The first-day strums

We can start practicing timing.

Every song has a succession of chords that basically repeat over and again. Some songs use different chords for each part of the song (verse, chorus, bridge), while others use  the same chords throughout the song. 

The first step in timing is to understand these chord changes. There are many ways to do so about the concrete time for these changes, but you should be able to recognize them by ear.

Every song is divided into measures, which are repetitive segments of time.

Listen to a song you like and try to mark off every chord change (every measure's beginning) with a foot tap.

This activity is really important, and this is precisely the point where you will change chord.

You will be helped by the tablature. Every chord change is indicated by the name of the chord above the exact point of the lyrics where the change takes place.

Once you have heard a couple of songs and you can identify the changes, you can start to play your first song on the guitar.

Don’t panic - just relax and try it.

Remember that we are experiencing timing, so we will start with two simplified chords that you can easily change from one to the other and you should strum when the chord change comes. For this purpose, you will play two of these simplified chords, C and G, and play while you listen to the song.

Now grab the guitar and just strum the first three strings with the first finger in the first fret of the second string. You will play, at the same time, the first string, which is open, the second string which will be played pressing the first fret with your first finger (index finger), and the third string which is also open.

To play an open string means to play a string without fretting anywhere.

Doing so, you can have something like a C chord.

You will need to practice until the three strings sound properly.

Now we will try to do the same with another chord. If you let go with your first finger, you leave the third and the second strings open. Next, place your third (or fourth) finger in the third fret of the first string, and you will have something like a G chord.

You are not a guitar player yet, but you have the sound of two chords and it is time to start practicing the transition from one position to the other, from C to G, and back again to C.