BC-115 • 1 Minute Changes

[alan4573]

Hi Everyone

I picked up a guitar for the first time one week ago today and started the beginners course a couple of days later. I'm in my mid forties so I appreciate the learning curve will be steeper (and probably harder) for me than a youngster :-)

Having worked up to chord changes on chords A, D and E (practising about 1/2 hour per day), I tried my first 1 minute changes tonight and achieved 37, 36 and 37. This surprised me as I didnt expect to get anywhere near that so I am really pleased with my progress so far   

Now my question - Is it better to keep on with these 3 chords until I can consistently achieve 60 before I move onto adding the next chords (Amin, Dmin and Emin) or should I go for it and keep going back to the 1 minute changes to increase the number.

I am in no particular rush to get through the course, just want to make sure everything I'm learning sticks and becomes second nature.

Thanks

Alan

[Goooner1]

If you're already doing 37, I'd say move on to the next section, nothing to stop you still practicing those ones as well though (46 here, only been playing for 4 months, there are quite a few of us "older" newbies on here, so you're not alone )

[jaygol]

Hey Justin!

I have a question about strumming. I cannot strum without looking at the strings and my right hand yet. I see all the seasoned guitarists playing, looking ahead. At what stage can I expect myself to be there, or is it a natural development? Thank you so much!


Jayant

[Goooner1]

You should find after a while you don't need to look, so you'll stop doing it, that's how it's working with me anyway.

[MikeG]

Hi I just started the 1 minute chord changes and I was wondering it is okay to be looking at my fingers to see where to go and after how long should I not be looking at my fingers for the changes? Thanks!

[mouser9169]

The sooner you stop looking at your hands the sooner you'll be able to play without looking at your hands.

Wait too long, and you may never be able to play without looking at your hands.

[Goooner1]

Can't remember how long it took me, but I've only been playing 5 months, so it couldn't have been that long

I don't think it was a conscious decision with me to stop looking, I just found I didn't need to anymore and stopped doing it without realising. That's obviously with the basic open chords, any more coplicated newer ones that I'm learning I still need to look.

[AndrewBW]

Hi. Here's one trick that I've found helps me practice the 1 minute changes. Rather than setting my metronome at the speed I'm playing I set it to run faster. So if I can play the changes at 50 bpm, I might set it for 56 bpm.

At first I don't pay attention to the metronome, but as I play through the changes I begin to develop a rhythm after awhile. I think that's because even though I'm not actually playing along with the metronome, that steady click helps me to find a groove. And once I get into that groove I start picking up some speed, trying to match the metronome more closely. So rather than matching it I'm trying to catch it.

Then when it gets to where I can reliably play it a change at a particular speed I push the metronome forward and start trying to catch up to it again.

Hope that's not wholly repetitious of something someone else has posted somewheres - I'm new hear and still exploring Justin's excellent course. But I thought I'd toss that idea out in case it might help someone else.

[PhDJ]

Just started doing my one minute changes and to my surprise I was able to do more than I expected.

Was just wondering how long it takes for an average student to get to the 60 changes in a minute ?

I know it differs from person to person, but just to have an idea ...

[40sumthin]

I'm finding this to be a great drill and have seen some improvement in the week I've been at it, especially with D-A-D...  I noticed however that I've got a tendency to drag my anchor finger (in this case finger 1) on the third string rather than coming right off it and thus creating that weird squeal/squelch noise.  I'm thinking this is bad form but need confirmation.  Should I worry about it now and consciously make the effort to not drag?

And if anyone knows what the 'technical' term is for that noise, please let me know.

[jacksroadhouse]

Well, not surprisingly that's called "finger noise" (at least I wouldn't know any other term). And it's rather normal. You should definitely leave the finger in place for a change from A to D and back, just try to move the finger as little as possible.

There are a few tricks to lessen or avoid finger noise (coated strings, various "fluids", etc.), but quite frankly I wouldn't bother with that just now. Keep practicing, and in time the noise will probably lessen all by itself (some things have a tendency to sort themselves out).

[tepidarium]

Hi,

So, I'm on the one-minute chord changes lesson. I can see that it's going to take me weeks (or months?) to get to the 60 changes per minute that Justin advises.

In that time, should I stay put at this lesson or look at some lessons following it?  Because, right now,my nightly practice is still just doing the chord changes, but, as I said, I think this could potentially take many weeks or months. Should I just sit at lesson BC 115 during this time?

Thanks.

[shadowscott007]

If you understand the lesson and keep it in your practice routine, I would continue on. 

Shadow

[tepidarium]

If you understand the lesson and keep it in your practice routine, I would continue on. 

Shadow

Will do. Thanks.

[tepidarium]

Hi,

I wasn't sure to post this under the 1 minute changes thread or the D Chord thread.  I'm having an issue forming the d chord during the 1 minute changes exercise.  When I switch from any of the two other chords - A or E) to the D Chord I keep my first finger on the G string and lift my second and third fingers - but then my hand wants to plant the second finger on the high e string BEFORE planting my third finger on the B string. 

I've been doing the 1 minute chord changes for about 12 days now and my fingers have naturally adapted in such a way that the second and third fingers land on the strings almost simultaneously for the A and E chords, but, for the D chord, the fingers are still going in sequence - second and then third finger.  I am trying to train myself to place the second and third fingers on the strings simultaneously for the D Chord, but it is not going well.  I think it is because, for th D chord, the third finger is higher than the second finger.  This is really hindering my speed when trying to change chords in the one minute changes and for any practice songs I have attempted. 

Any thoughts?

Thanks.