How to Master New Chord Grips

Learning a new chord grip can be challenging. At first it may seem impossible to ever play it fluently. That leads to frustration, and often giving up altogether.

But mastering a new chord grip is just like developing fluency with any physical skill, and there is a straightforward process for achieving it. It's true that everyone's hands are different, and there are a (very few) chord grips that are physically impossible for some people to play. But in fact, almost anyone can master almost any chord grip in a reasonable amount of time, by following these steps.

1. Slowly and carefully place your fingers

Take as much time as you need to place your fingers on the strings and frets, and then strum the chord. At first, some strings will probably be muted or buzz. Keep adjusting your grip until you can eventually get the chord to ring out clean and perfect.

This is can be the hardest part, and it can take awhile. But have patience. Over time you'll realize that learning every new chord grip starts out this way, and this is really the fastest way to learn it. So relax and take your time, and go easy on yourself. This is just part of the process.

Once you can actually play the chord cleanly, given enough time to set your fingers, move on to the next step.

2. Release the grip, still in contact with the strings

Play the chord as in step one. Then lift your fingers slightly off the fretboard, just enough so the notes stop ringing. Keep your hand in the chord shape, and keep your fingers touching the strings. This teaches your hand to make that shape without the pressure of the fretboard to hold the fingers in place, using the strings as guides to remind them of their position.

Then press down and play the chord again. Practice pressing and releasing like this again and again, playing in a sort of staccato, rhythmic way, maintaining contact with the strings as you release the grip.

Have fun with this. It doesn't have to be boring. Experiment with different rhythms and dynamics, and try to get into it. Make it sound musical and expressive. Make a cool little jam out of it. Start off slowly, then go faster and faster.

When you are able to do this quickly and consistently, with a clean sounding chord every time, move on to the next step.

3. Hover fingers slightly above the strings

Now, after you play the chord, release it and lift your fingers completely off the strings, but hovering above them in the same position. This teaches your fingers to maintain that shape on their own, without the strings to guide them in place.

Then press down and play the chord again. Grip it quickly, a little aggressively. You are grabbing the neck with this chord grip, firmly and confidently. Practice pressing and releasing in this way again and again.

When this is comfortable and consistent, and the chord sounds clean and clear every time, move on to the next step.

4. Remove the hand from the fretboard completely

Now, after you play the chord, let go of the neck altogether and move your hand completely away from the fretboard. Let your fingers return to a relaxed state, instead of holding the grip.

Then grab the chord and strum it all at once, trying to make your fingers land perfectly in place so the chord rings out clean and clear. This teaches your hand to form the grip cold, using pure "muscle memory".

This step can take awhile, especially if you haven't spent enough time on the previous steps. If your grip doesn't land perfectly very often, so that the chord doesn't ring out clean and clear, go back and work on the previous steps some more.

Once you can do this step reliably and consistently, you have essentially mastered this chord grip, in isolation. Now you need to combine it with other chords.

5. Practice changing between two chord grips

Now that you have mastered this chord grip in isolation, practice changing between it and one other chord grip that you have also mastered in the same way.

Change back and forth between these two chords again and again, until the chord change is fluent and perfect.

Any time you are working on a chord progression and any of the changes are not consistently perfect, practice changing between just those two chords in this way until it becomes automatic. If it turns out you haven't mastered one of the chords well enough to do this reliably, follow this procedure from step 1 for that chord.