18

Lesson 3
Changing Chords
Now it is time to try a chord change. The first chord change is a relatively simple change fron
a C Major chord to an A Minor chord. The A Minor chord is introduced below.

A Minor Chord
Another type of common chord is the Minor chord. The word Minor is always abbreviated to i
lowercase "m". For example the chord AMinor is simply written as Am, the E Minor chord i
written as Em etc. The first Minor chord you will learn is theAMinor chord. Study the followin;
diagram.

Am
( )

I )G )

A Minor Chord
Example seven involves changing from a C Major chord to anAMinor chord. Strum each chor
once only on the first beat of the bar, lgtting the chord ring for four beats before changing to th
next chord on the first beat of the following bar.

Tip: The first and second fingers can remain fretted on the second and fourth strings as the thir
finger moves back and forth from the fifth string to the third string. It is not necessary to remov
the first and second fingers from the fretboard.

a
ffi
C
ffi
Am
ffi
C
ffi
Am
E.
AI
\t
dr
"l
 Example eight strums each chord t9
on the first and third beats of the bar.

tr
ffi
C
ffi
Am
ffi ffi
E C Am
s'A
*'l
{i
I

1234 1234 1 2 3 4 1 z 3 4

Example nine strun:rs each chord on

every beat of the bar before changing
to the next chord.

ffi
C
ffi
Am
ffi ffi
IIJI lilt ilil
C Am

1234 12341234
iltJ
1234

Erample ten changes between c and Am on every second beat.

ffi ffi ffi

Am
ffi ffi ffi ffi ffi
;: llt,|
C Am

ilil ilil
C C Am
= C Am

;5 it,l
1234
-
Jilt
1234 1234 1234