome?
Not from day one. Start with the change on its own — can you make it clean without pressure? Only then add the metronome at a low BPM (60–70). Count four beats per chord, then switch on the fourth beat. Is it clean? Go higher. Getting messy? Go lower. The metronome is a mirror, not a master.What if I forget where my fingers should go?
Totally normal in the first few months. Two fixes:- Visualize before you play. Picture the next chord while you're still playing the current one. Thinking three beats ahead prevents the 'blank moment'.
- Lower the tempo. At speed, your hand has no time to think. Slower = more thinking room = cleaner playing = faster muscle memory.
Tip for F and B (the tricky barre chords)?
Start with the simplified versions: F can be played as Fmaj7 (no barre needed), B as B7. That keeps the song playable while you work on the real version. For the barre itself: let your thumb drop behind the neck (not over it) so your index finger gets more leverage across all six strings at once.How long before it really flows?
For the basic chords (G, C, D, Em, Am): with daily practice, usually two to four weeks for clean changes at a comfortable speed. Barre chords take longer — three to six months before they stop feeling like hard work. Patience is a big part of the story; everyone who plays smoothly now has been through this phase.
Try it right now.
One minute of changes a day works — grab a song with two familiar chords and set the timer. Play along.