Can’t change chords yet? Try playing them on the top three strings first.
This is the ukulele style approach—voicing chords on the high strings (G, B, and high E) before adding the lower strings. It’s physically easier, requires less finger stretch, and lets you lock in the timing before you add complexity.
In this lesson, we’re using the Stand By Me progression—G, Em, C, D—and building it up in stages.
The Progression
Here’s the chord progression we’re using:
Simple, recognisable, and perfect for practising changes.
Why This Method Works
Most beginners try to play full chords before they can keep time. So they’re fighting two battles at once—fingering and rhythm. No wonder it feels impossible.
So instead, we separate them. We start on the top three strings—the ones closest to your picking hand, the ones that require the least finger stretch—and lock in the timing there. Then we add a fourth string. Then all six.
By the time you’re playing full chords, the rhythm is already automatic. You’ve only got one new thing to think about.
Stage 1: High Three Strings (Ukulele Style Voicings)
We start on the top three strings only—G, B, and high E.
Notice how small these shapes are. Your fingers barely have to move. That’s the point.
Start with semibreves (one strum per bar), then crotchets (one strum per beat), then quavers (two strums per beat). Use a metronome at around 60 BPM.
Stage 2: High Four Strings
Same progression, same rhythm—but now we’re adding the D string.
Semibreves, then crotchets, then quavers. The rhythm never changes.
Stage 3: Full Chords
This is the one. Full open chords.
But here’s the thing—you’ve already done the hard work. The timing is locked in. The progression is in your head. All you’re doing now is adding the bass note.
The Recap
Three stages:
- High three strings—ukulele style voicings
- High four strings
- Full chord voicings
At every stage, the rhythm stays the same. And because you’re only thinking about one new thing at a time, it never feels overwhelming.
Final Advice
Spend a week on each stage before moving on. Don’t rush. The goal isn’t to finish the lesson—it’s to build muscle memory.
And if you missed the first video in this series—the one using bass notes and the Johnny B Goode progression—that one builds from the bottom up. This one builds from the top down. Together, they cover both approaches.
Watch the full lesson here:
What song do you want to be able to play? Let me know in the comments—I might build a lesson around it!