Easy 10-Minute Guitar Workout – How to Play C and D

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(Download the sheet music for this video)

In this beginner guitar workout, we’ll be practicing the C major and D major chords. We’ll begin with a few exercises that focus on playing each guitar chord on its own, followed by some exercises that will help you go back and forth between them. 

If you’d like to check out the first two parts of this series where we focus on different chord changes, you can find them here:

Part 1 – How to Play G and Em
Part 2 – How to Play Em and C

To get the most from this lesson, be sure to follow along with Ayla in the video. You can also download all the sheet music at the top of this page. You should be familiar with the format at this point, so let’s get started with these new chords.

1. Strum an C major chord and hold for 4 beats
2. Pick each individual string of the C major chord on the beat
3. Strum an C major chord and hold for 4 beats, then release pressure for 4 beats
4. Strum an C major chord and hold for 4 beats, then take hand off and point at the screen
5. Take a short break and stretch out your fingers
6. Strum a D major chord and hold for 4 beats
7. Pick each individual string of the D major chord on the beat
8. Strum a D major chord and hold for 4 beats, then release pressure for 4 beats
9. Strum a D major chord and hold for 4 beats, then take hand off and point at the screen
10. Take another break and stretch out your fingers
11. Play C major for 2 bars (8 beats) followed by D major for 2 bars (8 beats)
12. Play C major for 1 bar (4 beats) followed by D major for 1 bar (4 beats)
13. Play C major for 2 beats followed by D major for 2 beats

That’s a wrap for this workout. If you notice your fingers hurting a little bit that’s perfectly normal, it just means it was an effective practice session. We’ll see you back here soon for another beginner guitar workout with a new set of open chords!

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