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Guitar chord forum - chordie → Acoustic → How do you finger open A?
Hey all,
I was just wondering how other people finger the open A chord. I usually bar my first finger across D, G, B, but I wish I could hear the high e sometimes. I've tried using fingers 1,2,3 and 2,3,4, but it's kinda tough to cram them all on one fret and I tend to buzz. Do you think I should stick with barring and missing out on high e or should I try to cram three fingers on there? OR can other people bar and still hear high e?
Try putting your 1st finger on the G string, 2nd finger on the D string and 3rd finger on the B string.
Al
1,2,3 is the standard way 99% of people use. The other useful way is 3,4,2.
Why the heck would anyone want to cramp their pinkies up into 3,4,2? I hear you ask.
Well it's a sort of jazz thing. If you learn 3,4,2 your fingers are naturally in position for the F shape (or Em shape) barre chords. You can slip down one fret to easily make B minor and so forth. But if you aren't interested in 30s/40s classics then it's pretty academic ( I have a big soft spot for them, spent much of yesterday afternoon trying to nail 'Stormy Weather' - much finger ache).
Hi
The A chord using 1,2,3 I find easiest for an open e.
The A chord using 2,3,4 is handy for sliding up to the B chord but is murder on a soft pinky.
Practice the 1,2,3 with the open e as the note adds to the richness of the chord.
good luck
Ark
Hi Wormproof101,
I agree that the 1,2,3 fingering is the easiest however it is worth noting that all fingers do not have to be immediately behind the fret, they are normally angled.
Finger 3 (on the B string) is close to the fret and finger 1 (on the D string) is furthest away from the fret.
This gives a little more room and your fingers are not quite so cramped.
Roger
All are good replies...it just takes practice. Another alternative is bar 4 strings with your 1st finger and then note your 4th finger on high E at the 5th fret ( "A" note) I don't know the proper name but we've always called it a "Bluegrass" A...
Try using just the pointer and middle finger to get all 3 strings on the second fret. This is how I learned on a slim neck alvarez where there isn't room for 3 fingers.
one thing you might try is bariing those 3 strings with finger 1 and hiting the light e string on the 5th fret with your pinky. it gives a nice full sound to the a chord
I play it all sorts of ways, depending on what I'm going to do next, or what I played before it. If I'm playing open E or I intend to play B afterward, I tend to barre with my ring finger.
I don't quite understand what you mean you want to hear the open e when you barre. Why can't you hear it?
Hey everyone,
Thanks for all the suggestions. Lots of things to try out, and I really like the "Bluegrass A" suggested by jay and patrick. Definitely wouldn't have thought of that on my own!
To answer your question Jerome, I've only been playing for about 4 months and don't have barring down (at all). The site I was using to help me learn guitar had two fingerings listed for A: 1,2,3 and barring the first finger across the strings and deadening the first string with it. If I take time to adjust my finger, I can hear the first string, but usually my finger is either too bent and I get fret buzz on the second string or it's not bent enough and I deaden the first string (or it buzzes against my finger). That's why I was curious to see how common other fingerings are, but I realize the best solution is probably to just keep practicing 1,2,3!
Hey everyone,
To answer your question Jerome, I've only been playing for about 4 months and don't have barring down (at all).
Ah, that's one you'll want to practice then. Learn to barre A and E shapes like you can do it in your sleep. They fit together like peas and carrots.
E shape to A shape on the same fret is a I -> IV progression. A shape to E shape on the same fret is a I -> V progression. That gives you the tools to play in almost any key you want.
Good luck. And practice every day.
A really easy way to play an open A is to make a little triangle with your middle finger on the D string second fret, your pointer finger at the top of the triangle close to the first fret on the G string , and your ring finger on the second fret on the B string. The triangel is contained between the frist and second fret. Look at the three strings and make your pointer finger as the point of the triangle.
I go with what Alvee33 said, that is what I have always done and it really helps for when you switch to E or D
Guitar chord forum - chordie → Acoustic → How do you finger open A?
