What I have seeen posted repeatedly is an exercise suggestion.

1)You finger the chord (lets say C chord).

2) DO NOT play anything.

3) You would then finger the next chord (lets say D Chord)

4) Again DO NOT play anything

5) Go back to #1 and repeat 1-4 about a gajillion times.

This is something I have seen called "muscle memory" or some such thing.

Personally. I agree with the more common suggestion of Play over and over and over again. The same concept is involved but you are training your ear by playing the chords. You still have to finger them, It just takes self discipline to play them in time and repeatedly hear Chord, D Chord, C Hord, D Chord etc etc. to infinity and beyond.

I once had an instructor tell me that the reason guitarists need to play the basic chords over and over again is to acheive a level of proficiency that if someone were to come into your room at 3:00 AM, shake you awake, hand you a guitar and have you run through the basic chords you could do this without thinking about it. You just know how to do it and it becomes natural.

Sort of the concept in modern martial arts. If you do this certain defensive manauver 100,000,000 times and find yourself in a situation where you need to defend yourself you do it without though.--just action.

Bottom line. Chord changes will become smoother the more you play and utilize the chords you know.

Try to focus on songs that only have about 2-3 chord changes as a "focus" when you practice. Pick only about 2 songs and try to use only down strokes at first, then when you become good at JUST the down strokes then begin working on a down/up pattern.

"Twinkle twinkle little star" and "this old man" may be corny songs to learn to play and every person who has had intruction from a teacher on any instrument will remember these songs (hell my 7 month old has toys that play yhis over and over agin -- I just can't sem to escape it!!!!!! :mad: )

But because of the repitionion of the chords and the familiarity of the songs these are good practice songs to play and build your chord transitions.

When it comes to Chord playing "Correctly". What are you basing the fingerings of your chords from? Chord Book? Instruction book? Do you have any basic chord charts that show the common chords and the common fingerings?

Correctly is too general of a term.

I play a D chord differently (but the same) as a lot of guitarists but there are other ways to play the same chord. Who is to say who is correct?

Hope this helps.

Mel Bay has a good chord book -- like a chord dictionary.

My 2 pennies and off my soap box.