Rachel I would suggest rather than another exercise learn the changes while applying them to songs. Win-win situation make music and practise changes, you know it makes sense.
I agree with Toby’s @TheMadman_tobyjenner suggestion.
I pick a sequence of chords from a song that is proving difficult. Try not to make the sequence too long ideally between 4 and 6 and if possible the last chord is actually the first in the sequence if you know what I mean, not always possible.
I also don’t always do one down strum on each chord, sometimes 2 or 4, it just makes it nicer and more like the song.
Michael
Rachel, I support the idea of practicing changes that you will use in songs.
Another idea to keep in mind is ‘practice what you can’t do’. If working through all the possible chord changed you may find you spend a significant proportion of time on changes that you are comfortable with.
Getting back to the idea of selecting changes from songs. From a music theory perspective there are chord changes that commonly occur when playing songs in a specific key. From a JustinGuitar grade 1 perspective, this is why he teaches the A D and E chords first. There are many songs that can be played with those chords. Add the G and C chords, and now you can play the same songs using the the chords G C and D, swapping G for A, C for D, and D for E. Learn the F chord and the same songs can be played using the chords C F and G, now swapping a C for the A etc.
Based on that it makes sense to practice changing between G and D but not necessarily G and Dm.
Throw in an Em and you’ll find many songs that use G C D and Em chords or C F G Am. Not so nice is the same songs using A D E since the forth chord is now F#m. So practising changes between G C D and Em is beneficial.
I hope I am not getting too theoretical and becoming confusing. I am not sure exactly how far you have progressed and how much theory you may know.
I’m sure you have heard @Richard_close2u share his favourite mantra ‘Learn songs Learn songs Learn songs’, And practicing the chord changes that occur commonly in songs is a good approach.
I used the OMCs to great effect when i learned my first song, blowin in the wind from justin’s earlier beginners songbook. it was with A E and D. After that I would use OMC more sparingly when i had to learn a new chord as my focus was on learning songs. That’s what motivated me.
I do exactly the same thing! i have 3 songs with varying chords/order. Using metronome, spend time on each. I have found it to be very helpful and not as “boring” as the usual OMC’s.
Hi Rachel, I join the crowd. Take a look at songs that you like, better if they are any of the ones Justin recommend for your current level, and see which chord goes after each one and just play a sequence of three or more chords, instead of two that you are playing now, in the same order that they are in the song. Getting fluent with the chord changes is a good preparation for tackling the actual song. Later as David said, you can practice chord progressions (sequences of chords with a particular musical relation between them) and work in your ear training and music theory at the same time that you advance with your hand dexterity.
Justin has a lesson that shows the 5 most popular chord progressions. I practiced all the chord changes used in these 5 chord progressions, both in the key of C and G. This covers all the open chords and the dreaded F chord.
What Ed suggests is an excellent approach (IMO). The lesson you want to look at is: Common Chord Progressions | JustinGuitar.com
Getting comfortable with these progression will not only focus you on chord changes that you will actually use, but in the process you are learning the basic structure of thousands of songs.
This needs doing by learning songs, there’s no other way other than to try it in practice; OMC’s are mainly to familiarise you with the chords and the best ways to change between them, from then on it’s the practical side of using them.
