Playing a G Chord on Your Acoustic and Electric Guitar
In the usual pattern that most guitarists learn a G major chord, the index finger is positioned on the A string or the 2nd bass string on the 2nd fret.
The middle finger is placed on the E string or the 1st bass string on the 3rd fret.
The ring finger is on the bottom E string directly below the top E string on the same 3rd fret.
This leaves your pinky or little finger hanging and feeling uncomfortable.
Transitioning to other chords like C or C ninth,G suspended fourth or G ninth tend not to be as fluid with this position.
All those chords are so much more easily accomplished with the instruction I will give here.
Now to play the G major chord in the finger positioning I will show you here, you would need to use your middle and ring fingers on the top bass strings instead.
With this positioning, the middle finger will now be placed on the 2nd bass string or A string, 2nd fret.
The ring finger will be on the top E string, 1st bass string and on the 3rd fret.
Your pinky can now be placed on the last string, or E string, directly under the top ring finger on the same 3rd fret.
The pinky can now easily slide to the next fret which helps in making runs when you want to do a little more improvising.
Pull offs are easily made, also.
So then, in playing the G major chord the way I have instructed on the acoustic and electric guitar, your index finger is freed up to do some fancier things while still holding the G position.
Moves, as pull-offs and making a smoother transition to the C, C ninth, G ninth and especially the G suspended fourth chord, are made easier.
An E minor chord change is also much smoother to accomplish.
Now, when you switch to the other chords, you move primarily only the fingers and not your whole wrist.
You would have to move your whole wrist playing the G major chord with the usual learned pattern.
Your wrist will not get tired as easily with my new instructed version.
While some may argue that it is a matter of preference.
That the pinky can still be used to reach out to further fret positions in the usual way of playing the G major chord on your acoustic and electric guitar, I still think the comfort of transitioning to the other chords and utilizing the index finger for pull-offs, helps me to create a more well-rounded sound to the G major chord overall and the pinky can still move to other frets and do pull offs easily.
The middle finger is placed on the E string or the 1st bass string on the 3rd fret.
The ring finger is on the bottom E string directly below the top E string on the same 3rd fret.
This leaves your pinky or little finger hanging and feeling uncomfortable.
Transitioning to other chords like C or C ninth,G suspended fourth or G ninth tend not to be as fluid with this position.
All those chords are so much more easily accomplished with the instruction I will give here.
Now to play the G major chord in the finger positioning I will show you here, you would need to use your middle and ring fingers on the top bass strings instead.
With this positioning, the middle finger will now be placed on the 2nd bass string or A string, 2nd fret.
The ring finger will be on the top E string, 1st bass string and on the 3rd fret.
Your pinky can now be placed on the last string, or E string, directly under the top ring finger on the same 3rd fret.
The pinky can now easily slide to the next fret which helps in making runs when you want to do a little more improvising.
Pull offs are easily made, also.
So then, in playing the G major chord the way I have instructed on the acoustic and electric guitar, your index finger is freed up to do some fancier things while still holding the G position.
Moves, as pull-offs and making a smoother transition to the C, C ninth, G ninth and especially the G suspended fourth chord, are made easier.
An E minor chord change is also much smoother to accomplish.
Now, when you switch to the other chords, you move primarily only the fingers and not your whole wrist.
You would have to move your whole wrist playing the G major chord with the usual learned pattern.
Your wrist will not get tired as easily with my new instructed version.
While some may argue that it is a matter of preference.
That the pinky can still be used to reach out to further fret positions in the usual way of playing the G major chord on your acoustic and electric guitar, I still think the comfort of transitioning to the other chords and utilizing the index finger for pull-offs, helps me to create a more well-rounded sound to the G major chord overall and the pinky can still move to other frets and do pull offs easily.
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