Originally Posted by: usa4cc

So recently I tried playing the chords for a song with a few friends. Even though I can keep up a consistent strumming pattern and change chords easily, I wasn't changing chords at the right time during the song. Apparently sometimes it was too slow, other times too fast--I can easily change chords even in the middle of a strumming pattern.

Someone I know has practiced for so many less hours for me and doesn't know any strumming patterns really, but can play just fine, whereas I wasn't able to.

So I'm really frustrated. Has anyone experienced this before?

Just wondering: The friends you played with ; had they played this song together before ? If so, they may have gotten used to playing with each other and gotten their timing down before you joined them. Maybe their tempo was different than what you had been practicing and that threw you off. The other suggestions that were given are all good. What I like to do sometimes is to play along with the original recording to work out the timing and chord change issues. If you`re new at this then nerves could be a factor but that will get better with time.

Good luck.