I’m messing around with some basic G major and D major chords, just having fun in front of friends and family. Should I play one chord for a set amount of time before switching to the other? Maybe play two bars on one and then one on the other? Or is it all freeform and just go with the flow? I’m not sure if I’m explaining this well, but if you know what I mean and have any advice, I’d love to hear it! Also, I’d probably mix in some single notes and simple licks.
I’m not 100% sure I get what you’re asking. Are you playing an actual song? In that case, you change chords when the song tells you to.
Or are you just playing whatever sounds good? If that’s the case, just go with whatever feels right.
@Denver
Let’s keep it simple for now and say I’m just playing G and D major. I want to mix in some single notes with a few licks. If I’m on the G chord, how long should I play it before switching to the D? Or maybe to make it easier, forget about the notes for now. If I’m just going G to D, should I play 1 bar of G and 2 bars of D? Are there any patterns or should I just go for whatever I feel like? I’m wondering how long I should stick to each chord or if I should mix strumming and licks together.
@Ari
Try adding Am and C, it’ll make things more interesting. Or you could learn ‘What I Got’ using D and G.
@Ari
Sorry, I still don’t fully understand. Is this part of a song? If so, listen to it and follow the chord changes. If it’s just you playing on your own, then you can do whatever sounds good, there’s no ‘right’ way.
There are absolutely no rules in music.
This is kind of like asking how much blue vs red should you use in your painting.
It’s up to you, there are no set rules.
If you’re just switching between those two chords, keeping their bars even is probably your best bet.
You could try something simple like: G, rest, G, noodle noodle noodle noodle, D, rest, D, noodle noodle noodle noodle. Hope that helps!
@Zeke
This is exactly what I was trying to ask! It helps a lot, thanks.
Just go with the flow… feel the music.
Technically, all music is just people doing whatever they want. So play as many bars as you feel.
As a beginner, it helps to keep things simple with even numbers like 2, 4, 8, or 16 bars to make it sound good. You could try 2 bars on G and 2 bars on D, then repeat.
But first, I’d suggest checking out some chord progression exercises on YouTube to get a better feel for it. Here’s an example: link
@Nico
I can follow along with that! Here’s a link to something simple I found. I get what he’s doing most of the time, but is this pre-planned or is he making it up as he goes? How does he decide when to change chords or add a lick? Actually, I think he’s doing Em to D, but I’m not sure.
@Ari
He’s just playing a few chords with some licks added in. The licks still follow the chords, so it all sounds nice. The chords themselves stay for 1 or 2 bars, like I showed you in the video. If you’re struggling with 4/4 timing or chord changes, keep practicing chord progressions until it feels more natural. Check out some strumming pattern exercises too.
Also, look for bluegrass or country licks like this link to learn how to mix them into your playing. With time, you’ll get better at counting and adding riffs between chords.
@Nico
Thanks a lot! I really appreciate it!
Please don’t just noodle around. Either learn a song or practice real improvisation.
Noodling isn’t improvisation; it’s just random stuff that doesn’t make sense. It’s like typing nonsense and expecting people to understand you.