E, A & D chord changes

Course: D Chord & Rhythm Basics

In this video

A to D change (most frequent in songs at this level)

Same principle should be used as in Level 1 for the E & A change. Keep your first finger down and just lift off fingers 2 & 3 to change chord!

If the D chord isn’t ringing out when you change

Don’t keep your 1st finger totally still. Instead, slide it from the middle of the fret on the A to the ‘good’ side of the fret on the D! This is the most common cause of the D chord not sounding good during a song- make sure you slide the 1st finger over!

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The anchor finger is crucial here. Any chord change you struggle with should be practiced for a minute each practice session. With 3 chords, we have 3 possible chord changes. They are:

  • E to A (as in Level 1)

  • A to D (new for this level)

  • E to D (the hardest change, but also the least used)

Practice and repeat these changes and aim for a speed of around one strum of each chord per second!

Next Up: 8ths All Down Strumming

Well done! Let's jump into the next lesson of the course.