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#1
10-09-2013, 08:08 PM
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Open G chord with the pinky
I wish I had been taught how to play an open G chord with the pinky, second and third finger 45 years ago. It never even occurred to me to even try that until now that I am learning fingerpicking. The economy of movement when changing from C to G or G to C is wonderful. Now if I could only do it smoothly. I know with practice, I will get there. Today I found a great song that will help me practice the "pinky G". It is Bob Dylan's "Tomorrow is a Long Time". It is only three chords - G, C, D, but it provides ample opportunity to do chord changes to the G. Also it is a great song.
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"Your green eyes they don't miss a thing, they hold me like the sun going down, warm me like a fire in the night, without a sound." Kate Wolf Epiphone Hummingbird Studio Martin 000-10e 
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#3
10-09-2013, 09:07 PM
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Quote:
Another way I finger it is
3-m-0-0-0-3 Any alternate fingering when we add it to our library will smooth out and fall into place once practiced enough.
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Baby #1.1 Baby #1.2 Baby #02 Baby #03 Baby #04 Baby #05 Larry's songs... …Just because you've argued someone into silence doesn't mean you have convinced them…
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#4
10-10-2013, 01:33 AM
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Yes, I've always played G with fingers 3-2-4, mainly for that reason (changing to C and back); but also changing to D, fingers 3-2 simply cross the neck from strings 6-5 to strings 2-1, holding the same shape.
I also use larry-s two finger one quite a lot. When fingerpicking you don't even have to mute that 5th string (although it's not hard to). Another tip for changing from G to C (to G) is using the 4-finger C/G shape: -0- -1- index -0- -2- middle -3- pinky -3- ring - then your ring stays in place on both chords, as a useful anchor. I actually use this C shape more than the 5-string one, because you can strum all 6 strings and it sounds fine, no need to mute 6th.
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"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen.
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#5
10-10-2013, 03:44 AM
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I make both Gs index middle ring and middle ring pinky the latter is great for hammering on to the sus4 of the G chord or quickly changing to a G7th. But the first is better for changing to a two D G chord. GBDGDG
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#6
10-10-2013, 04:15 AM
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Quote:
__________________
"There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in." - Leonard Cohen.
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#7
10-10-2013, 06:03 AM
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One of the benefits in finger picking is that, as your skill improves and you become more able to rely on your picking accuracy, you only need to hold down the strings you intend to pick. It's kind of ironic. The beginner struggles to hold down complete chord shapes and change them swiftly enough while the more advanced picker gets away with two or even one finger chord shapes when playing the same stuff.
Muffinhead cites the three fingered G shape, ljguitar suggests a two fingered equivalent, well in a kind of inverted one-up-man-ship I can say that if you only pick strings 6, 4, 3 and 2 then all you need to do is hold the 6th string down at fret three to have a one fingered G chord. There are some perfectly serviceable picking patterns you can do using just those strings. As a kind of afterthought the three finger G which uses the pinky on the first string is the one to work towards. It really is a 'door opener'.
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#8
10-10-2013, 06:20 AM
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My belief is that giving the pinky a break and expecting any less of it than the other guys, when fretting, is doing yourself a disservice. On both guitar and mandolin an increase in finger strength and flexibility in all my fingers improves my playing.
If you want to improve your barre chords, try practicing using your middle, ring and pinky for two and three finger chords rather than index, middle and ring. Last edited by Bingoccc; 10-10-2013 at 07:29 AM.
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#9
10-10-2013, 07:02 AM
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"The economy of movement when changing from C to G or G to C is wonderful."
Possibly this is beyond any one individual's skill level at the moment and these are not open cowboy chords but think of this ... If you play a barred G Major at the third fret, you only need to move (maybe one, maybe two fingers) to a barred C Major at the third fret also and then slide that same shape up to the fifth fret for your V chord. Different voicing but very useful. IMO worth giving a try.
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#10
10-10-2013, 07:52 AM
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If you try playing bluegrass with those barre chords the other guys will look at you funny....
Way back when I started playing, mid 70s, I realized right away that using the pinkie would be beneficial for these chord forms. I thought it would take me forever to master, as like may people my ring finger and pinkie tend to move together. However one day it clicked and I've been a four-finger player ever since. I always use the pinkie when playing single-note lines and find it indispensible for blues playing.
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#11
10-10-2013, 08:01 AM
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"If you try playing bluegrass with those barre chords the other guys will look at you funny.... "
Yeah, well, if you can't play bluegrass breaks at 240 bpm's, they'll call you a wimp. I've played some bluegrass and watched many a bluegrass player. They do play up the neck, not all cowboy chords anymore ... just like most other genres of music.
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#12
10-10-2013, 11:57 AM
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Way back a long time ago when I was a kid and first tried to learn to play the guitar fingers 234 were what I was shown. My hand was too small! No one showed me 123 fingering if the G chord. It was put to me well sorry too bad. I saw someone playing the guitar using fingers 123 and told my "teacher" he was not thrilled it was the wrong way. Today many yrs later I still deaden the A string because my hands are small. I think though I might play it 123 for spite too! Lol
Play music, Tony
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#13
10-11-2013, 05:26 AM
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Mash that thumb down on the 6th string 3rd fret and hit the gas. You can usually fill in anything else that needs to ring out.
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