First post and G chord question

[temo44]

Hi!

I'm all new to TG and I wanted to say hi and waw what a nice site! I've searched for a lot of sites where you can learn to play guitar but this is far beyond my expectations :woohoo: . Neil is a really good teacher!

But I also have a question. I'm quite the beginner, and when I try to do the G chord, it sound quite nice, but when I hit the strings one by one, I hear that sometimes(oh well...most of the time ) the fifth and fourth string don't sound clear at all... Is my hand to small or is my positioning not good?

thanks!

[AndyT]

You need to work on your position.
As you strike each string one by one to make sure they ring clean, look at your fingers. If you get a dud sounding string then you are touching it somewhere. Make sure you drop your wrist below the level of the neck and touch the neck with only the tips of your fingers and thumb. Work on that for a day to get your position correct and avoid the baseball bat grip. You will be far ahead of others if you get the correct grip down first.

Check Neil's beginner lessons for more help on this. You can even start with his strumming lessons in the acoustic genius section. It covers this in a bit of detail and has some great video shots of how to do it.

[dennisg]

Temo,

Work on curving yours fingers, pressing the strings with just the tips of the fingers -- the part just below the fingernail. Most beginners tend to press down the strings with the front of their fingers, and that leads to just the problem you describe.

- Dennis (in Seattle)

[TGMatt]

Temo Check out the new chord companion as well as the beginner lessons in the Target section..these will show you correct hand position and how to position your hand on the back side..which is actually as if not more important...

Welcome aboard mate

[jayswett]

I agree with the suggestions mentioned above. The only thing that I will add is that, as a beginner, you should make a point to use the G fingering suggested by Neil, which utilizes the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers rather than 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The latter fingering is easier, but in the long run, you will be much better off using the more difficult fingering. I am speaking from personal experience, as I continue to try to make the change. Neil speaks of this in several of his videos.

[dennisg]

jayswett wrote:

I agree with the suggestions mentioned above. The only thing that I will add is that, as a beginner, you should make a point to use the G fingering suggested by Neil, which utilizes the 2nd, 3rd and 4th fingers rather than 1st, 2nd and 3rd. The latter fingering is easier, but in the long run, you will be much better off using the more difficult fingering. I am speaking from personal experience, as I continue to try to make the change. Neil speaks of this in several of his videos.

I completely agree with the above. I learned to play the G the "wrong" way decades ago, and I'm a slave to it now and can't easily change.

- Dennis (in Seattle)

[Music Junkie]

Temo:

I agree with all of the above comments 100%. I can just reiterate the suggestion to review the chord companions for proper fingerings and then work on those fingerings while plucking each string individually to make sure each is sounding out cleanly. From there, it is just a matter of pure repetition. It may get tedious at times, but I promise you it will all start to work smoothly with time. Have faith in yourself and keep plugging. It WILL get there. I used to get frustrated all the time! I still do get frustrated, but I have learned to give myself a break....

Most importantly, have FUN!

Cheers!

MJ

[ncsurfer]

I am also relearning my G chord the Neil way and am currently in that in between phase where I'm not very good at the new way but no longer comfortable at the old way. But, it does get easier every time I pick up the guitar, nothing like practice to get over the hump. However, I am trying to relearn my open A chord as well but having a lot less success. My fingers are confused..or is that really my old brain resisting new tricks?