Market structure is the foundation of all technical analysis. Every strategy is built on reading highs, lows, trends and consolidations correctly.
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Live OANDA:USDJPY Chart — ExamplePowered by TradingView
Trends & Swing Points
Mark every significant swing high and swing low on your chart. A swing high is a candle with a higher high than both neighbors. A swing low has a lower low than both neighbors.
Uptrend: Higher High (HH) followed by Higher Low (HL) — each peak and trough is higher than the last
Downtrend: Lower Low (LL) followed by Lower High (LH) — each peak and trough is lower
Range: approximately equal highs and lows — neither buyers nor sellers winning
The TREND on the higher timeframe is your bias. Only take trades aligned with it.
Waves & Impulse vs Correction
Impulse Wave: strong, fast, large candles in the trend direction — this is where smart money moves
Corrective Wave: slow, overlapping, smaller candles against the trend — this is where you ENTER
Fibonacci retracements: corrections typically retrace 38.2%, 50%, or 61.8% of the impulse
Best entry: enter at the end of a correction (at a demand/supply zone) in the direction of the impulse
The correction is the opportunity — never chase the impulse
Pro Tip: If the corrective wave is bigger and faster than the impulse wave, the trend is likely weakening. Look for a CHoCH signal to confirm potential reversal.
Consolidation & Breakouts
Consolidation occurs after an impulse move as price digests the move before the next leg
Rectangle range: flat top and bottom — buy bottom, sell top, exit at opposite side
Tightening consolidation: each swing gets smaller = energy building for a big breakout
Wait for candle CLOSE outside the range + a successful retest before entering the breakout
Volume spike on breakout candle = confirmation
Low-volume breakout = likely false break, wait for retest
Market Structure Drawing Process
Step 1: Switch to OHLC bars or candlesticks on H4 or Daily
Step 2: Mark the most recent 5-10 significant swing highs and lows
Step 3: Draw horizontal lines at each swing point
Step 4: Identify the current trend (HH+HL, LL+LH, or range)
Step 5: Mark the KEY levels — the ones price has respected multiple times
Step 6: Look for price to approach one of these levels for entry opportunity
Step 7: Drop to H1 for entry confirmation only after H4 structure aligns