The g cord

[Loraine]

Hi @Dave.r.porter. There are several ways to play many chords, and if the 3 finger G works for you, then I say it is the correct one. Tony prefers the 4 finger chord because it’s fuller, but you can use the 3 fingered one in place of it.

[Dave.r.porter.]

Thanks Loraine. It’s been fun and difficult at the same time🙂

[Kim-Fitz]

Hi Dave,

Here’s my 2 cents. If you can fit 2 fingers next to each other on other cords such as the Em or Am then your fingers should fit on the G cord. I think it just takes practice. You may have to move your fingers up or down, or change your hand position. You should try playing around with it. I guess I just figure you will have to put 2 fingers next to each other in many cords anyway so why not practice.

I originally learned the G using 3 fingers but now I’m forcing myself to do the 4 finger G. My hand does not have complete muscle memory yet and it’s slower for me to transition but I’m much better now than when I started and I do like the fuller sound better.

The other thought is your guitar. If your string width (nut width) is narrow depending on the make/model this will make it harder or easier. You may want to check out other guitars and see if that makes a difference. Ultimately you want to enjoy the process so maybe play with 3 fingers and practice 4 fingers or just do what keeps you playing.

[Marty73]

@Dave.r.porter. Ya do what works for you. There is no wrong or right way. Keep on strumming! 🧐🧙‍♂️😎

[jumpinjeff]

right on @Marty69 : you nailed it, “there is no wrong way, there is no right way”!

I am going to build on that. There is the sound you make and the sound you want to make. Hopefully they are the same. TAC etc. is where I can find a way to align those two things. For alignment purposes I throw this one out there for @Dave.r.porter. There is a G chord you can make with one finger by covering the the B and E strings at the third fret bar style (one finger covering two strings) don’t play the bass strings E,A, only stum the DGBE strings and if you want a low base note reach up with any free finger and cover the Low E string on the 3rd fret to add the low G bass note. As long as you mute the A string (use the meaty part of the finger covering the low E string to mute) this makes a lush G chord.

[Marty73]

To make a chord, all you need are 3 notes. 😊🧙‍♂️😎

[dr_dave]

I think that you might eventually want to have several different “G arrows” in your quiver. The “four-fingered” open G is not necessary, but it is nice to have as an option. Having the ring finger as an anchor when transitioning between open G and open D is nice, so it’s really handy for those G-C-D (I-IV-V) songs.

But there are other times when I need to grab a 3-finger open G with the middle, pinkie and ring. This is very hard for me to do, but it’s important for me to develop more skill with that grip because there are a few things I play where I need to keep the index finger free to fret a C in the first fret of the B string, making a Gadd4 chord. The songs in which I need that Gadd4 sound do not sound nearly as good if I substitute a G chord. Also you’ll want an E-shaped barred G and probably some other barred shapes, but you might not need them anytime soon.

I don’t say any of this to intimidate you. Learn what you need when you need it, and accept that the johrney is long, with many stepping stones and choices.

[jumpinjeff]

@dr_dave said: “Learn what you need when you need it, and accept that the johrney is long, with many stepping stones and choices.”

Yes. Pick a stone and leap. The hardest by far is the first one.

[Bill_Brown]

Hello @Dave.r.porter. , I agree with @dr_dave , you need that “Quiver of G arrows” 😱- you need to be able to play a G chord with any type of finger configuration that has been mentioned by all above. Some you’ll need for tone/sound, others you’ll need for easy/speed transitions, and some you’ll need because you have to fret single notes between transitions (i.e. leaving certain fingers free to fret those notes). So you should be prepared to play that G chord in any circumstance that’s dictated👍

[Dave.r.porter.]

Thank you for your advice. It all helps and I appreciate it.