I hate when that happens: a whole page typed, and I hit Clear Entries instead!

Long story short:
I was going to say that I think we should be acquainted with all available ways of playing all chords. For one it is good for tecnique building, two, it keeps the mobility in the fingers and gets them more 'used' to be in the positions that are sometimes demanded of them. Look at Chet Atkins. An example of how the 'fat fingers' excuse doesn't work!!

Being economical with my fingers is what I've learned over the years. Having enough 'hand' there to do the job, and no more. But I wouldn't substitute lets say a D minor for an F. I think it sort of changes the accent, and if it doesn't 'work' when you listen to it, then the F should be put in at all costs, or versions of it.

I'm not all that against teaching yourself either, in that by doing so you learn at the same that you understand, and it is good to be a master at your own level. The more people you meet, the more you learn. The more you experiment, the more you see how it all hangs together.

One of my older brothers showed me G C and D when I was five. I could only manage G by putting my fourth finger on the top E, third fret. The bigger I got etc. Of course my brother showed me things here and there; he showed me more to figure it out myself.
He is a Mathematics teacher, and the way he explained to me was something in the way of.."It's all a series of patterns and inversions of patterns, and patterns of inv..." Know what I mean?

He's right, you know.

B.