One-minute changes
The simplest drill for faster chord changes: two chords, sixty seconds, count how many times you switch.01
How it works
- Pick two chords you know, for example A and D.
- Start a 60-second timer. Strum the first chord once, change to the second, strum once, change back.
- Count every change. Only count the ones where every finger landed: a messy change doesn’t score.
- Write down the number. Next time, try to beat it.
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Why it works
Changing chords is a movement your hand has to learn, and it learns from repetition, not from thinking. A minute of fast, focused switching gives you 20 to 60 repetitions of exactly the move that slows you down in songs.
Because it’s only a minute, you can do three or four changes a day without it feeling like work. Guitar teachers have used the drill for years; JustinGuitar’s beginner course made it famous.
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What to aim for
- Under 20 a minute: normal for your first week with a new chord. Slow down and get each shape clean.
- 30 a minute: good enough to move on to the next pair on the beginner ladder.
- 60 a minute: one change a second. The change is ready for most songs.
- Barre chords: 40 a minute is a strong score.
Changes to start with
A one-minute changes timer that counts for you
Chordbyte gives you a 3-2-1 count-in, a timer bar and a “how many were clean?” check, and keeps your best score for every pair. Turn on Count by ear and the microphone counts the changes itself. It suggests the pair you need most and runs in your browser: free, no account.
Start one-minute changes