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Old 05-18-2016, 08:02 AM
jstegeman jstegeman is offline
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Default A couple of simple G-chord questions

Hi all,

I was just thinking to myself about different variations on the G chord, and I had a couple of probably simple questions:

1 - how would you finger a Gmaj7 in base position? Like a G7 but slide the index finger up, like a G but slide the high G down? Or something else?

2 - in a G/B - again in base position, the G on the low E string isn't played. How would you do that? I can think of 3 ways - control the strum so you don't play the low string, mute the low G using the finger that would normally be fretting that low G, or mute using the tip of the finger that is fretting the B on the A string.

I guess any of the options would work, but am interested to see what others do.
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Old 05-18-2016, 08:21 AM
PTC Bernie PTC Bernie is offline
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Default Finger position

It depends what's best for you. For me it's easier to slide the 3rd finger down to that second fret.

Sometime your fingering also depends on what fingerings come next, so there's no real set in stone way to any of this.

For example, I often use a version of the G Maj where you fret the 1st and 2nd strings at the third fret. That wouldn't work when playing "Isn't It A Pity" where the GMaj is followed by a GMaj with a C# on the 5th string, fretted with your pinky.

Do what works best for you in your specific situation.

Yeah, lot's of help, I know. Sorry about that.

Last edited by PTC Bernie; 05-18-2016 at 08:27 AM.
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Old 05-18-2016, 08:36 AM
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Do whatever comes to you.

BTW, you might best post these sort of questions in the Play section of the forum.
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Old 05-18-2016, 09:49 AM
cmd612 cmd612 is offline
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Probably depends on what you're playing right before or after and what's easiest in that situation.

(One other option for muting the sixth string is to wrap the thumb around.)
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Old 05-18-2016, 01:21 PM
k_russell k_russell is offline
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Unless the previous or subsequent chord leads to difficult switch, I would use my index finger to fret the F#.
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Old 05-18-2016, 01:30 PM
jemartin jemartin is offline
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It's funny you should mention this. Just the other day, a friend of mine was trying to learn a song with this same chord fingering, and was struggling a lot. He told me that couldn't get the index finger up to the 2nd fret easily. When I asked him to show me which chord he was trying to play... handing him my Taylor with a 1 7/8 neck... he said "wow.. that is a lot easier on your guitar!" Wide neck guitars do have their advantages. Sorry... this probably doesn't help as an answer... but there are many pro's here who can help.
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Old 05-18-2016, 02:29 PM
frhdpicker frhdpicker is offline
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I usually find it awkward to move the index finger from the 1st fret G7 position to the 2nd fret Gmaj7, though I sometimes do it that way. It often feels more comfortable to me (depending on the surrounding chords) to turn the fingering "upside down" and finger Gmaj7 with the ring finger on second fret, first string, index finger on 2nd fret, fifth string, and middle finger on third fret, sixth string. When I need a simpler fingering so that I can change faster, I go with just index finger on 2nd fret, first string, leaving the other strings open, and I only strum/ pick the first three strings.

Ray
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Old 05-18-2016, 02:45 PM
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Hey JS
You already have good answers so nothing to add, except enjoy the journey. It can take a along time for your fingers to do what you need them to do. Keep doing it and you will acquire muscle memory. Eventually you will be able to choose what chord shape (inversion).
works best for you
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Old 05-18-2016, 03:04 PM
Earwitness Earwitness is offline
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I'm frequently a cheater on this, so only give it cheaters' credit, but I think I usually go with ring finger on the bass G, index on the high F#, and just leave the low B out. I'm playing with fingers, so it's not hard to leave a string out.

Pulling the ring finger down from the high G to F# when I have my middle finger on the low G puts my hand in an awkward posture.

Using my index on the high F# makes it easy to add back in the G and A notes on that string, or go to an Am7 chord, which sounds nice after a Gmaj7!
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Old 05-19-2016, 05:31 AM
jstegeman jstegeman is offline
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Thanks for the feedback, everyone - almost everyone commented on Gmaj7 but no one on the G/B. I do know that everything is relative and that there's no hard-and-fast rule. I personally find it easier just to finger the entire B and not include the low G in the strum - I generally don't "actively mute" by blocking a string, but I was reading through some of Justin's beginner lessons about what part of the finger to use for chords, and his thoughts were that when starting, you'd use the tips, but you'd eventually move to a more flat position because you'd be using the tip to mute an adjacent string, and it got me to thinking.
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Old 05-19-2016, 10:34 AM
JonPR JonPR is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jstegeman View Post
Thanks for the feedback, everyone - almost everyone commented on Gmaj7 but no one on the G/B. I do know that everything is relative and that there's no hard-and-fast rule. I personally find it easier just to finger the entire B and not include the low G in the strum - I generally don't "actively mute" by blocking a string, but I was reading through some of Justin's beginner lessons about what part of the finger to use for chords, and his thoughts were that when starting, you'd use the tips, but you'd eventually move to a more flat position because you'd be using the tip to mute an adjacent string, and it got me to thinking.
Easiest way to play the G/B is probably just to release the pressure on the finger on 6th string, so it mutes instead of fretting.
Of course, you can simply avoid hitting that string when you strum - but personally I find missing individual strings harder. Much easier (more rhythmically solid) to just strum everything as usual and mute the strings you don't want.

Justin's point is useful for a G chord, because it often helps to mute the 5th by leaning the finger fretting the 6th. The B on 5th string is superfluous if you have an open B string, and also makes the bottom part of the chord a little muddy. Mute the 5th that way, and you have a 2-finger G chord! 3rd finger on the bass leaves pinky, middle and index to play either G, F# or F on first string. And with ring and pinky on the outer strings (both Gs), you have two spare fingers for various added notes on the middle strings.
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Old 05-19-2016, 11:10 AM
MC5C MC5C is offline
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RE; G/B. In the same way that I don't mute the sixth string when playing a C chord or mute the bottom two strings when playing a D chord, I just wouldn't play the bottom string if I was playing a G/B chord. If I was just strumming along with a group, I would just play a normal G chord anyway, bass player or piano player would get the B. If I was playing solo and the B was important to the structure of the song, it would probably get emphasized with a separate pick stroke for a "boom-chick-chick" strum anyway.
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Old 05-19-2016, 12:59 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jstegeman View Post
…2 - in a G/B - again in base position, the G on the low E string isn't played. How would you do that?
Hi js-man

I play it x20033 with pinky & ring on 1st & 2nd strings, index on 5th string, and just don't play 6th string.

There are times I also play it x2003x fingered with index (5th string) and ring (2nd string).

Hope this adds to the discussion.



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