playing the A chord with one finger

[captain_jack]

Hey all,

When playing the A major chord with just the first finger barring the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd string, do you mute the high E string or actually let it ring out open? I ask because when searching on google and youtube, I've seen people suggesting both. It seems like both are still technically an A chord, because you're playing an E note on the 4th string regardless. Because of the size and flexibility of my fingers I'm finding it incredibly difficult to get the high E string to ring out cleanly.

Just wondering what others do (and if one is more "correct" than the other)?

I'm still very much a beginner so apologies if this is a silly question and thanks in advance for any answers!

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by captain_jack

Hey all,

When playing the A major chord with just the first finger barring the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd string, do you mute the high E string or actually let it ring out open? I ask because when searching on google and youtube, I've seen people suggesting both. It seems like both are still technically an A chord, because you're playing an E note on the 4th string regardless.

Correct. Either one is OK. The only thing to avoid is fretting the 1st string as well, unless you actually want an A6 chord (but I guess you know that).

[Neal Pert]

All comes down to the sound you want. There are some musical contexts where you'd want the low E ringing out but plenty where you wouldn't, as it would muddy the bass sound. But, like, if you're playing in E and want to have that drone-y thing when you go to the A chord, give it a try. And if you want the high E ringing out, that's also good but only necessary if you really need the note to support the melody or whatever. If it sounds right, it is right.

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by captain_jack

Because of the size and flexibility of my fingers I'm finding it incredibly difficult to get the high E string to ring out cleanly.

I was self taught as a beginner and had the same problem.

I solved it by fretting the 3rd and 4th strings with the index finger (just the part beyond the last joint) and coming straight down on the second string with the tip of my middle finger.

My fingers are pretty thin so this may not work for everyone, but I know a guy with short, thick fingers and he can do it the same way (but he is a pro).

[raysachs]

Somehow I learned to play the open A with my middle finger on those three strings. I mute the low e with my thumb and let the high E ring. I kind of wish I'd learned it with my first finger - it would leave a lot more possibilities for playing individual notes with my other fingers. With the middle finger, my pinky works well for playing various suspensions, 7ths, etc, but I can't really play riffs a fret to two up with my other fingers.

I've tried to get comfortable using my first finger, but I'm an old dog with 40+ years of muscle memory behind that chord, so I doubt I'll ever change it.

-Ray

[Brent Hahn]

I probably average about 2.5 notes per chord. So a one finger A major with 4 notes is extra effort.

[Bikewer]

I was never able to do this. I’d have had to break my finger....

Likely due to the fact I took up the guitar well into adulthood... Around 26.

[RRuskin]

If I'm not going to need/want the "E" of the 1st string, I'll just flatten my index finger across the top 4 strings. When the "E" is needed, I'll open it up by modifying that finger's position enough to open the string.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by captain_jack

Hey all,

When playing the A major chord with just the first finger barring the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd string, do you mute the high E string or actually let it ring out open? I ask because when searching on google and youtube, I've seen people suggesting both. It seems like both are still technically an A chord, because you're playing an E note on the 4th string regardless. Because of the size and flexibility of my fingers I'm finding it incredibly difficult to get the high E string to ring out cleanly.

Just wondering what others do (and if one is more "correct" than the other)?

I'm still very much a beginner so apologies if this is a silly question and thanks in advance for any answers!

Hi c_j
More than ½ my students over the years arrived playing the Amaj chord with one finger.

Along the way (learning fingerstyle) all of them added a three finger version (traditional A7 finger and insert the index between them from the headstock side). I never told them not to use the one finger version, but need/necessity/efficiency led them to change.

Aside: I thought I'd invented the three finger version, till I found it in an 1830s guitar instruction pamphlet.

Any three adjacent strings can be 'bridged' by your index, middle or ring finger. I often use these for a quick three note major inversion up the neck.

[Bob Womack]

Hi! My fingertips are large enough that they don't all want to fit into the space at the second fret so I use the barre across the 4th, 3rd, 2nd, and 1st. I find it impossible to do that barre and get the E to ring. However, a trick I use quite often is to barre across the second fret as mentioned and then use the little finger to barre across the top two strings at the fifth fret, giving the top four strings of the chord the same form as the G I use, just two frets up.

Bob

[FrankHudson]

I used to be able to do that partial barre, one finger covering the D, G, and B strings A form and I think I was even able to get the high E to ring. My joints don't care to do that much now.

I'd say it doesn't matter that much most of the time if you accidently or on purpose mute the open high E string. I'd be nice to hear if you were moving to a E6 or E7 chord, so that you'd hear the note's movement on that high E string in the chord progression, but not as important in many other chord transitions.

[captain_jack]

Originally Posted by Bikewer

I was never able to do this. I’d have had to break my finger....

Likely due to the fact I took up the guitar well into adulthood... Around 26.

Hah, well I'm 37 and picked up guitar during quarantine. Trying to learn new tricks as an adult is certainly much harder than it was as a kid.

Originally Posted by ljguitar

Hi c_j
More than ½ my students over the years arrived playing the Amaj chord with one finger.

I think it's interesting that you have students who learned the one finger version first. All of the beginner material I've seen shows the 3 finger version, which is how I started.

My transitions on the 3 finger version are still not very fast (tho I'm working on it). I'm trying to learn some songs using D, A, G (Bad Moon Rising specifically) and have seen recommendations for the 1 finger A chord as a way to make the A to G transition easier. That's why I'm adding it to my practice mix now.

Anyway, thanks all for the feedback.

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by captain_jack

…I think it's interesting that you have students who learned the one finger version first. All of the beginner material I've seen shows the 3 finger version, which is how I started.

My transitions on the 3 finger version are still not very fast (tho I'm working on it). I'm trying to learn some songs using D, A, G (Bad Moon Rising specifically) and have seen recommendations for the 1 finger A chord as a way to make the A to G transition easier. That's why I'm adding it to my practice mix now.

Anyway, thanks all for the feedback.

Hi again c_j

Most of the students I took on had not had lessons before they came to me. They just learned from friends.

As to learning the three finger A

Play a traditional D chord:
Leave the first finger in place and move the other two fingers into an A7 position around it.
Do that back and forth a few hundred (or thousand) times without any strumming or picking till you memorize the 'feel' of the switch and position of a three finger A.

And the three finger A makes it so easy to play A - AM7 - A7 - Asus & Dm all from the same position.

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by captain_jack

Hey all,

When playing the A major chord with just the first finger barring the 4th, 3rd, and 2nd string, do you mute the high E string or actually let it ring out open? I ask because when searching on google and youtube, I've seen people suggesting both. It seems like both are still technically an A chord, because you're playing an E note on the 4th string regardless. Because of the size and flexibility of my fingers I'm finding it incredibly difficult to get the high E string to ring out cleanly.

Just wondering what others do (and if one is more "correct" than the other)?

I'm still very much a beginner so apologies if this is a silly question and thanks in advance for any answers!

You might get a guitar with a wider nut for more space between the strings, say a 1 and 7/8" nut. As far as which is correct it just depends. For example I have tunes I play where while continuously holding the index finger barre A I play a melody over it that includes both the open and second fret high E.

[Mr. Jelly]

You're close to playing what some call the long A chord. The long A is played by barring the notes on the second fret of the G, D and B strings while using the pinky finger to fret the high e string at the fifth fret. Which is an A note.