How Do I Know Which One To Practice?

[Whitey#1]

Ok, so again, I am a beginner. An absolute beginner. My question is......

I have books and DVDs that show the same chords, yet they use different fingers and frets. I see 2-3 different versions of the G chord, 2-3 different versions of the C chord, etc, etc.

So, how do I know which one is right, or at least which one I should be practicing?

I don't see any way that I can attach images or else I would do so. And forgive me for not understanding here.

r/Mike

[rick-slo]

Use the fingering that fits for the particular tune - e.g. prior chord, following chord, tempo. Fingerings to use are things that become more obvious when in context of the music, rather than just practicing isolated chords.

[Pitar]

Short answer: All of them.

You will use them all as appropriate to the piece played, eventually, so don't feel like there's a conspiracy to make you stumble right out of the gate.

The G major chord I play with the middle, ring and little fingers mostly but will change that up to the index, middle and ring, or a full barre, depending on the piece played and what chord I'm moving from or going to. That will all sort itself out once the piece becomes familiar and the surrounding chords dictate the best way to hold that chord. So it goes for other chords.

If I place the G major with the middle, ring and little fingers it's because I might be using my index finger to embellish that chord with another note to give it some color, or a dynamic that is needed, like hammering the C note on the first fret of the B string while I hold the chord with those other three fingers. Plus, it's quicker to move to other open chords from that method of playing the G chord than any other method of holding it.

[lpa53]

If you're an absolute beginner I would suspect that it takes you time to move between chords. If that's the case, to avoid frustration that could cause you to give up, I'd say pick the one that's easiest for you yo play. Eventually, once your fingers learn to move independently and also as a whole, forming chords in the air as you change from one to another, you'll end up using all of the variants. At that point the other versions will come to you much faster.

[jfitz81]

Originally Posted by lpa53

If that's the case, to avoid frustration that could cause you to give up, I'd say pick the one that's easiest for you yo play. Eventually, once your fingers learn to move independently and also as a whole, forming chords in the air as you change from one to another, you'll end up using all of the variants. At that point the other versions will come to you much faster.

Completely agree with this. Learning the "open" major and minor chords (the ones using open strings and the first two or three frets) will go pretty quickly, strengthen your hand, and make you instantly able to play about a million songs. When I first started playing in high school, my buddy's dad wrote chord charts for Am, C, D, F, and Em, and showed me 'House of the Rising Sun,' which has been a pretty standard "my first song" for a long time. I'm sure there are other methods/ways of learning, but that one's worked for a lot of players. Getting the full F chord takes almost everyone a while, but you'll be better for it.

Lots of other positions and chords will come easier once you learn the first few, but it'll take years. I'm still learning and re-learning different chords and voicings. If I don't use them in a song, they don't really stick.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Whitey#1

Ok, so again, I am a beginner. An absolute beginner. My question is......

I have books and DVDs that show the same chords, yet they use different fingers and frets. I see 2-3 different versions of the G chord, 2-3 different versions of the C chord, etc, etc.

So, how do I know which one is right, or at least which one I should be practicing?

All of them.
Start with whichever ones you find easiest, but different fingerings are useful for changing chords more smoothly. As a beginner, the toughest thing (or rather the first tough thing...) you face is being able to change chords in time. One fingering for G will move easily to a C chord, while another one might move more easily to a D chord. IOW, you balance ease of fingering with ease of changing shapes.

In a sense, it doesn't matter if you get fixed on only one fingering for each chord (because it saves time and effort). It will just make some changes more difficult, meaning you have to practice those moves more. There's no real short cuts here.

[ManyMartinMan]

I recommend learning each chord one way moving from easier to more difficult for you. Practice those chords and changes from one to another then add chords. I feel that trying to learn a "G" (or any) chord 3 ways x all chord permutations, is very difficult for most. Get the ability to play every chord so you can play songs, then learn other variances of each chord.

[KDepew]

I suggest practicing one shape for a few chords to get to the point that you can change them fast enough to play a song. Have success with that then move to different shapes after that.


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