Struggling to change chords smoothly? You’re not alone — it’s one of the most common challenges for beginner guitarists. The good news: there’s a simple technique that makes chord changes faster and cleaner.
The secret is finger order. Instead of trying to place all your fingers at once, you place them in the order they’ll be strummed — lowest string first. This way, each finger is already in position by the time the pick reaches that string.
The Chords We’ll Use
This lesson uses G, C, and D — the three most common beginner chords. If you don’t have these down yet, learn them first, then come back.
The Technique: Lowest String First
When you strum, your pick hits the lowest string first and works its way down. So when changing chords, place your fingers in the same order — lowest string first.
This means each finger lands just before the pick reaches that string. No rushing, no fumbling to get everything down at once.
G to C Change
The lowest note in a C chord is the 5th string (3rd fret) — that’s your 3rd finger. So when moving from G to C:
- 3rd finger goes down first (5th string, 3rd fret)
- 2nd finger tucks underneath (4th string, 2nd fret)
- 1st finger drops last (2nd string, 1st fret)
Practice this sequence slowly without strumming. Just move your fingers in order: 3, 2, 1.
C to D Change
The D chord starts with an open 4th string, so the first fretted note is the 3rd string (2nd fret) — your 1st finger. The sequence:
- 1st finger goes down first (3rd string, 2nd fret)
- 3rd finger follows (2nd string, 3rd fret)
- 2nd finger drops last (1st string, 2nd fret)
D to G Change
Going back to G, the lowest note is the 6th string (3rd fret) — your 2nd finger in this voicing:
- 2nd finger goes down first (6th string, 3rd fret)
- 1st finger follows (5th string, 2nd fret)
- 3rd and 4th fingers drop into place on strings 2 and 1
How to Practice This
Step 1: No strumming. Just practice moving your fingers in the correct order. Watch your left hand. Go slowly.
Step 2: Add strumming. Once the finger order feels natural, start strumming. Your pick will catch each string right as that finger lands.
Step 3: Speed up gradually. Don’t rush. Clean transitions at a slow tempo will get fast naturally. Sloppy fast playing stays sloppy.
Keep Learning
If you’re still working on the chord shapes themselves, check out 3 beginner guitar chords or the 6 basic guitar chords lesson. For easier versions, see simple guitar chords.
For more beginner chord lessons, visit our Beginner Guitar Chords guide. And explore the complete Guitar Chords section for everything from basics to advanced techniques.
Another good one Colin. I sometimes (when needed) play G with my pinky on the high G, ring finger on low G and middle finger on B (2nd fret 5th string). Then To go to C chord I’ve got my index finger ready to plant on 2nd string C.
So to go from C to D, I keep my index finger right there and plant my middle and ring as if to play D7, BUT use my pinky on 3rd fret 2nd string to play the D, of course keeping my first, middle and third finger in D7 position. ( you don’t have to worry about your index finger on that 2nd string because your pinky is on that string for the D) Also makes it easy to go quickly and smoothly from D to D7 if the song needs that change.
I learned this, but only after knowing my traditional open chord shapes, and it works well only for certain songs–you have to know what’s the best attack for particular chord changes, e.g., going from G to G7 is easier this way, or C to G7 (Jambalaya ).