Beginner Guitar Lesson: Switching from G to D

Our final two-chord switch uses no fancy tricks, pivot fingers or sliding.  You must simply lift all of your fingers from one chord and place on the next chord.  Let’s begin by switching from G to D:

1. Fret your G chord by placing the first finger on the second fret of the A string, the second finger on the third fret of the Low E and the third finger on the third fret of the High E string.
2. Strum all six strings
3. Lift all your fingers off the G chord at once
4. Place the first finger on the second fret of the G string
5. Place your second finger on the second fret of the High E
6. Place your third finger on the third fret of the B string
7. Strum the from the D string to the High E string, avoiding the Low E and A strings, by using more forearm rotation and less elbow motion

To switch back from D to G:

1. After strumming the D, lift all three fingers of the fretboard at once
2. Place the first finger on the second fret of the A string
3. Place the second finger on the third fret of the Low E string
4. Place the third finger on the third fret of the High E string
5. Strum all six strings