To learn chords fast, learn the shapes in families, practise the changes with the one-minute drill, memorise the chord by its notes, and use the chord every day in a song. A chord learned in a song is remembered faster than a chord learned alone, because the song gives it context and meaning.
How do you learn chords fast?
To learn chords fast, learn the shapes in families, practise the changes with the one-minute drill, memorise the chord by its notes, and use the chord every day in a song. A chord learned in a song is remembered faster than a chord learned alone, because the song gives it context and meaning, and the brain remembers the chord as part of the song, not as an isolated shape. The families are the chords that share a shape: the E-shape family, the A-shape family, and the C-shape family, and learning one shape gives you many chords, because the shape moves up the neck. The one-minute drill is the fastest way to learn a chord change: choose two chords, such as C and G, and switch between them, slowly and cleanly, for a minute at a time, counting the changes, and trying to beat your count each day. The drill works because it trains the hand to change quickly, and the counting gives feedback, and the feedback makes the practice focused. The chord should also be memorised by its notes, not just by its shape, because the notes tell you what the chord is, and the shape tells you where it is, and the two together make the chord stick. The C major guitar chord and the G major guitar chord are the chords most players first learn fast, and the practice chord quiz tests what you have learned.
How fast chord learning works
Fast chord learning works because the brain learns patterns, not isolated facts, and the chord families are patterns: the E-shape family has the same shape, moved up the neck, and the A-shape family has the same shape, moved up the neck, and learning the shape gives you the family. The one-minute drill works because it is spaced repetition, with feedback, and the brain remembers better when the practice is repeated, with a count, and the count tells the brain whether it is improving. The song works because it gives the chord a context, and the brain remembers the chord as part of the song, with the melody and the rhythm, not as a shape on a page. The chord should be learned in three ways: by shape, by notes, and by sound, so the brain has three ways to remember it. The shape is the fingers on the fretboard, the notes are the root, the 3rd and the 5th, and the sound is the chord ringing, and the three together make the chord stick. A player who learns only the shape will forget the chord when the shape is forgotten, but a player who learns the shape, the notes, and the sound will remember the chord, because the three reinforce each other. The D major guitar chord and the A major guitar chord are the chords the fast learning is built on.
Worked example — learning F major fast. Learn F major in three ways: by shape, the E-shape barre at the 1st fret, with the index finger barring all six strings, and the other fingers forming the E shape; by notes, F, A and C, which are the root, the major 3rd and the 5th; and by sound, playing the chord and listening for it to ring cleanly. Practise the one-minute drill, switching between C major and F major, for a minute at a time, counting the changes, and trying to beat your count each day. Use the chord in a song, playing the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major, with F major as the IV chord, and the chord is learned in context, and it sticks, because the song gives it meaning.
How to practise learning chords fast
Practise learning chords fast by learning them in families, by notes, and by sound, and by using them in songs, so the chords stick.
- Learn the chords in families, the E-shape family, the A-shape family, and the C-shape family, so one shape gives you many chords.
- Practise the one-minute drill, switching between two chords, for a minute at a time, counting the changes, and trying to beat your count each day.
- Memorise each chord by its notes, the root, the 3rd and the 5th, and check the notes with the chord finder.
- Play the I–V–vi–IV progression in C major with the chords you are learning, and listen for the chords to ring cleanly.
- Use the practice chord quiz to test what you have learned, and repeat the quiz until you can name every chord.
Common mistakes
- Learning chords one at a time, in isolation — A chord learned alone, without a family or a song, is forgotten quickly, because the brain has no context for it. Learn the chords in families, and use them in songs, so the brain has a context, and the chords stick.
- Practising the change too fast — A change practised too fast will be sloppy, and the sloppy change will become a habit, because the brain remembers what it repeats, right or wrong. Practise slowly, until the change is clean, and then increase the speed, one step at a time.
- Forgetting to use the chord in a song — A chord that is never used in a song is never really learned, because the brain has not used it in context. Play the chord in a song, every day, and the chord will be remembered, because the song gives it meaning.
Quick reference
This table shows the three chord families, with the shape and the chords it makes, so you can see how one shape gives you many chords. The E-shape family has its root on the 6th string, the A-shape family has its root on the 5th string, and the C-shape family has its root on the 5th string, and learning the shape gives you the family.
| Family | Shape | Chords it makes |
|---|---|---|
| E shape | Open E major, moved up the neck | F, G, A, B, C, D major (and minor) |
| A shape | Open A major, moved up the neck | B, C, D, E, F, G major (and minor) |
| C shape | Open C major, moved up the neck | D, E, F, G, A, B major (and minor) |
Use the table to learn chords fast: pick a family, learn the shape, move it up the neck, and name each chord as you play it, and the family will give you many chords from one shape. When you can play any chord in any family without looking, you can learn chords fast, and the chords will stick.
Frequently asked questions
How do I learn chords fast?
Learn the shapes in families, practise the changes with the one-minute drill, memorise the chord by its notes, and use the chord every day in a song. A chord learned in a song is remembered faster than a chord learned alone.
How many chords should I learn at once?
Two or three at a time, in a family, so the shapes are related, and the brain can learn them together. Learning ten chords at once will overwhelm the brain, and none of them will stick, while learning two or three will let them stick.
What is the one-minute drill?
The one-minute drill is switching between two chords, slowly and cleanly, for a minute at a time, counting the changes, and trying to beat your count each day. The drill trains the hand to change quickly, and the counting gives feedback.
Should I memorise chords by shape or by notes?
Both. The shape tells you where the chord is, and the notes tell you what the chord is, and the two together make the chord stick. A player who knows only the shape will forget the chord, but a player who knows the shape and the notes will remember it.
How long does it take to learn a chord?
A day to learn the shape, a week to play it cleanly, and a month to change to it smoothly, with daily practice. The chord is learned fast when it is learned in a family, by notes, and by sound, and used in a song every day.