“Slow is Smooth. Smooth is fast.” A saying we used in military training...applicable most anywhere; especially here! Totally dig your teaching skills/style. 🤘🏻
I learned it in military too and repeated it my head when he mentioned that idea. I was wondering if its one of those military sayings and I’m starting to think it is. You know, the ones you repeat and “civilians” look at you like you have that third eye on your forehead Kind of like “tracking” lol. I’m always going around saying “you tracking this assignment/detail/deadline/etc?” And get nothing but confused looks at first
I’ve watched this several times over the last 10 months (since April 19, 2017), when I decided to learn guitar. I found your videos, and I heard the message “everyone gets ‘there’ by practicing; everyone starts out a beginner”. I was inspired and encouraged! My plan is practice every day for ten years! :) Today is day 255/3650. I have five daughters, and I borrowed my 14yo’s guitar (secretly at first) to practice. Then I ‘came out’ and soon my husband gave me a beautiful Ibanez for my 46th birthday! My daily practice seems to have an effect on my kids-now they are taking lessons (& practicing) in guitar, piano, voice...and Santa brought them a ukelele, drums, and more. Just want to let you know how grateful I am for the boost to get started and to know you still have my back on those days when it feels like I’m making no progress. (I know, there’s a video for that, too!) 😜
All this people complaining about how much he talks... If you people are looking for a tutorial then i think you are in the wrong place... this are guitar LESSONS... the teacher at school doesn't just teach you how to solve mathematical equations, he explains the science behind them for you to actually understand the logic in them... well, at least that's what they are supposed to do... Great video Erich, really appreciate it!
sploofmonkey The only thing I know is that people in general like the sound of their own voice. I did have a Sociology professor that went on for hours off topic, nothing learned and zero gained. This video is over the top though..he just goes on and on...zzzzzzzzzz
Summary- Mentally prepare your finger placement(shape) before you jump between chord or move anything. Metaphorically- when jumping across rocks in a river, know where your next rock is before you land or you’ll fall in.
Teachers that would use analogies, stories and make me laugh, helped me learn and remember things before taking tests and even years later. Your teaching style reminds me of those good teachers.
As a 56 year old guy who finally decided to get serious about learning the guitar, (better late than never) this video is just what I needed to watch. I've never had anyone actually make my brain get how to transition smoothly until now. Thank you.
I was an elite level NCAA athlete and coaches always talked about visualizing your movements to become better on the field and this is the first time anyone has told me to visualize the string that your about to play its made me alot better right on man
For transitioning, here are a couple of other things I find helpful:1. Practice hammering the chord onto the fretboard from your hand just hovering above the fretboard. So you are not worried about which chord you are coming from, just where you are going. This helps your hand remember the shape.2. Even when you are practicing slowly, the transitions should be quick. Don't slow down the transition just because you are playing the song slower. Your transitions will sound a lot better when you play at normal speed.3. Don't look at your fingers; move by muscle memory. Your eyes aren't that good or fast a guide to position your wriggly nest of fingers. All of this is to make sure your fingers aren't hunting around when you go to the new chord.
I've just started playing, and what you are explaining is a very useful tip,that's the way I got my muscle memory going to hit the chords with perfection,I just sit with my guitar no strumming and constantly hammer on and off the same chords
This is really encouraging for someone like me, I picked up the guitar without any training, just to cope with the pressure of medical school and now I can play full fledged covers thanks to your videos and many like them. Sending tons of love from India....❤️ Thank you so much .. Rashi
what a miracle! Its literally me second day of learning guitar and I only know G, Em and D chord. befor this video I was struggling to even take just D alone despite looking at my strings, dont even talk about trasiting to it. right after hearing the idea of the video i just stopped looking at my guitar at tried to just thinking about how the D chord looks like, well guess what? I tried to play G and the transiting to Em and then D without looking at my string, and miraculously did I do that totally right time and time again. BooooM, I am so excited to practice now. Thank you som much for learning this small but very important and effective trick. 💥💥💥💥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thanks to this video I am now able to switch chords a bit more smoothly, I was moving my first finger first then the other two but it really helps to do it the other way. Also, a bit of advice for anyone who was having the same trouble I was having: It really helps to try not to look at your fingers or the frets when switching chord, just go for it and try to play it blindly, because I found that I was able to do it better than when I was looking. I'm still a bit sloppy but my mind is training my fingers to be where they should be and I thought I would never get this., so give it a go and see what happens!
I’ve been playing for a few years now and I’ve really noticed a huge struggle is improvising chords. I think something THIS simple helps with so much more than just open chord strumming. Fretboard understanding, writing, spontaneity and overall technique. It’s so unbelievably simple that you’d never even think about it. Subbed 👍
Amigo. I've been struggling to get my 10 Years Gone smooth and beautiful forever. 2 days after watching this, I'm there. Absolute playing bliss. I've been playing on and off forever. This is huge. Cheers my man.
Wow! Thank you so much. I quit playing 25 years ago out of frustration, and have just started up again trying to do things slowly and correctly. You really did get in my mind 🤪, and I am excited to practice this. Cheers!
Late starter (64) guitar beginner, taking a weekly lesson. This added a whole new dimension to my chord change practice. I do work slowly between transitions, but my fingers are still all over the place. This I know will help me improve immensely! Thank you for tbe lesson.
Thank you Mr. Erick 💖 for being my favorite beginner's teacher. This lesson of rock hopping is particularly very deep. It is like stopping at an intersection's traffic light and in anticipating to make a turn onto an unfamiliar street/road, one needs to try look ahead at the formation/lanes of that road before turning.
I'm 60 and been trying to learn how to play the recorder for over a year now. I think this might even help me learn to do my fingering for that. THANK you so much!
I NEVER see this taught well. Way to go! I actually noticed this by myself decades back, when I was trying to figure out how to change chords faster. I thought it was just me who had super slow fingers. But I was thinking about the wrong things. I was thinking about the current chord, not the next chord. Same thing for slides and bends. You can't think about where you are. You have to focus on where you're going. Ever tried to learn something like The Beatles' Blackbird, and get that slide all the way up the neck right without focusing on where it ends? And it's like snow skiing. If you're focused on what's beneath your skis, you're doomed. You need to be scouting out the path 2 or 3 bumps ahead, and let your body deal with the details. Or you won't have a good time. Everybody, this point is much more important than it sounds! A simple tip that makes all the difference. You just have to train your head to do it. Wow, thanks Guitar Sage!
Ok, so I tried the method yesterday and today. I can honestly say this is the best tip/trick for chord changes on the internet. I'm still very much a beginner and have been able play my first semi-decent C to F bar chord to G (have you ever seen the rain) because of this, I have been thinking for MONTHS how difficult the transition was (and playing the cheeky F cheat (like a C, 2 strings higher). Thank you so much Erich! I've just gone and got a copy of your book in the background!
Super powerful video. I accidentally stumbled on this technique by increasing my strumming time to visualize the next chord. So my brain kind of pulled me in this direction. And it really works.
Man really,, Words can't describe how thankful most ppl who watch you are.. and your free E-book, it's just has everything a guitar player would need to learn and advance in guitar, Thank you man this is really great!
I am a beginner struggling to "master" the 12 bar blues in A . No matter what I did I could not make the transition from A7 to D7. Within less than an hour of watching your video I had it! Also enjoyed your Top 5 Things video and Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie video. You are a treasure for all. Thanks!
ppl, he's got to make a living....if all he said was "visualize (create a mental image) of the next chord before you move your chording hand" the video would be 10 seconds long, max! Cut the guy some slack, lol
I love that fighting analogy. I've been training/fighting for about 15 years now. Thinking a few steps ahead is key. This is why your my favorite guitar instructor.
He has a great point it's like driving you have to anticipate your move before you reach your point meaning you have to look ahead so think ahead before you move your hands
Vanessa D then it becomes second nature, you don’t really thing about what specific turns you’re going to make when driving to work for the millionth time
Just like to say thank you for this lesson i have been playing for 6 months and after watching your lesson it's the first time i have been able to change chords without looking at the fretboard and get the chord right. thanks for sharing
Great tip from a psychological perspective 👍🏽 In terms of actually being on the strings, a great tip I heard is to transition your hand on the final "and" of a four-beat. So while strumming, as you count 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and, you lift off on the final "and" to be ready for the 1 on the next bar You might be doing an upstrum on this final "and", but that's ok bc our ears don't pick up the difference in sound once you lift your chord hand off as you begin the upstrum
I didnt start playing until I was 25. Im 54 and still not happy with my playing.Even for the famous players the guitar is a instrument of new discoveries.
I’m 69 and love learning off of UA-cam. So many teachers to learn from. Each has their own technique for teaching. When I was younger, we had to pay one teacher whether we liked their teaching style or not because there was nobody else around. Now UA-cam makes the learning so much better in many many ways. Happy strumming everyone!!
Having recently retired, learning to play guitar has been on my "to do list" now that I have the time. I have no muscial background and have never attempted to play anything. A year ago I bought a chaep accoustic guitar and started out with various UA-cam videos and as well as in person weekly lessons. Being an older, inexperienced learner I appreciate your very simplistic approach. This video (which I've watched several times) has led me to sign up for your program. Thank you....I look forward to seeing where this leads me. - Carl
This is such an important concept. I tell my students always be thinking ahead, if your on a G Chord already and the next chord is A you should not be thinking about the G chord but to A. The better you get the further ahead you can think. I feel really bad about a egotistical stupid comment I made on one of your videos and your response was dead on and made me reevaluate. This lesson is exactly what I teach my students, think ahead. Beat one is not the start but the destination. A pro can think an entire progression ahead but when starting out the next chord is the destination. Your lessons occupy and important gap in pedagogy that I initially missed but now get. How can the beginner reach the pro level. It’s an important place and you are filling that nich. Attempting the bridge that beginner pro gap. It’s a discussion I have with peers. It’s a noble important step. I think I get what you are doing. At first I was not convinced but as I view your videos we are on the same page. I too am trying to reach those from the 3 to 5 year mark in hopes of pushing them to the next level. Please accept my apology. I was was wrong about You.
thanks helped helped me so much . ppl talking about how much he t talk don't you guys want to learn guitar or dk you guys have some work . nah youa re free in time
When I was struggling with scales my cello teacher told me to imagine what the next note should sound like in my head before playing it and it pretty much instantly solved my problem. I hadn’t even thought of bringing that over to the guitar but this is so helpful
Thank you so much for this lesson! In most youtube lessons I keep seeing tips on how to get the chords right when that's the easy part for me, the trouble is it takes forever to transition. Will definitely try your techniques. I keep thinking, if I can type super fast without looking at the keyboard, then I'll be able to do this too one day.
Fellow teacher here, I love how you explain this (and if you don't mind, I'm going to steal your river analogy - that's great!). This is exactly what I tell my students - you have to think ahead just a little bit. But I like how you break it down and really explain that concept. I tend to just state it and then continue on, and I should probably spend more time focusing on it because it really is so important. Thanks for the helpful lesson!
An absolute genius and legendary teach! I’m a Pilot in Canada, and I teach things broken down into little pieces just like this. I also own and operate a Label Printing company, and I teach new Pressman the SAME.WAY..... one piece at a time. It’s how I learned to fly, and print 10 color labels. You got it! I play piano, but don’t know how to read music. But.... NOW I want to learn based on how you teach! Good on you! Thank you for all you do! Music is essential to life. ❤️🔥
Not only is this funny, but fantastic and philosophical all puréed together! I think this lesson is a metaphor for life: focus your attention on intention; set yourself up for success with strong foundation of basic skills. Love your energy, candor and positivity!
Great lesson. My two bits is that visualisation help not only in chord changes, but also while playing lead guitar. Visualisation helps us land on the right note, while playing fast.
I wanted to start before 5 years.. But didn't keep up, today I held a guitar and your lessons have cleared all the fears of obstacles..I have begun.. :)
I like how you don't get defensive and comment back to the occasional negative press...I think people with focusing problems and/or deficits in analogical reasoning tend to be those that are disgruntled with your vids...I, personally, like your style, your teaching and your humor...Thanks :)
Like many others have said here, this was very helpful. Another older noob, grateful for this opportunity to be under quarantine, and to be able to pick up the old dusty lumber after 8 yrs. and give it another try. The visualization concept you describe is so simple but yet not so intuitive for those like me. I'm very excited to have stumbled upon this and will look to put it in practice right away. Much Thanks
Holy shit! It works! Wow! Thank you 🙏🏾 I’ve been struggling with this for such a long time, but the way you worded it and used imagery (the rock, the water), was so helpful. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! ✨
Thanks! You do a great job in describing where the guitarist's focus should be, and I think we both share the same sense of humor! You bring fun into ironing out the technical wrinkles that are often common among beginners. It would be fun to jam with you just for the sheer joy of playing. Both my grown sons have exceeded my skills and abilities. Thanks for making this vid!
One thing I found in this lesson is it missed out the the #1 technique that really helped me (and still does) that may probably be easier for very basic beginners Anchors---- Any finger that you can leave in the same spot, or on the same string and slide it into the new position, for both chords. Take the G chord and the A7 in this example. your 3rd finger does not need to lift from the fretboard, it only needs to move sideways by 1 fret. While Visualisation is good, and still needed it's still harder to get your head around Also, if you have one finger in position or it is only a fret away, you can just keep strumming until all other fingers are in position and still sound mostly like the chord you're trying to play. It can even enhance your sound in some cases ua-cam.com/video/pBacbX9yefA/v-deo.html
You still need to think about it beforehand, though. Anchors are nice, but if you don't have a very clear idea of what your next step is, you'll anchor your way to a failed or delayed chord. Visualisation doesn't exclude other techniques, it actually makes them even more effective. Just saying.
as someone who only learned a little bit of basics and i am in between the beginner and the intermediate still. i can say that i have this problem and i actually realized since the first day it has to do with the image in my mind since i always end up "drawing the image too late" although my fingers can move fast. so i am glad you actually made it clear as day that i am not missing something with my thought process. also, yes you entered our minds but it it creeped me out the way you did it XD
Must be a regional thing. To 'traverse a river' is perfectly fine in many of the places I've been, especially if you mean by boat across a river that's churning or full of debris (see: the Mississippi river).
I love you sooooooo much you really helped me soooo much more than alot of other teachers Other teachers only shows you some exercises and tell you you it's all about practicing which isn't true at all never stop making videos cause you are such a good teacher
This video is absolute gold. I’ve been having this problem since I started and never knew how to fix it, as I’m especially guilty for holding the notes for too long and not staying on beat. I’m going to start this exercise, and hopefully it will help!
Ok you were obviously not kidding, it worked so fast, I started couple of days ago. And i was clueless how people moved from g to c. This video fixed my transition in 5 mins tops. Like first 5 mins fixed my broken confidence
I'm one of those old 45 year old newbies... I"ve been playing with scales and tabs and avoiding chords completely for the past year. This was a seriously awesome lesson and finally got my stubborn brain in gear. I'm heading across the river... thank you... thank you... thank you! :)
Thank you so much for the super kind message Derek. So glad you found help here. Please let me know how else I can help. I have posted the first 30 lessons that I teach all my students online for free right here: www.yourguitarsage.com/free-ugs-membership
Serendipity strikes again! I was just noticing how crappy my chord changing skills are. ;) For an example of the power of "visualization" (and a great movie moment) check out "Searching for Bobby Fischer"! Hopefully we've all had a teacher (besides Erich) who made a point of not simply trying to imprint facts onto brain pans, but to actually convey methods of thinking and learning for yourself... in your natural state... alone in the masses. While it is said, "in order to DO what is right, we must first KNOW what is right", (which is where sages and your own powers of research and self-education come in handy), the powers of visualization, affirmation and the effort to "train your brain" are beneficial to all endeavors in this existence. If a person takes responsibility for how they think, their body will largely follow suit..., to some extent, even the world will bend to one's views (there is no spoon)! LOL I hope I'll never forget some wisdom from kind of an odd source... the Star Trek episode, "The Cage". It's like the bulging-headed alien says, "Wrong thinking will be punished. Right thinking will be as-quickly rewarded"! :P Thanks E for teaching both the CAGED and how to free yourself from it... for showing us what to visualize! Ben Kenobi: [gets up and takes a blast helmet] I suggest you try it again, Luke. This time, let go your conscious self and act on instinct. [puts the helmet on Luke, which covers his eyes] Luke Skywalker: But with the blast shield down, I can't even see! How am I supposed to fight? Ben Kenobi: Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them. Rock on with your badd Force.
oh my gosh, I love this!! Just learning, and with this I can even practice going between chords on the couch without playing while the hubby watches TV! Silly to say, but blows my mind to think of a way to get more practice in...just working on transitioning between the chords I'm learning.
I had been looking for a video like this for so long. I tried the technique just like you said and my jaw had dropped because I improved so fast. Thank you so much!
Best beginning training tutorial I've seen yet. It's about learning the cord change anticipation and incorporating that into the musical movement. Good job.
Watching this on the bus... Already feel 10x more confident about my playing without touching my guitar and trying it. Subbed without hesitation. Thank you!
Accuracy and timing are everything. ...think ahead in order to keep the timing correct..slowly as possible to start with and speed will naturally follow. ..it's the same with the piano.!!
simple thing that works really well, but to get to this simple thing you needed to work a life time,, you are a good teacher and a very genuine person. thank you
This helped me a lot. I sure know that you must know which chord to go next but somehow this slow counting method helped me to land on the next chord on time. Like he said. From there you can try to speed up.
You have a lot of good content on your videos but I think it would help if you stayed on message and were more direct. Like I said I really like the content but I feel like 75% of the video is you talking around it. Just a bit of constructive criticism
+Bob Landy Things do get a bit trickier when the player has to sing, don't they? I find it rewarding when a musician has mastered their voice and their playing enough to do them both well at the same time. James Taylor comes to mind. Gordon Sumner (aka Sting) is terrific at playing bass & singing simultaneously. Another famous Gordon is equally adept at cooking while crushing overinflated egos, ha ha!!
My gift to you! For free access to 30 plus of my BEST lessons ever, go to: www.yourguitarsage.com/30
Can we use the email to ask questions
🎸
Great.thank you😁
“Slow is Smooth. Smooth is fast.” A saying we used in military training...applicable most anywhere; especially here! Totally dig your teaching skills/style. 🤘🏻
Thank you Michael 🙏
I learned it in military too and repeated it my head when he mentioned that idea. I was wondering if its one of those military sayings and I’m starting to think it is. You know, the ones you repeat and “civilians” look at you like you have that third eye on your forehead
Kind of like “tracking” lol. I’m always going around saying “you tracking this assignment/detail/deadline/etc?” And get nothing but confused looks at first
@@absolutetuber like it. Writing it down now! Rings a bell.
Shooter
It sounds like newspeak
I’ve watched this several times over the last 10 months (since April 19, 2017), when I decided to learn guitar. I found your videos, and I heard the message “everyone gets ‘there’ by practicing; everyone starts out a beginner”. I was inspired and encouraged! My plan is practice every day for ten years! :) Today is day 255/3650. I have five daughters, and I borrowed my 14yo’s guitar (secretly at first) to practice. Then I ‘came out’ and soon my husband gave me a beautiful Ibanez for my 46th birthday! My daily practice seems to have an effect on my kids-now they are taking lessons (& practicing) in guitar, piano, voice...and Santa brought them a ukelele, drums, and more. Just want to let you know how grateful I am for the boost to get started and to know you still have my back on those days when it feels like I’m making no progress. (I know, there’s a video for that, too!) 😜
That is a lot of daughters
@@familyofgeniuses Lets hear it for all guitarists instead of only praising a minority!
Family of Geniuses stfu you whiny bitch
Cameron Crawford ummm, you've got issues dude. Go get some therapy.
Darryl T nah just annoyed with entitled dumbasses
All this people complaining about how much he talks... If you people are looking for a tutorial then i think you are in the wrong place... this are guitar LESSONS... the teacher at school doesn't just teach you how to solve mathematical equations, he explains the science behind them for you to actually understand the logic in them... well, at least that's what they are supposed to do...
Great video Erich, really appreciate it!
Exactly. I'm a Science university teacher and I blah, blah, blah a whole lot.
Sofia David lol for real.
sploofmonkey The only thing I know is that people in general like the sound of their own voice. I did have a Sociology professor that went on for hours off topic, nothing learned and zero gained. This video is over the top though..he just goes on and on...zzzzzzzzzz
Agree Erich does a fantastic job explaining how to play guitar. If I was in Nashville, TN he would be my go to teacher!
Just cut the bullshit and get to the point.
Summary- Mentally prepare your finger placement(shape) before you jump between chord or move anything.
Metaphorically- when jumping across rocks in a river, know where your next rock is before you land or you’ll fall in.
I guess his point is to know the next rock before jumping, not before landing 😉
Thanks!
Edit: you'll fall into a category 5 river and everybody will be sadder for it* ;)
Hahaha! Thank you. You just saved me 13 minutes of blah blah blah.
I close my eyes and hear Ryan Reynolds but when I open my eyes I see Ben Affleck.
I get that a LOT!
I was experiencing the same thing and I'm glad I'm not the only one! XD
hahahaha
I didnt even notice until i read it in the comments now i cant stop thinking about it
omg
Teachers that would use analogies, stories and make me laugh, helped me learn and remember things before taking tests and even years later. Your teaching style reminds me of those good teachers.
🙏
As a 56 year old guy who finally decided to get serious about learning the guitar, (better late than never) this video is just what I needed to watch. I've never had anyone actually make my brain get how to transition smoothly until now. Thank you.
Love that, Bravo. Thank you 👍💪🙏 www.yourguitarsage.com/30
I'm 60 . Hope it works for Us.
So, did it work? :D
I was an elite level NCAA athlete and coaches always talked about visualizing your movements to become better on the field and this is the first time anyone has told me to visualize the string that your about to play its made me alot better right on man
"Accuracy leads to speed"
Indeed! Thanks so much John.
Let me guess. You also sail out of Montrose Harbor.
@@jacklincoln7786 what's that?
John Bianchi exactly I have to keep that in mind now. Accuracy leads to speed because taking your time leads to accuracy!
I think this is John Bianchi, whom I sailed with and played guitar in Chicago
For transitioning, here are a couple of other things I find helpful:1. Practice hammering the chord onto the fretboard from your hand just hovering above the fretboard. So you are not worried about which chord you are coming from, just where you are going. This helps your hand remember the shape.2. Even when you are practicing slowly, the transitions should be quick. Don't slow down the transition just because you are playing the song slower. Your transitions will sound a lot better when you play at normal speed.3. Don't look at your fingers; move by muscle memory. Your eyes aren't that good or fast a guide to position your wriggly nest of fingers.
All of this is to make sure your fingers aren't hunting around when you go to the new chord.
I've just started playing, and what you are explaining is a very useful tip,that's the way I got my muscle memory going to hit the chords with perfection,I just sit with my guitar no strumming and constantly hammer on and off the same chords
These are great tips!
This was very helpful. Thanks ❤
So u mean hammering all the fingers at once?
@@jisanbaidya7743 exactly, if you do the chord 1 finger at a time you will learn it that way andnever ever be fast. All at once mistake or not!
This is really encouraging for someone like me, I picked up the guitar without any training, just to cope with the pressure of medical school and now I can play full fledged covers thanks to your videos and many like them. Sending tons of love from India....❤️ Thank you so much ..
Rashi
me: thinks about the A7 chord and strums
him: *"I didn't tell you to strum"* 3:47
me: what the??
him: *"I'm inside your head"* 4:15
😜
SAME i was strumming and moving around, AS HE SAID NOT TO i was like wut xD
Thanks my friend for checking out this video! Did you find it helpful? If so, share your feedback or comment below. e :)
YourGuitarSage )
Yes SIr.
YourGuitarSage .com
Yes very much so, I would think about the chords before, but I just never thought about the new ones I would learn. Thank You!
You look like Ben Affleck! I just learned the caged system, pentatonic minor and major and many barchords. Thank You :)
what a miracle! Its literally me second day of learning guitar and I only know G, Em and D chord. befor this video I was struggling to even take just D alone despite looking at my strings, dont even talk about trasiting to it. right after hearing the idea of the video i just stopped looking at my guitar at tried to just thinking about how the D chord looks like, well guess what? I tried to play G and the transiting to Em and then D without looking at my string, and miraculously did I do that totally right time and time again. BooooM, I am so excited to practice now. Thank you som much for learning this small but very important and effective trick. 💥💥💥💥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Thanks to this video I am now able to switch chords a bit more smoothly, I was moving my first finger first then the other two but it really helps to do it the other way. Also, a bit of advice for anyone who was having the same trouble I was having: It really helps to try not to look at your fingers or the frets when switching chord, just go for it and try to play it blindly, because I found that I was able to do it better than when I was looking. I'm still a bit sloppy but my mind is training my fingers to be where they should be and I thought I would never get this., so give it a go and see what happens!
I’ve been playing for a few years now and I’ve really noticed a huge struggle is improvising chords. I think something THIS simple helps with so much more than just open chord strumming. Fretboard understanding, writing, spontaneity and overall technique. It’s so unbelievably simple that you’d never even think about it. Subbed 👍
Bruh, this guy solved my year-long trouble in 13 minutes.... **insta-subscribes**
:). Thank you my friend!
Luthfan Mahendra ALL THE TIME... he's the best at explaining the concepts..
Hello, how are you now? :))
Amigo. I've been struggling to get my 10 Years Gone smooth and beautiful forever. 2 days after watching this, I'm there. Absolute playing bliss. I've been playing on and off forever. This is huge. Cheers my man.
Wow! Thank you so much. I quit playing 25 years ago out of frustration, and have just started up again trying to do things slowly and correctly. You really did get in my mind 🤪, and I am excited to practice this. Cheers!
Late starter (64) guitar beginner, taking a weekly lesson. This added a whole new dimension to my chord change practice. I do work slowly between transitions, but my fingers are still all over the place. This I know will help me improve immensely! Thank you for tbe lesson.
Thank you Mr. Erick 💖 for being my favorite beginner's teacher. This lesson of rock hopping is particularly very deep. It is like stopping at an intersection's traffic light and in anticipating to make a turn onto an unfamiliar street/road, one needs to try look ahead at the formation/lanes of that road before turning.
Indeed! Great analogy! 🙌
I'm 60 and been trying to learn how to play the recorder for over a year now. I think this might even help me learn to do my fingering for that. THANK you so much!
I NEVER see this taught well. Way to go! I actually noticed this by myself decades back, when I was trying to figure out how to change chords faster. I thought it was just me who had super slow fingers. But I was thinking about the wrong things. I was thinking about the current chord, not the next chord. Same thing for slides and bends. You can't think about where you are. You have to focus on where you're going. Ever tried to learn something like The Beatles' Blackbird, and get that slide all the way up the neck right without focusing on where it ends? And it's like snow skiing. If you're focused on what's beneath your skis, you're doomed. You need to be scouting out the path 2 or 3 bumps ahead, and let your body deal with the details. Or you won't have a good time.
Everybody, this point is much more important than it sounds! A simple tip that makes all the difference. You just have to train your head to do it. Wow, thanks Guitar Sage!
You nailed it right on the head Emerson. Great analogy with skiing.🙌
Ok, so I tried the method yesterday and today. I can honestly say this is the best tip/trick for chord changes on the internet.
I'm still very much a beginner and have been able play my first semi-decent C to F bar chord to G (have you ever seen the rain) because of this, I have been thinking for MONTHS how difficult the transition was (and playing the cheeky F cheat (like a C, 2 strings higher).
Thank you so much Erich! I've just gone and got a copy of your book in the background!
definitely one of the best guitar teachers out there. Thank you so much, sir!
🙏🙏🙏thank you Maha.
Super powerful video. I accidentally stumbled on this technique by increasing my strumming time to visualize the next chord. So my brain kind of pulled me in this direction. And it really works.
"Accuracy leads to speed"...thank you sir
Man really,, Words can't describe how thankful most ppl who watch you are..
and your free E-book, it's just has everything a guitar player would need to learn and advance in guitar,
Thank you man this is really great!
Thank you my friend 🙌
I laughed my ass off on that rock analogy. Genius.
Thank you so much my friend!
I am a beginner struggling to "master" the 12 bar blues in A . No matter what I did I could not make the transition from A7 to D7. Within less than an hour of watching your video I had it! Also enjoyed your Top 5 Things video and Eddie Ate Dynamite, Good Bye Eddie video. You are a treasure for all. Thanks!
ppl, he's got to make a living....if all he said was "visualize (create a mental image) of the next chord before you move your chording hand" the video would be 10 seconds long, max! Cut the guy some slack, lol
Thanks, Andrew
For real.... Thanks homey for the freeeeeeee!!!! Tutorial. Excuse the ungrateful please .
I love that fighting analogy. I've been training/fighting for about 15 years now. Thinking a few steps ahead is key. This is why your my favorite guitar instructor.
He has a great point it's like driving you have to anticipate your move before you reach your point meaning you have to look ahead so think ahead before you move your hands
Vanessa D then it becomes second nature, you don’t really thing about what specific turns you’re going to make when driving to work for the millionth time
Just like to say thank you for this lesson i have been playing for 6 months and after watching your lesson it's the first time i have been able to change chords without looking at the fretboard and get the chord right. thanks for sharing
Great tip from a psychological perspective 👍🏽
In terms of actually being on the strings, a great tip I heard is to transition your hand on the final "and" of a four-beat. So while strumming, as you count 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and, you lift off on the final "and" to be ready for the 1 on the next bar
You might be doing an upstrum on this final "and", but that's ok bc our ears don't pick up the difference in sound once you lift your chord hand off as you begin the upstrum
am 62 years still am learning from all talent people
+Alexander Selvan Never too young and never too old, Alexander! e:)
I didnt start playing until I was 25. Im 54 and still not happy with my playing.Even for the famous players the guitar is a instrument of new discoveries.
I’m 69 and love learning off of UA-cam. So many teachers to learn from. Each has their own technique for teaching. When I was younger, we had to pay one teacher whether we liked their teaching style or not because there was nobody else around. Now UA-cam makes the learning so much better in many many ways. Happy strumming everyone!!
Best tutorial on changing chords and the ONLY one you'll ever need. Listen, practice, learn. Guy is a genius. Thanks Eric.
Makes absolutely perfect sense. I've never laughed this much in a lesson. Love the extra special lessons at the end. Good man!
Having recently retired, learning to play guitar has been on my "to do list" now that I have the time. I have no muscial background and have never attempted to play anything. A year ago I bought a chaep accoustic guitar and started out with various UA-cam videos and as well as in person weekly lessons. Being an older, inexperienced learner I appreciate your very simplistic approach. This video (which I've watched several times) has led me to sign up for your program. Thank you....I look forward to seeing where this leads me. - Carl
Welcome, Carl! It’s a perfect time to learn. Standing by in the course when you need me.
Wow, not only did I just get something indispensable, but Eric shared some kindness about there world there. Rock on!!
This is such an important concept. I tell my students always be thinking ahead, if your on a G Chord already and the next chord is A you should not be thinking about the G chord but to A. The better you get the further ahead you can think. I feel really bad about a egotistical stupid comment I made on one of your videos and your response was dead on and made me reevaluate. This lesson is exactly what I teach my students, think ahead. Beat one is not the start but the destination. A pro can think an entire progression ahead but when starting out the next chord is the destination. Your lessons occupy and important gap in pedagogy that I initially missed but now get. How can the beginner reach the pro level. It’s an important place and you are filling that nich. Attempting the bridge that beginner pro gap. It’s a discussion I have with peers. It’s a noble important step. I think I get what you are doing. At first I was not convinced but as I view your videos we are on the same page. I too am trying to reach those from the 3 to 5 year mark in hopes of pushing them to the next level. Please accept my apology. I was was wrong about You.
🤘🤘
thanks helped helped me so much .
ppl talking about how much he t
talk don't you guys want to learn guitar
or dk you guys have some work .
nah youa re free in time
When I was struggling with scales my cello teacher told me to imagine what the next note should sound like in my head before playing it and it pretty much instantly solved my problem. I hadn’t even thought of bringing that over to the guitar but this is so helpful
Thank you so much for this lesson! In most youtube lessons I keep seeing tips on how to get the chords right when that's the easy part for me, the trouble is it takes forever to transition. Will definitely try your techniques. I keep thinking, if I can type super fast without looking at the keyboard, then I'll be able to do this too one day.
I wanna know if u can do it now🤔
It's so subtle that only experts teach it aright. Thanks so much your time and patience in leading us on the right path.
the visualization technique really helped me learn songs faster. thanks for the tips
Fellow teacher here, I love how you explain this (and if you don't mind, I'm going to steal your river analogy - that's great!). This is exactly what I tell my students - you have to think ahead just a little bit. But I like how you break it down and really explain that concept. I tend to just state it and then continue on, and I should probably spend more time focusing on it because it really is so important. Thanks for the helpful lesson!
Thank you Mike 🙌
"aint no strumming when shes gone!"
DISTANT I died when he started singing it 😂😂
An absolute genius and legendary teach! I’m a Pilot in Canada, and I teach things broken down into little pieces just like this. I also own and operate a Label Printing company, and I teach new Pressman the SAME.WAY..... one piece at a time. It’s how I learned to fly, and print 10 color labels. You got it! I play piano, but don’t know how to read music. But.... NOW I want to learn based on how you teach! Good on you! Thank you for all you do! Music is essential to life. ❤️🔥
👊🏻🙏
Haha "In your mind's eye..." he's like Bob Ross but instead of painting he's teaching us how to play guitar lmao
Thank you!
Not only is this funny, but fantastic and philosophical all puréed together! I think this lesson is a metaphor for life: focus your attention on intention; set yourself up for success with strong foundation of basic skills.
Love your energy, candor and positivity!
Your teaching style reminds me of Michael Scott from the office
Great lesson. My two bits is that visualisation help not only in chord changes, but also while playing lead guitar. Visualisation helps us land on the right note, while playing fast.
+Uma Shankar Sharma Thank you Uma! e:)
Your "no Eric" at 5:11 messed me up. I thought you were talking directly to me... :)
Lol same here
I wanted to start before 5 years.. But didn't keep up, today I held a guitar and your lessons have cleared all the fears of obstacles..I have begun.. :)
I like how you don't get defensive and comment back to the occasional negative press...I think people with focusing problems and/or deficits in analogical reasoning tend to be those that are disgruntled with your vids...I, personally, like your style, your teaching and your humor...Thanks :)
Thank you and you are welcome as well M.J. Interesting observation by the way :)
Yes. Instant recognition. Straight forward. Some can communicate. Some can’t. He can. Thank you.
🙏
you look like an older version of Ryan Reynolds.
:)
I thought so too. But this "Guitar Sage" plays terrific guitar!
More like Ryan Seacrest
Him and Ben Affleck
More like Ben affleck
Like many others have said here, this was very helpful. Another older noob, grateful for this opportunity to be under quarantine, and to be able to pick up the old dusty lumber after 8 yrs. and give it another try. The visualization concept you describe is so simple but yet not so intuitive for those like me. I'm very excited to have stumbled upon this and will look to put it in practice right away. Much Thanks
Holy shit! It works! Wow! Thank you 🙏🏾 I’ve been struggling with this for such a long time, but the way you worded it and used imagery (the rock, the water), was so helpful. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! ✨
Thanks! You do a great job in describing where the guitarist's focus should be, and I think we both share the same sense of humor! You bring fun into ironing out the technical wrinkles that are often common among beginners. It would be fun to jam with you just for the sheer joy of playing. Both my grown sons have exceeded my skills and abilities. Thanks for making this vid!
Thank you 🙏
One thing I found in this lesson is it missed out the the #1 technique that really helped me (and still does) that may probably be easier for very basic beginners
Anchors----
Any finger that you can leave in the same spot, or on the same string and slide it into the new position, for both chords.
Take the G chord and the A7 in this example.
your 3rd finger does not need to lift from the fretboard, it only needs to move sideways by 1 fret.
While Visualisation is good, and still needed it's still harder to get your head around
Also, if you have one finger in position or it is only a fret away, you can just keep strumming until all other fingers are in position and still sound mostly like the chord you're trying to play.
It can even enhance your sound in some cases
ua-cam.com/video/pBacbX9yefA/v-deo.html
Yeh, but sometimes a different anchor can be more convenient depending on what the next chord is.
Great! Lesson. I am going to start to use this technique as soon as I get home tonight.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us
You still need to think about it beforehand, though. Anchors are nice, but if you don't have a very clear idea of what your next step is, you'll anchor your way to a failed or delayed chord. Visualisation doesn't exclude other techniques, it actually makes them even more effective. Just saying.
Rob Brooks yes, anchors! absolutely! In my opinion, Justin is the best guitar teacher on UA-cam.
as someone who only learned a little bit of basics and i am in between the beginner and the intermediate still. i can say that i have this problem and i actually realized since the first day it has to do with the image in my mind since i always end up "drawing the image too late" although my fingers can move fast. so i am glad you actually made it clear as day that i am not missing something with my thought process.
also, yes you entered our minds but it it creeped me out the way you did it XD
To "traverse" a river is grammatically correct, but the word is used primarily in the context of navigating across or through obstructions. ;)
+Alex G Every language is like this.
Must be a regional thing. To 'traverse a river' is perfectly fine in many of the places I've been, especially if you mean by boat across a river that's churning or full of debris (see: the Mississippi river).
Zoey Chevalier 😂😂 I knew someone was gonna do the homework..good job 👌
An obstruction like, say, a river? :-)
I love you sooooooo much you really helped me soooo much more than alot of other teachers
Other teachers only shows you some exercises and tell you you it's all about practicing which isn't true at all
never stop making videos cause you are such a good teacher
this lesson hit me like puberty! thanks bro
+Rafael Miguel Garcia You are welcome Rafael! e:)
This video is absolute gold. I’ve been having this problem since I started and never knew how to fix it, as I’m especially guilty for holding the notes for too long and not staying on beat. I’m going to start this exercise, and hopefully it will help!
Thanks, friend.
Thank you, loved your last comments too! Save the planet :)
he said “no erik” and that’s my actual name 😂 i was shook lol
75 year old just picked up a guitar 5 months ago found this video very helpful thanks!!!
late starter 54, so I dig all the help I can get...keep posting!
Ok you were obviously not kidding, it worked so fast, I started couple of days ago. And i was clueless how people moved from g to c. This video fixed my transition in 5 mins tops. Like first 5 mins fixed my broken confidence
I like how I was just about to move my hand when he said "I didn't tell you to move your hand."
I'm one of those old 45 year old newbies... I"ve been playing with scales and tabs and avoiding chords completely for the past year. This was a seriously awesome lesson and finally got my stubborn brain in gear. I'm heading across the river... thank you... thank you... thank you! :)
Thank you so much for the super kind message Derek. So glad you found help here. Please let me know how else I can help. I have posted the first 30 lessons that I teach all my students online for free right here: www.yourguitarsage.com/free-ugs-membership
Serendipity strikes again! I was just noticing how crappy my chord changing skills are. ;)
For an example of the power of "visualization" (and a great movie moment) check out "Searching for Bobby Fischer"!
Hopefully we've all had a teacher (besides Erich) who made a point of not simply trying to imprint facts onto brain pans, but to actually convey methods of thinking and learning for yourself... in your natural state... alone in the masses. While it is said, "in order to DO what is right, we must first KNOW what is right", (which is where sages and your own powers of research and self-education come in handy), the powers of visualization, affirmation and the effort to "train your brain" are beneficial to all endeavors in this existence. If a person takes responsibility for how they think, their body will largely follow suit..., to some extent, even the world will bend to one's views (there is no spoon)! LOL
I hope I'll never forget some wisdom from kind of an odd source... the Star Trek episode, "The Cage". It's like the bulging-headed alien says, "Wrong thinking will be punished. Right thinking will be as-quickly rewarded"! :P
Thanks E for teaching both the CAGED and how to free yourself from it... for showing us what to visualize!
Ben Kenobi: [gets up and takes a blast helmet] I suggest you try it again, Luke. This time, let go your conscious self and act on instinct. [puts the helmet on Luke, which covers his eyes]
Luke Skywalker: But with the blast shield down, I can't even see! How am I supposed to fight?
Ben Kenobi: Your eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them.
Rock on with your badd Force.
Give John Davis a hand folks! These words are the key to the universe! Wisdom my friend! Thank you for sharing! Now, if only they will listen...
+John Davis Great wisdom, and also a very entertaining read!
John Davis longest comment ever
Bro way too deep..
oh my gosh, I love this!! Just learning, and with this I can even practice going between chords on the couch without playing while the hubby watches TV! Silly to say, but blows my mind to think of a way to get more practice in...just working on transitioning between the chords I'm learning.
Wahoo! Thank you for letting me know my friend!
Best guitar teacher on youtube!!
You rule! Thanks Kev! 👍
BigKevTV really is...
I had been looking for a video like this for so long. I tried the technique just like you said and my jaw had dropped because I improved so fast. Thank you so much!
Thanks my friend.
Mommy he’s in my head!
Hey, it’s comfy in here!😁
😆
Best beginning training tutorial I've seen yet. It's about learning the cord change anticipation and incorporating that into the musical movement. Good job.
Thanks, friend.
the fact that he says 'noobies' so good XDDDD
love it how you take the time to answer almost every comment on your videos, best teacher on UA-cam, rock on Erich!
:-). Your gratitude is very much appreciated. Thank you for watching and the kind words.
He's kinda quirky, but I like this guy.
thebestStevenHawkins yeah I’ve watched 5 videos before I got to him and I’m watching a few of his...
Watching this on the bus... Already feel 10x more confident about my playing without touching my guitar and trying it. Subbed without hesitation. Thank you!
👍🔥🙏
it takes about 5 mins before he gets to it, basically picture the cord coming up and then implement it. Practice in other words
Accuracy and timing are everything. ...think ahead in order to keep the timing correct..slowly as possible to start with and speed will naturally follow. ..it's the same with the piano.!!
"I didnt tell you to move your hand nor strum." Me who already did both... thanks for the help.
👍
simple thing that works really well, but to get to this simple thing you needed to work a life time,, you are a good teacher and a very genuine person. thank you
I thank you Raj for your very kind comment. e:)
13 minutes to say: you need to want to play so badly that you don't care how shit you sound when you start. keep going and rock on!
This helped me a lot. I sure know that you must know which chord to go next but somehow this slow counting method helped me to land on the next chord on time. Like he said. From there you can try to speed up.
You have a lot of good content on your videos but I think it would help if you stayed on message and were more direct. Like I said I really like the content but I feel like 75% of the video is you talking around it. Just a bit of constructive criticism
+Kareem Al-Asmar Thank you Kareem...suggestion noted e:)
I can’t freaking believe how much this works - immediately. And it’s so simple 🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️
Huge thanks man
You're welcome!👍😀🙏
When I play, Andreas, I anticipate the lyrics, the chords have to follow, lol
;)
+Bob Landy Things do get a bit trickier when the player has to sing, don't they? I find it rewarding when a musician has mastered their voice and their playing enough to do them both well at the same time. James Taylor comes to mind. Gordon Sumner (aka Sting) is terrific at playing bass & singing simultaneously. Another famous Gordon is equally adept at cooking while crushing overinflated egos, ha ha!!
randolph patterson
Guess Macca-Doo is brill in doing best of both worlds, sing & play
This little simple video just blew my mind. My accuracy it noticeably better after just a little practice. Thank you so much! Love all your videos!
Yeay! So kind. Thank you Jessica. 🙏
"If you want to play the Minuet in G, think the Minuet in G."
Think, men, think!
@@Chunda8 I love that movie.
Visualisation is the bread and butter of learning. Great video, again!
"...and ah lyke puddin'!"
👍
Love the way you compare guitar learning with martial arts training. A very intelligent and effective step. Love your tips.
Instructions unclear , became slash!!