Ok enough threads about how to finger open G. How about how you finger open A?
 

Sorry no pics but variation one which is the one I use about 99% of the time. X02220, fingers: 234

Variation 2: x02220. Finger 2 on the D string, and finger 3 barring the G and B.

Variation 3: x0222x. Finger 1 barring all 3 strings and mute the open e. Some people can do this and still make the open e ring, but I just can’t and haven’t bothered to learn it that way.

I like to use all 3 fingers simply because it gives me freedom to do other things like Asus4 (x02230) and other things like a seamless transition to EM chord which is a popular progression if you’re playing in A.

Another chord that has been a source of numerous threads. Any which way you can for the musical context and your finger anatomy.

Ha ha, yeah another one with multiple fingerings. Also, if you don’t play the first string, you can barre it with any one of your fingers.

When to use which? It’s all about the context.

Yep, all of those, and my favourite is yours (fingers 234).

2nd favourite is the barre - I can lift the finger so the top E rings, but it usually doesn't matter if it's muted. (If the top E is important I'll stay with fingers 234.) Big advantage of this one is all the other stuff you can do with the other 3 fingers.

One I often recommend to my fat-fingered students (but never use myself) is fingers 213. They can often manage that better than 123 or 234. And it's good for changing to D or E, sliding 3rd finger up or index down.

I use the technique taught by justin sandercoe of justinguitar.

The index finger holds the middle of the 3 strings (G). That gives me an anchor finger that stays on the string when I move to either E or D. My first song only had A E and D, this made it a lot easier and now I just keep doing in that way.

I use mostly 1-2-3 or 2-3-4, and I'll throw in one more I use quite a bit as well, 1-2:
Tip of index finger barring the D and G strings, and middle finger on the B string.
As mentioned it often depends on the easiest fingering that works for the piece at hand.
But do try 1-2. It works quite well too.

Small barre with index finger on D and g strings. Middle handles the b string. And 2 more free fingers

Another vote for this fingering as a "default" position. I use several, but this was the first one I learned and it still works well most of the time.

I do the barre with my index finger these days.

I started doing it with 3 fingers early on, partly from reading it in a book, also lots because Justin Sandercoe was recommending it.

When I started taking lessons this year my teacher immediately started making me switch over to doing the barre.

I think the barre is better at this point (10 months of practice).

There are several reasons to do with 3 fingers and some factors why I think it gets recommended for beginners:

- If your action is high and/or fingers are not used to playing (no calluses) it's less physical effort with 3 fingers
- Things are hard enough when you start out, the anchor finger can be helpful

Reasons I think the barre is better now:
- I've got my action adjusted a heck of a lot better than when I started
- I don't actually want my 2nd finger in exactly the same position when switching back and forth between open A <-> D
- Once you can nail down the D it's faster with the barre anyway, you're never going to have the anchor fingers for everything
- Once you get good with the barre you can switch back and forth between muting the high e string or letting it ring out really easily. Some songs and some guitars sound a lot better with the high e muted.

x02225 index barre, pinky on 5 is nice.

Variation 3 takes practice to place and not mute the high E string. The fingertip will bend more over time and find that slight angle that not only gives the E-string plenty of room, it will also leave enough real estate under it to place the middle finger for coloring the chord with the F# note on the E-string. This is my way of playing the A-chord. And, should you want to drop out the C# note of that chord, or alternate it between the C# and the open B, on the B-string, you just rock your index finger off/on it while maintaining the A-note and the E-note on the G and D strings, respectively.

Variation 3 also allows the use of the other free fingers to do lot's of things they normally cannot do if tied to the chord. Holding the chord with the index fingertip and then simultaneously hammering the D and F# notes on the G and D strings, respectively, is one of the things you cannot do otherwise.

Awesome guys, I’m gonna practice the barre more now. I like the idea of coloring the chord with my other free fingers.

I can play the A chord three of four different ways. But my favorite is like tony; 2-1-3. In the key of A you're likely to play a lot of D's and E's because of the I, IV, V relationship. Index stays on the G string and doesn't move to go to D- only 2 and 3 move. Then to go to E the index only slides down to the first fret and 2 and 3 pivot across to finger the E chord.

From the standpoint of comfort, the 2-1-3 fingering means that three fingers don't have to be jammed across on fret side-by-side. That first finger can sit up a bit from the fret and give 2 and 3 a little breathing room. I suppose 2-3-4 could help a bit, but I don't see the efficiency in that fingering. Depending on where I'm coming from or where I'm going, alternately I'll bar across EAC# with my index finger. But the bar is usually used when I have to do somethign with my other fingers right after, such as throw them down for a Bm.

For many years it was the bar across D-G-B strings and mute E so I could do standard boogie/chuck berry stuff on the A and D strings. I still do that a lot if the song is more of a straight rock-n-roll tune.

But learning James Taylor stuff forced me to use the 2-1-3. I believe that's how he does it so you can get the movements like he so often does. An example is Fire & Rain. Capoed on the 3rd fret and playing an "A" chord position like that and doing the hammer-ons and pull-offs he does in the verses.

I use two fingers, fretting the D-string with the index finger, and the G & B strings with the middle finger. This is how I learned to play the chord all those years ago, and I've always been able to use this technique regardless of the guitar's nut width. It is very handy having both the ring and pinky fingers free, and using the same fingers to fret Em. (Refer to "Down By the River" :))