The Rubber Stamp Technique

I saw a great tip on here about getting more fluid with chord changes by forming your fingers into the correct position above the fingerboard and then pressing them down all it once "like a rubber stamp." I decided to try that myself, and quickly discovered how uncoordinated my left hand is. In a few positions, I couldn't even seem to get my fingers to go where I wanted them to, it was like that trick where you entwine your fingers together and someone points at a finger and you try and move it but the wrong one moves! It's times like this that I feel like the most uncoordinated person on the planet. It sure explains why I still have so much trouble with basic chord changes, especially ones with four fingers.

That's how I felt at first. However, after several hundred stamping attempts for each chord, things started to improve! My Wife thought I had lost my mind sitting here "stamping" every day. I did have to strum occasionally to wake myself up! Ha! Seriously, the more you practice the faster they will come. I didn't feel improvement gradually, the improvement came in leaps and bounds. It does work!

In our local beginners group we teach the students
to 'hover'.Simply put if you are playing a C chord in
the first position,and your next chord is an F then hold
the two fingers to form the F above the fretboard as
you describe,then bring them down,whilst removing the
one finger from the C,at the chord change!
Same idea,just never thought of it as 'rubber stamping'!

I like the "hover" method! I still try to "stamp" and am getting better, but it is taking time!!!

luthien, I like the idea of the "hover" method. I am going to add that to my practice routine. I "has to" speed-up transitions! Thanks