Originally Posted by: JP149Hi,
I've been playing 2 months with guitar tricks and 4 months total. Now I'm trying to learn C and G chord in guitar fundamentals 1. My question is:
Should I try to put my fingers down on the strings simultaneously from the start or will this develop automaticly with practice? It feels and it is (for now) impossible to get my fingers on the right places at the same time. C, D, Dm and G chords are the ones that I have biggest problems. Now I put every finger down individually, but is this a bad habit that I should get rid off?
Something to add to Lisa's post; don't get too hung up on how 'immediately' you can switch from one chord to another. Sure, you want to do it faster than you can do it now. Like Lisa said, it happens in context of a song. What I'd add is chord changes within songs aren't like teleportation and change immediately from one to another. There is a small 'space' between chords during changes. Take the Eagles Lyin' Eyes. While the strum is at a consistent pace, you will hear a sdmall sonic space between the chords (for instance between the G and the C change). Granted, the trick is to make that change within the rhythmic strumming. Still, there is a small space there. Even the most experienced player will have some sort of chord change space to get theri fingers in place. Sure, they can do it nice and quickly.
A tip to add; start with a slow rhythmic strum. Slow but steady pace. Work on that chord change to get it to fit within the space between strums.
Right now you're worried about getting all the fingers to hit at the same time. Right now you are worried about what your hand is doing physically and not about what your trying to achieve; the seemless sound of a chord change. If it sounds right, it doesn't matter if the pinky and middle finger hit their repective strings at the same time. Eventually your hand will get used to where the fingers go all by themsleves.
I've mentioned over the last few months that I've had a wrist injury last fall and it still lingers a little bit. I've been playing since 1981-ish. Suffice it to say, G to C open chords have not been an issue for a very long time...until I hurt my wrist. Because it was my outer wrist, that C chord is really awkward. Less so now but still a little funky and still more sloppy than I'd like. I mentioned Lyin' Eye above because that has a G-to-C transition throughout the song and have a very steady strum. So I use it as my 'therapy'.
Food for thought.