need help w/ chords

[danish]

i've learned (and memorized) the chords Em and C. now i'm practicing on changing between the two and trying to keep a steady rhythm. i can't quite get it right; i either totally miss the strings i'm suppose to fret, or sometimes i fret the right strings, but my fingers are touching other strings and they screw up the sound. does this just take time, or am i doing something wrong?

[disturbed_pyro]

It basically takes time and practice. But when you're strumming, try switching chords while strumming. So don't stop strumming, even if all of your fingers aren't in the right place; you can fix those during the strumming. Also, between chords you should have one strum of open strings.
----0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0----------------
----0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--1--1--1--1--1--1--1--1----------------
----0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0----------------
----2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--0--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2---------------
----2--2--2--2--2--2--2--2--0--3--3--3--3--3--3--3--3------------------
----0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0--0-------------------------------------------
.........................................^open string strum

[SteelSlider]

Yeah, Distrubed is right.

Your fingers are doing something new, moving in ways they probably have never moved before, and each one is moving in sync with the others, but to it's own special place on the fretboard.
Do your chord changes very slow in the beginninng. You, in your mind, know exactly where your fingers are to go, but your fingers don't. This is what takes time. It's a long way from the brain to the fingertips. Make the changes slow, don't strum at this moment, just concentrate on making the changes. Stop now and then to give your fingers a rest, then start again. When your fingers make the chords a few times, pick up the pace a bit and strum when you feel comfortable. It's the repeditive motion of changing position that is called practice that will increase your speed, timing and confidence.
One other thing, when making a chord change, and strumming, when the chord change comes up, make the strumming an upwards stroke. That helps muff the sounds of open strings for some reason. I guess cuz it's inbetween beats. But it works.
Good luck, and don't forget to stretch your hands and fingers before practice, and to give them frequent rests.

[cyberfret]

Here are a couple of lessons to check out

Changing between guitar chords quickly
http://www.cyberfret.com/chords/changing/index.htm

Changing Chords - By Jamey Andreas
http://www.cyberfret.com/power-practicing/changing-chords.htm

--Shawn

[bobcat]

GREAT answer SteelSlider!

When I was learning to play, I would only concentrate on the left hand to start with. I would work on changing my fingers between two or three chords until I was sure that my brain and fingers were thinking alike. I would lightly touch the strings and not actually push then down. This gives the hand and fingers a little break. After I felt comfortable with the left hand, I would add in the right hand...slowly.

Great advice to stretch!!! You can build up a great deal of tension in the hands, wrist, forearm, shoulder, neck and upper back. Take a few minutes to release this! :p