What do I call this G chord?

[Earwitness]

I pretty much only play by myself, but I usually call it G+D when I write it down, with the D written smaller—more the height of the + sign. (So my eye doesn’t pick it up as a chord)

[difalkner]

It seems like nearly every Christian artist uses that shape so I end up playing it often in our Praise Band. But I typically only do it when I need the higher D sound or if I'm going to the modified Em7 and then to C2. It's just easier to keep fingers 3 & 4 locked in place and only move 1 & 2.

Funny, but most of those guys writing Christian songs just call them G & C and never mention the difference.

David

[Photojeep]

Originally Posted by JonPR

I call the 4-finger G chord "rock G" - and I've seen it called that by some guy on youtube too. I didn't encounter that shape as an option until some years ago, when I kept seeing it in charts for rock songs. Never (up to that point) for folk or acoustic songs.

So my suggestion is "rock G" for that one, and maybe "folk G" for the other one. Or - less ambiguously - "4-finger G" and "3-finger G".

If you need different names for a chord chart (ie for writing/reading) ... then I'd suggest just using chord boxes, and maybe labelling them "G(i)" and "G(ii)", whichever way round you like.

Funny thing, I've always thought of the 4 finger G as "Country G"
Oh well,

Best,
PJ

[ljguitar]

Originally Posted by difalkner

…Funny, but most of those guys writing Christian songs just call them G & C and never mention the difference.

Hi difalkner

Most writers just list the chord progressions without the specifics of how one plays them. It's not just true of Christian writers/singers/chart transcribers, but most pop singers, folk artists etc.

The only ones who get their panties in a twist about every note, and where it's played, and how it's played tend to be from the classical world (and most of them don't sing while they play, nor do they focus on chords).

When I'm on playing off a chart, the only differences I need/want to know about are chords with alternate bass notes (often called slash-chords), or specific runs...and most of those I pull from the reference recordings.

Most charts are transcribed by keyboard players from recordings, and they are often not aware the original guitar player was using a capo…so you cannot be sure the charts reflect what the writer/player actually intend.

When I'm the backing-lead player, I really just need to be aware of the chords so lead runs fit the chords. If I'm the rhythm player, I want to fit in a hole between the range of the keys and the bass. And I certainly want to hear the original recording for key licks or strum patterns etc.

If I'm leading worship b y myself (just playing guitar or keys), then I want to know the chords, the rhythm, and certainly I want to know how the main artist people hear the song most frequently from plays/performs it. YouTube is our friend for those.

But the audience/congregation could care less if I play 3-finger-G, 4-finger-G, or a barred G at the third fret (barred as an E) or 10th fret (barred as an A) .

There are songs which depend on specific intro licks or progressions (or lead parts), and on those I'm going to play the album version unless otherwise instructed.

Hope this adds to the discussion…

[rwmct]

My wholly non-music theory name for that one is the "Classic Rock G" .

[1neeto]

Originally Posted by Dogberry415

You know what? That's simple, economical, unambiguous, and surprisingly descriptive for beginners to understand. Jelly, I think you've won this contest.



For the chord that has no name... GaddD works for me. YMMV

I would just call it bright G. GaddD just sounds so wrong to me.

[12barBill]

We have always referred to that chord form as a long G and denote it in a chord chart like this -- G*

[rick-slo]

If in doubt, how about calling it GBDGDG

[Wyllys]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

If in doubt, how about calling it GBDGDG

I would prefer G "Double D"...

[rick-slo]

Originally Posted by Wyllys

I would prefer G "Double D"...

That's good, though more often I'm would be just thinking 320033.

[Wyllys]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

That's good, though more often I'm would be just thinking 320033.

I've never really found a situation where third intervals over the root sound anything but muddy on the low end. Here are my voicings for first position G chords:

3 x 0 0 0 3
3 x 0 0 3 3
x 2 0 0 0 3
x 2 0 0 3 3

Added voicing for the fifth as the root:

x 5 x 4 x 3
x 5 5 4 x 3
x 5 x 4 3 3

...and so on, depending on the tonal flow of the backing. Context suggests voicings once you've gotten past strumming I/IV/V.
Once you progress to picking rather than strumming, you get to "take your pick" of more interesting voicings and flow.

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by Photojeep

Funny thing, I've always thought of the 4 finger G as "Country G"
Oh well,

Best,
PJ

Well there's no central authority on these questions!
I only arrived at "rock G", because I began seeing it so often in internet chord charts for rock songs - never having encountered it at all in my first few decades playing various styles of music (including both rock and counrty actually). Then I found some guy on youtube who also called it "rock G" - that was enough for me!
I suppose I haven't played enough of the same country songs that you have!

[JonPR]

Originally Posted by rick-slo

If in doubt, how about calling it GBDGDG

Yeah. Jee-beejy-jeedijee. (Don't try saying that after a few beers....)

[PeteCady]

Originally Posted by Dogberry415

I'm writing a song this morning where I'm using both the three-finger open G chord and the four-finger version where the pinky is down on the D note on the third fret. I'm trying to differentiate between the two G chords in in the chart I'm making, but I lack the theory knowledge to figure out the name of the four-finger version. Can someone bail me out? :-)

Here's one more name: I've heard bluegrass and flatpicking people refer to it as the "Tony Rice G." I use it a lot of the time, primarily because if you're going from G to C and want one beat of G7 for the transition, you can move the ring finger (you said "pinky," but I can't see how that's even possible) from the D note on the third fret of the B string, to the F note on the third fret of the D, and get the 7 note in the bass. Nice sound, IMO.

[Runepune]

I don't like adding that third (B) on the 5th string. I always mute that muddy thing with whatever finger I use on the low G.

So I'd just call the version with doubled D a G5.

And, if you really use the pinky on that D, I'd strongly advice you to use the ring finger instead