Most people have trouble changing chords smoothly at first. One way to overcome this is to practice the changes with your eyes closed and visualize each new shape in your mind before you change to it. This helps to make sure you really know the shapes from memory and gets you into the habit of thinking ahead as you play. Try this technique with the following example, which contains almost all the chord shapes you have learnt so far.
It is not always desirable to leave a chord ringing once it has been played. In rhythm guitar playing it is common to cut the sound of a chord off as soon as it has been played, making the rhythm very crisp. The technique of cutting chords or notes shorter than their written value is called staccato. With chords containing open strings, staccato is usually achieved by placing the side of the right hand across all the strings immediately after strumming the chord. Staccato is indicated by placing a dot directly above or below the intended note or chord.