Confirm what arrives early
An anticipation occurs when a musical event arrives before the beat where you might expect it. In a full recording, the bass may anticipate while the chord instrument waits, or the whole harmony may move early. Listen closely before copying the effect. Tap the main beats and identify the exact subdivision of the attack. If you cannot place it consistently, sing or clap the rhythm without the guitar first. A vague instruction to change slightly early usually leads to uneven timing rather than a repeatable groove.
Prepare the fretting hand during silence
Use a simple two-chord exercise and count eighth-note subdivisions. Change to the new chord on the final and before the next measure, then let it sustain through beat one. Keep the strumming hand moving even when beat one has no new attack. Release and reposition the fretting fingers early enough for the anticipated stroke. If the new shape is not ready, slow down or remove another attack; do not move the entire bar to accommodate the hand.
Keep the following measure grounded
The hardest part is often what happens after the early chord. Continue counting the next measure normally so the anticipation does not become an accidental tempo increase. Practice a full measure before and after the event, then compare it with the verified timing in the song. Use the chart as a harmonic guide while listening for the actual attack. Record several repetitions and check whether the next strong beat still arrives predictably. A successful anticipation adds forward energy because it plays against a stable pulse; without that stable reference, it simply sounds as though the chord change happened at an uncertain moment.