Chord Patterns Will Make Learning Guitar Easier And Save Time

Understanding Chord Patterns

​Understanding chord patterns on the guitar and how to identify what key a song is in save so much time when learning guitar. Many songs are constructed of common chord patterns. Practicing the chord patterns instead of individual chords is a better  use of your practice time. When you can identify the pattern of a song it makes it much easier to both learn and memorize new songs.

It's Not Difficult To Learn Chords

Learning individual chords is not often a major difficulty for guitar students, except perhaps for a few challenging ones like “F” and “Bb” (watch my videos on how to master these chords). The real issue is getting from one chord to another smoothly and in time. Best best approach  is to learn simple guitar chords in groups of 3 and 4 chords, then practice these chord patterns until you can change from one to the other smoothly When practicing aim to change chords without hesitating slowly at first, then pick up speed little by little. I recommend using a metronome to practice to help keep the timing accurate and measure your progress.

Chord Patterns Are Like Templates

​When using common chord patterns to learn songs there are a couple of different ways to go. I often refer to the common patterns as “templates”. Many times you can use a pattern to play either the whole song or or at least a good part of it. There are many songs that are comprised almost completely from a single chord pattern. You just have to “identify the chords of guitar that make the pattern and choose the best rhythm or strum”.

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Chord Pattern Saves Time

​More often you’ll find that much of the song uses a common pattern and then other sections something different. The song may use a different chord progression in the middle section. Sometimes the beginning and ending is different. In these situations you identify the pattern used for most of the song and practice that until you have the pattern down. Then work on the sections that are different. Finally you put everything together. This is easier and will save  time over the alternate approach of treating the entire song as if it’s completely new material.