Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!

Subject: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: John of the Hill
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 03:15 PM

Hey Rick, Any tips on G chords and D chords? John

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Margo
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 03:21 PM

Yeah, Rick will tell you the "right" way to play a G chord on the guitar. Make no mistake! Haha, Margo

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: catspaw49
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 03:24 PM

I'm sorry....Rick is currently needed over on the "Love the Balance on the 'Cat" thread at the moment as his cross is waiting and Bonnie is supposed to be looking for him.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Allan C.
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 03:27 PM

I don't know about Rick's thinking on this. But I had a number of students who had a terrible time playing a G. It was especially difficult for those who used the middle, ring and baby fingers to form the chord. They would invariably complain that their baby finger didn't have enough strength to do the job. I suggested to them to use the index, middle and baby fingers to form the chord but to practice it with the use of the ring finger on the second string, third fret. This made a pleasing sound and gave them enough confidence to practice the chord. Then, after I felt they had mastered it, I encouraged them to try it without the ring finger. They usually discovered that somehow their baby finger had learned its proper place. After that they found themselves capable of either of the standard fingerings of the G.

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Midchuck
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 03:45 PM

What I think is cool is to use the "Tony Rice" or "drone" G form - middle finger on low E, 3rd fret; index on A, second fret; ring on B, third fret (raising it to a D, so you only get the third in the bass, if at all); and little finger, of course, on high E, third fret. Then you not only get a more "high lonesome" sound from the ambiguity as to whether the chord is major or minor, but if you want G7 as a passing chord, you move the ring finger over to the D, third fret, to get a G7 with the F in the bass, which is supposed to be a no-no but which I like.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Allan C.
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 04:38 PM

I would be curious as to what hints there might be for forming the D chord. For my students it was always a struggle to get the ring finger (2nd string, third fret) close enough to the fret to make a clear note. Coupled with that was the likelihood that ring finger would be touching the first string enough to buzz or deaden the note. Then, to make matters worse, in moving the ring finger into a good position, the other two fingers (index, third string, second fret and middle, first string, second fret) would be dragged toward the fret to a point where their respective notes buzzed. What a nightmare! My only advice was to fiddle around with their thumb placement until they got the optimal position for the other fingers and then practice, practice, practice.

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Gary T
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 04:53 PM

Two alternative D formations to consider, Allan:
>Use #1 finger (index) as a bar on the three treble strings, and #2 finger to fret the 2nd (B) string. Makes for a quick change to a 5-string Bm chord.
>Form a "standard" D7 chord, then add #4 finger to the 2nd string. Makes a for quick change from D to D7, and helps exercise the little finger.

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Joe Offer
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 05:04 PM

Gee, all this, and no response from Fielding. You gotta give the guy credit, though. He is clever, and he's very generous about sharing his expertise. His wife might be happier if he got paid for all the professional advice he gives us for free. It's darn nice to have him around.
Buy his CD's and make his wife happy.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: catspaw49
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 05:15 PM

Yeah, yeah, yeah, Joe....We know!!! I own both of them..and I think that maybe a guy in East Overshoe, New Jersey may have bought one too........But all that aside, there's a front moving in and I'd like to get him whanged up on that cross over on the "Love the Balance at the 'Cat" thread......So if you see him, get him over there right away. I want to get myself back inside before the rain starts.

Spaw

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Jon W.
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 05:16 PM

For playing some bluesy type things where a quick change from D to Dm is needed, I finger the D chord like the Dm except slide the index finger up to the second fret. Thus: Index finger, 1st string, 2nd fret; ring finger, 2nd string, third fret; middle finger, third string, 2nd fret. Then to change, just slide the first finger back down to the first fret and you're playing Dm.

Jon W.

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: BlueJay
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 05:18 PM

Allan- I don't think there's any way of getting around learning the traditional "D" formation. They will eventually get it. Sometimes you can use the "A" formation on the seventh fret, and to hell with the high E string, even the D at times.

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Rick Fielding
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 05:28 PM

WHY YOU ROTTEN SCOUNDREL JOHN!! You've beaten me at my own game! Here I thought I was gonna have some fun with those "Flamer type folks" 'cause I've been so opinionated this week about "Song Circles", "Boozing Guitarists", and the "Reno/Gonzales Travelling Circus". It's only because the BlueJays suck big time this year that I've been glued to Mudcat...well, also 'cause I'm really enjoying it recently.

Ya want chords big fella?

My general rule is: try to have as many "free fingers" in order to decorate the chord, and make your playing more interesting. As far as a "D" goes..If you use a 3 string barre with your index, and play the 2nd string with your middle, you've got a "free" ring finger to put on the 5th string at the 3rd fret..making a nice D7. If you tune to a dropped "D" you can alternate the bass D note with the 4th fret F# (played with the ring finger), go to a 5th fret (6th string) G note..strum the very rich G6 chord and then slide up to a 3 string (thumb) barre, on the 7th fret, making a great Joanie Mitchell A suspended.

As far as G goes, do whatever it takes to gain the strength needed....but when you're able to, learn to do it with the last three fingers...just gives you lots of extra notes to play, while keeping the ring finger firmly on the 6th string G note. Tom Paxton does nice things with this.

I can't tell you how much I've learned from folks' suggestions in the other (disguised) chord threads. I've got about two pages of seriously good ideas from them.

Naturally I felt like a fu***ng idiot in my "Bb" thread. It was obviously TOO disguised (Flatbreads don't interest to many folks) and in Heather's words: "you're such a smart-ass...no-one's gonna catch your little joke!" Not ENTIRELY true..but I learned my lesson (for now anyway, heh, heh.)

Rick

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: catspaw49
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 05:37 PM

Well Rick, I hate to mention this, but now you've got Blue Jay off and running on this too. Since everyone's really cookin' on this howzabout lettin' me get you nailed up before this storm blows in?

Spaw

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: John of the Hill
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 05:42 PM

Rick, I had been off-line for awhile, and when I first came back I hardly recognized the Cat. I thought about nailing you right after your F chord thread, but decided to lie low for awhile. The Cardinals are doing so well, I decided to go for it. John

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Clifton53
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 05:55 PM

I agree about having a free finger when playing these basic chords. With the G, although it has been a lifelong habit playing with the first three fingers, I like to sometimes leave the index free and use the last three fingers to form the chord. Sure makes the G7 easier, and you can also pick out "Southbound" by hitting the C note on the B string.

But most of the time I play the aforementioned "drone" G chord and also leave those last two on to make the C. Sounds sweeter somehow.

And Spaw, I've been to East Overshoe, N.J. and nobody lives there. I'm sure you've mistaken it for my hometown, Perth Abomination, N.J., just over the Pristeen River.

Clifton53

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 06:07 PM

Hey John, glad to hear your high opinion of the Cards...makes the Rockies sound like World-Beaters, snicker

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Scotsbard
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 06:22 PM

There are many chords that I finger differently depending on what precedes or follows them. In addition to that, whether strumming up or down or fingerpicking can make a difference in which strings need to get be fretted first. In many cases, the musical genre or walking notes will make a certain fingering or voicing more suitable.

The traditional G (320003-MRoooP) is handy for folk tunes because the G7 (320001-MRoooI) and C(+5) (x32013-xMRoIP) are easily moved for beginners, as one or more fingers stay anchored. The inner G7 (323003-MIRooP) is common in flamenco, and the G(+5) (320033-MIooRP) adds a nice open harmony near the top as mentioned earlier. Probably the best thing about the first fingering (MRoooP) is that it leaves both the index and pinky free to work in melody notes or walk to the next chord.

The half-bar D (x*0232-x*oIMI) is far more convenient for adding melody or bass walks, as both the ring and pinky are free, and transition to a barred A (*02225-*oIIIP) or Bm (x24432-xIRPMI) or even a fuller 2nd position D (x54232-xPRIMI) is fairly easy. For the fingered D (x*0232-x*oMRI) seems more useful because rotation around the middle finger to get D7 (x*0212-x*oMIR) or sliding the index finger to get Dm (x*0231-x*oMRI) leave anchoring fingers on the fretboard and the pinky free to ornament. The major exception to this is when you need a strong bass walk down, in which case the alternate fingering D (x*0212-x*oRPM) leaves the index finger free to reach for the low F or F#. The first D fingerings seem more applicable to folk tunes, and the alternatives more common in classical or medieval melodies.

Thumb placement can be very important with regard to rotation of the palm and finger extension, as mentioned above. If dexterity is an issue, getting the bass fingers planted first before stretching to get the treble fingers settled on the down-strokes might help, and vice versa on the up-strokes.

(Now if anyone has suggestions regarding first position A (*02220), after 30-something years my only excuse is that I've got wide palms and short fingers ... basically I use any possible excuse to play A7 (*02020) or bar it up the neck instead. )

~S~

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Gary T
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 07:20 PM

Scotsbard, my fingers are a bit too thick to do an A with three of them, so I use my ring finger on the B string and my middle finger, bent backwards, on the G and D strings (ooMMRo). Since the B string is fretted, the normal tendency of the middle finger to foul it when used this way is moot. It also makes for a super-quick change to A7 (ooMoRo), just let that middle finger "stand up".

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: Midchuck
Date: 24 Apr 00 - 09:08 PM

Careful with that bending backwards. For 35 years I formed chords needing the A position higher up - Bb, B, sometimes C or C#, D when I needed the A at the top - by holding a full barre with my first finger, and barring the b, g, and d strings two frets higher with the little finger, bent backwards so as to miss the high e. Now that one joint - the first joint of my left little finger, is permanently swole up, and not very flexible - and I have no sign of arthritis in any other limb (knock wood). If I need a Bb or B on more than four strings, I go up.

Peter.

Subject: RE: Fielding thinks he's so G.D. clever!
From: GUEST,Scotsbard ala Laptop
Date: 25 Apr 00 - 12:37 AM

I've never been able to do the back bend thing and bar two inner strings. If the first position A is an absolute necessity, then I try to get one finger planted early and then wedge the other two in carefully, usually (*oIMRo) or (*oMIRo). There are a some classical pieces that call for a half bar on the EAD, which involves the bend-back trick.

Maybe that joint got sprained ... bummer ... I usually just bend enough to mute the treble E string, rarely enough to play it.

~S~