• Astronomikal
  • Astronomikal
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  • From: Texas
  • Registered: 2009-11-01
  • Posts: 644

Topic: Strange G-chord -- why???

Hey, gang:

A young friend of mine is taking guitar lessons and recently I asked him to show me a G-chord on his guitar.  When he did, he fretted the high and low E's on the 3rd fret and left the A string open.

Weird, thought I.  A basic G (at least to me and probably most of you) is 320003.

He said that's how his instructor told him to do it.  I didn't comment, other than to say, "good job".

???

It brought to mind a chord diagram I saw a while back in a songbook where a G was shown as 3x0003.  I don't know how you'd play that, unless the idea is to mute the A string, but if you're going to mute it, why not just fret it to a B?

I guess what I'm saying is that to me it makes no sense to do either one of these:
-  play the open A as part of a G chord,
-  omit (or mute) the A string when it could easily be fretted to a B.

What gives?  Ideas?

-Nom

"Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean it's not incredibly stupid." - Despair, Inc.
  • From: Louisiana
  • Registered: 2008-11-06
  • Posts: 863

Re: Strange G-chord -- why???

My sister in-law has played a lot longer than I have but she hasn't been playing much lately.We got her to do a few songs at our Thanksgiving get together and I was watching intently to pick up some pointers and I noticed this is how she played a G chord.Thumb on 3rd fret low E and index finger 3rd fret high  E string. I tried it but I saw no benefit for me and it takes me too long to get in position for C or what ever the next chord happens to be.

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3 Reply by christopaul (edited by christopaul 2010-01-10 23:18:15)

  • From: Rhondda, South Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2009-01-19
  • Posts: 120

Re: Strange G-chord -- why???

Jimi Hendrix used it a lot. If it were good enough for him? 
Using your thumb on the E string and muting the A string with the thumb is a usful trick to learn. Try the same trick but form a Am on BG and D strings. play only those four strings. It gives you a nice major 7th.

Try a D shape with your thumb on the F# . It gives a nice run down from G, D Em. 
There are lots of ways to play most chords. Try them for a while before you dismiss them.

3x0033 also gives you G. A nice alternitave when picking.

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  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: Strange G-chord -- why???

I don't have an issue using the thumb to mute, but if the kid is striking an open A, he's not playing a G, he's playing Gadd2.

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  • From: Tennessee
  • Registered: 2008-08-03
  • Posts: 125

Re: Strange G-chord -- why???

Something I do occasionally is grab the E and mute the A with my thumb, and grab the high E(G note) along with the B(D note) string. It really gives off a nice ring. I don't do it all the time but it's nice for a change of tone every now and then. Oh, I just realized this is the first time I've posted in this section of the chordie forum. Hello everyone!! smile

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  • From: Cardiff, Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2008-08-25
  • Posts: 182

Re: Strange G-chord -- why???

I totally agree with Jerome.
Muting the A string is fine - it takes out the low B in the G chord. There is already a 3rd, the high B, in the chord so it won't be missed. Removing low 3rds can make a chord like G less "muddy".
Sounding the A string changes the chord - it's no longer plain G.

  • Astronomikal
  • Astronomikal
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Re: Strange G-chord -- why???

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

@christopaul:  Yep, you're right about use of the thumb.  I'm one of those who learned bad technique early.  I hold the neck like a baseball bat instead of thumb behind, so I often use my thumb on the low E for a number of different fingerings because otherwise it gets in the way.  ;-)  I've never used it to mute the A, but I'll start practicing it and see how it works out.  The bummer of it is that while I'm pretty good with my thumb, you can probably guess that I really struggle with barre chords.  I guess it pays to be adept at both (practice makes versatility, right?).

@jerome:  He played the open A.  This is what I thought was weird.  In fact, if I remember correctly, he fretted the low E with his index finger and the high E with his middle finger.  I thought it was pretty sloppy, but I'm not a guitar teacher, and I thought, well, maybe the teacher knows something I don't.  Strike that -- he probably knows a great many things about the guitar that I don't.  But still . . .

@stonebridge:  I agree.  The B is still in there, which is why I assumed that 3x0003 meant to mute the A string.  I'm not sure what you mean by "muddy", but it's probably something I'll have to hear to understand.

"Just because you've always done it that way doesn't mean it's not incredibly stupid." - Despair, Inc.
  • From: Bellevue, WA
  • Registered: 2006-06-15
  • Posts: 3,336

Re: Strange G-chord -- why???

Astronomikal wrote:

Thanks for the replies, everyone.


@jerome:  He played the open A.  This is what I thought was weird.  In fact, if I remember correctly, he fretted the low E with his index finger and the high E with his middle finger.  I thought it was pretty sloppy, but I'm not a guitar teacher, and I thought, well, maybe the teacher knows something I don't.  Strike that -- he probably knows a great many things about the guitar that I don't.  But still . . .

Yeah, then he's not playing G.

This is one of the things I don't like about "rote" teaching techniques, and why I think it's so critical to lay down a foundation of basic theory as early as possible.   Just a little bit of theory, and this kid could have figured it out on his own that he wasn't playing what he thought he was playing.  "Yeah, that's a D, but *why* is it a D, and find me two other D's on the fretboard.

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  • From: Independence, Mo
  • Registered: 2007-09-23
  • Posts: 233

Re: Strange G-chord -- why???

Astronomikal wrote:

Thanks for the replies, everyone.

@christopaul:  Yep, you're right about use of the thumb.  I'm one of those who learned bad technique early.  I hold the neck like a baseball bat instead of thumb behind, so I often use my thumb on the low E for a number of different fingerings because otherwise it gets in the way.  ;-)  I've never used it to mute the A, but I'll start practicing it and see how it works out.  The bummer of it is that while I'm pretty good with my thumb, you can probably guess that I really struggle with barre chords.  I guess it pays to be adept at both (practice makes versatility, right?).

@jerome:  He played the open A.  This is what I thought was weird.  In fact, if I remember correctly, he fretted the low E with his index finger and the high E with his middle finger.  I thought it was pretty sloppy, but I'm not a guitar teacher, and I thought, well, maybe the teacher knows something I don't.  Strike that -- he probably knows a great many things about the guitar that I don't.  But still . . .

@stonebridge:  I agree.  The B is still in there, which is why I assumed that 3x0003 meant to mute the A string.  I'm not sure what you mean by "muddy", but it's probably something I'll have to hear to understand.

The x does mean mute. So when you see chords like 3x0003  the x is telling you to mute that note. otherwise it would read 300003 if you were playing the A open.

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  • From: Rhondda, South Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2009-01-19
  • Posts: 120

Re: Strange G-chord -- why???

I'm a relativley new convert to the use of the thumb. I think it's too useful not to use.  Ipicked it up after waching a lesson on  www.Justinguitars.com  What a great resource that is.

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  • From: Gloucester, England
  • Registered: 2009-09-27
  • Posts: 71

Re: Strange G-chord -- why???

thumb schmumb...  far too many resources tell you to put it at the back of the neck, yet everybody playing steel strung guitars in videos, on stage or on telly has it round up the top... the only ones I do see keeping it behind the neck are playing a different instrument, the classical guitar... which has a wider neck... why this obsession from teachers to keep the thumb behind the neck beats me...

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  • From: Rhondda, South Wales, UK
  • Registered: 2009-01-19
  • Posts: 120

Re: Strange G-chord -- why???

If your thunb is behind the neck, it allows you to put more pressure on thestrings with your fingers. Particularly if you are making a ber chord.  If you are using your thumb for the low E string and muting the A string, you don't need it to reinforce your grip for the bar chord. 

Use both methods because they both have their uses and it's good to have a bag full of tricks.

I see friends holdiong hands, saying "How do you do"
They're really saying, "I love you"
Louis Armstrong. Wonderful world.