Start with the transition, not the whole song
Pick two chords you already know. In 4/4, play the first chord on beat 1 and prepare the second during the remaining beats. Change on the next beat 1. When that is comfortable, strum every beat while keeping the chord changes on the bar line.
Keep the strumming hand moving
For eighth-note strumming, count 1-and-2-and-3-and-4-and. Your hand can continue its down-up motion even when you skip a string contact. This keeps rests inside the pulse instead of turning every gap into a pause. Practice a muted-string pattern first if changing chords distracts you.
Separate clean picking from maximum speed
Use a small picking pattern on one string before adding string crossings. Keep the click steady and listen to whether each note has an even attack. One note per click and two notes per click are different exercises at the same BPM. Record which subdivision you used when comparing sessions.
Your next practice session
- At 60 BPM in 4/4, alternate two familiar chords every four beats for one minute.
- Play four downstrokes per bar for one minute without stopping the pulse.
- Try eighth-note down-up strokes on muted strings for one minute.
- Return to the chord pair. Increase by 2–4 BPM only after several controlled repetitions.
Try it in Rythmeno
- Use Rythmeno’s chromatic tuner before the exercise. Standard guitar tuning, from the lowest string to the highest, is E–A–D–G–B–E.
- Set up your pulse in Metronome, choose the subdivision, and save the setting as a preset for that exercise.
- Use automatic tempo changes for a gradual speed exercise, keeping the target within your controlled range. Trainer’s Listen mode is a separate way to examine attack timing; it does not grade your chord voicing.
A common mistake to avoid
A metronome cannot tell you whether your chord is clean or your technique is comfortable. If you hear buzzing, missing notes, or tension, slow down and address that before chasing the target tempo.
