The G Chord

cgrammer
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Sun Nov 18, 2012 3:34 pm

Hello Everyone,

I have been following the beginner series and practicing everyday for several hours, but very much a newbie.
I am not really interested in learning songs until I have the basics correct.
I came to the beginner video on chords, and the G chord was shown using fingers 4, 3, 2, instead of 3, 2, 1.
It is nearly impossible for me to make G with 4,3,2.

Prior to joining TG, I had been practicing the G chord with 4,2,1 with the idea that finger 3 be used for the B string 3rd fret.

I can see the benefits of this fingering 4,3,2 for switching to C, Am...etc, but I simply cant get those fingers to move right.
Most of the people I know that play guitar use 3,2,1, so I am fully expecting for people to throw rocks and sticks in my general direction when they see my heathen arrangement.

My question is basically this:
Should I use the 4,3,2 fingering, because it is best long term once learned?
Or, can I use the more comfortable 3, 2, 1?

Chris


suziko
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Sun Nov 18, 2012 3:45 pm

Chris,

Like you, and most people, I first learned to play a G with fingers 1,2,3. But I re-taught myself later to play it with 2,3,4 and I think it's a much better way to finger the chord. Switching to C, like you mentioned is a cinch, as it is to F and Am. Yes, it takes some retraining and in the beginning you're not going to play it as well as you're used to. But it won't take long to retrain yourself and I doubt you will regret learning to play it that way. You can always switch between the two fingerings, too, depending on what you're playing.

I've played with musicians who finger this chord both ways and I've never heard anyone comment or mock the way other people finger their chords.

Ultimately, though, it's your guitar, your playing, so of course you can finger the chord however you want!

Suzi


benfield113
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Sun Nov 18, 2012 4:27 pm

Hi Chris.

It also depends on which chord you are going from/to , as to which fingering you use. For example, I use the 3-2-1 fingering in 'Tequila sunrise' as it is easier to hammer the first finger onto the 4th string to get an E with more strength than the third finger would have . Also there is another song in ascending arpegios with a transition D with C# on the 5th followed by descent to 'G' with 'B' on the 5th string. In such circumstances, it's nigh on impossible to get the F the top string cleanly then to the B both using the second finger, so I use the first finger in a 3-2-1 shape. The main problem with 3-2-1 shape is that the fourth finger is too far away from the unfretted strings to be much use.

I originally learned the 3-2-1 fingering, and believe me, you can change to 4-3-2 ... given time and practice, but it is hard at first. Now I've got a similar problem with the 'A' chord trying to get used to putting the first finger in the centre as per Neil's instruction , rather than on the 3rd string as I learned and feels more natural (at the moment anyway) I keep getting Amaj7.

Keep practising!!

Andy


tacticaltal
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Sun Nov 18, 2012 6:17 pm

Yes I'd ABSOLUTELY and strongly recommend that! :)

You use the other fingering only when the context asks for it, that's it. Other than that, the 432 fingering will serve your guitarplaying WAY more!

Just practice and you'll be fine! :)


cgrammer wrote:
My question is basically this:
Should I use the 4,3,2 fingering, because it is best long term once learned?
Chris


michelew
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Location: Sydney, Australia
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Sun Nov 18, 2012 9:00 pm

Great explanations Suzi, Andy and Ness.

And then there's the G5 chord where you'll use all four fingers. It's a cool chord. So learning both fingerings for G will help you with that one too.

Have fun. It's all part of the journey. You'll look back at some point and realise that it's working just fine. :)

M.


cgrammer
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Sun Nov 18, 2012 9:17 pm

Awesome :)

Thanks for the help!

Chris


tovo
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Sun Nov 18, 2012 11:42 pm

cgrammer wrote:
It is nearly impossible for me to make G with 4,3,2.


Chris
It feels that way now, stick with it and like Nike say "impossible is nothing".

I feel the most valuable advantage of the 4,3,2 fingering is that it leaves your 1st finger free to move quickly into a barre. That may not be on your immediate radar, but it will be as you improve and then you will REALLY understand the value of this teaching.

The other thing I'd like to say is that having learned almost from the beginning of my playing this "alternate" fingering, I find it easy to switch to the more "traditional" fingering when needed, but it's not so easy the other way by all accounts. Something to consider.


dekotaj
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Mon Nov 19, 2012 9:51 am

Hey Chris.
First off,good luck with your guitar playing.
And as far as your question about the G chord?You will need to learn it BOTH WAYS!!!!And also with your ring finger on the B string at the third fret.Adding the D note as you said.

If you have not starting learning songs yet.Learn the open chords like you are,but make it as easy as you can with what fingering works BEST FOR YOU!!!So do not worry so much how you finger the chords right now.You have a long road ahead of you as we all do.So make the journey as easy as you can.And you will be play song before you know it.

Kevin


sbutler
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Mon Nov 19, 2012 12:40 pm

Chris, we all struggle with something. Me, I've been playing very actively now for several years, and there are tons of things that Neil does that I battle. When I get to spots like that, Neil has taught us to isolate the very thing that trips us up, and just spend a few minutes attacking it. And practicing the alternative fingering for the G major chord can be done while your watching football, or watching just about anything. Just put your fingers down in order (most of the time you'll start with g on the 6th string and work up from there) and squeeze. Do that as many times as you can stand, then work on something else. Don't wear yourself out with it, just hit it a few times, let it simmer, then come back an hour or two later and try it again.

Then tell us how fast it was to learn the new way of playing G. B)

Scott


willem
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Mon Nov 19, 2012 1:30 pm

sbutler wrote:
Chris, we all struggle with something. Me, I've been playing very actively now for several years, and there are tons of things that Neil does that I battle. When I get to spots like that, Neil has taught us to isolate the very thing that trips us up, and just spend a few minutes attacking it. And practicing the alternative fingering for the G major chord can be done while your watching football, or watching just about anything. Just put your fingers down in order (most of the time you'll start with g on the 6th string and work up from there) and squeeze. Do that as many times as you can stand, then work on something else. Don't wear yourself out with it, just hit it a few times, let it simmer, then come back an hour or two later and try it again.

Then tell us how fast it was to learn the new way of playing G. B)

Scott
Thats a great advice Scott..


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