Hi fam,

We hope your week is off to a great start. I was working on the acoustic guitar parts for Chelsea’s latest song, and a few challenging parts we wrote got my attention. They had to do with changing between open chords and bar chords.

That got me thinking. I know that these transitions can be pretty challenging for many players who are pushing to make that leap from beginner to intermediate, so I came up with a quick video that gives you 8 tips for making your open chord to bar chord transitions faster and smoother. They are explained in greater detail in the video, but here they are for you.

1 - Make sure your hand is in shape.

2 - Know the individual chord shapes on their own first.

3 - Practice multiple times per day if possible.

4 - Try to make the chord in the air first.

5 - Isolate the problem areas.

6 - Think ahead and visualize the next chord.

7 - Spring-load your hand.

8 - Be consistent with your practice over a longer period of time.

Give the video a watch, and let us know about any questions or comments that may come up. support@guitarfam.com

Have a great rest of the week,

Nate & Chelsea