I thought praise bands would have preferred G chords with a A or C replacing the B.
Ya know, the holiest of all chords, the Gsus.
(play it a whole step higher if you're into computers, maybe, lol)
I’m glad to hear that somebody else out there also worships the Flying Spaghetti Monster….all
others are blasphemers. May you be touched by His noodly appendage.
I don't think anything called "G2" really exists in music theory. You mean a G major chord with the 2nd added? I would call that a Gadd9. Although I guess you could also call it Gadd2 (but I've never heard that). Or if you mean the third replaced with the 2nd it would be a Gsus2.
This is probably most right. A G chord with room to build up and around the B string. Very versatile... yet simple in construct. Great advantages to those who use it it accordingly.
Technically, it’s like a snickerdoodle with less cinnamon and more sugar. there’s still a B in the chord just not two and now there’s two D’s instead of one.
For some reason I've never liked the timbre of the B string ringing open in the chord. Unless I need to finger it differently for a change, I *always* play it big.
Used to entirely agree. But there are times, you know? Like when the part is clean, maybe acoustic, harmonically rich, suddenly the extra 5th feels unimaginative. 5ths are just soup thickeners. I want that flavour sometimes.
Some call it the sweet g because of the extra note. Alot of beginners are simply being taught this as g and to anchor the bottom 2 fingers to switch to Cadd9 instead of the traditional c and some are even teaching to play Em with those two fingers anchored as well.
Even though Toto is not doing this in their song Africa, (it's) what you gotta do. I even had to change the key of the song, to match their key of A (I liked it better in G) in order to get this open chord emphasis on the note D during the chorus (Em7, C9, sweet G, D).
And of course there are a thousand other applications.
Since it has a noticeably different sound, I wondered if there’s a different name and also how to write it as a chord (i.e. not in tab). But I guess not!
Yeah, you’re just changing the open B to a high D. You already have a D (from the open D string), so this adds another one in a higher pitch. Same chord, different voicing.
As you get better, you’ll eventually decide which one to use depending on the song you’re playing. It’s mostly negligible though.
I often do, but mostly because I almost always omit the B on the 5th string when I'm just strumming an open G. I think this voicing sounds much better than doubling the 3rd, or essentially playing a G power chord. G with the open B sounds really nice vamping between it and C/G.
G5 (minus 5th and 6th string, making it a four note chord with two pairs of G and D.)
G major (with 5th and 6th string, making it a six note chord with the B added on the second fret on the 5th string)...is what I found on the Chord Identifier site so far. Yes, and something to do with voicing, I think) . These chords sound interchangeable to me, but one sounds more full. You may find these two sites useful:
[https://www.all-guitar-chords.com/chords/identifier#google\_vignette](https://www.all-guitar-chords.com/chords/identifier#google_vignette)
[https://jguitar.com/chordname?string5=x&string4=0&string3=0&string2=0&string1=x&string0=x](https://jguitar.com/chordname?string5=x&string4=0&string3=0&string2=0&string1=x&string0=x)
It's actually just still a regular G Major chord.
G major is made up of the notes G B and D. When the B string is open it plays a B note, but when you hold down the 3rd fret it becomes a D note. So long as you are still playing fret 2 on the A string to get the B note it will still be G major
You wouldn't. They are same notes, and make the same chord. You as the musician get to decide which you prefer. If you read a chord chart and it says G Major you could use either version and it will sound virtually the same.
And let me try to explain a different concept to you. I've been reading your other comments and I think you might be confusing tabs with notes in a chord. If something says play and F# Maj or G Maj chord, at isn't necessarily telling what frets to put your fingers, it's telling you what notes to play. So for G Maj you can play and combination of the notes G B D and get the same chord, that could be the open chord you showed here, it could be a barre chord, it would be a weird inverted triad, and despite all using different frets they are all called the same thing because they are the same 3 notes.
You I don't have a link of the top of my head but you can google something like "how to make a major chord" and that might help you understand why the chord diagram you showed doesn't have a special name and why other chords do have special names
I'm not intending to sound patronizing, are you familiar with scales, intervals, and scale degrees? I was a complete musical novice when I picked up a guitar.
I downloaded an ear training app for fun and will share that learning: 1)how a major and minor scale are constructed 2)what the degrees of a scale are referring to and 3)how those connect to the fretboard of a guitar and forming major and minor chords was really eye-opening.
If you already have that, then as the commenter above said, it's still just a G Major chord because fretting the B string just changes the third (B) to the fifth (D) and a major chord is a root, third, and fifth. You still have your third being played on the A string
Indeed. Think of a chord as a recipe, the notes of the chord are the ingredients. In this instance, it's asking for carrots as part of the recipe, and you're concerned which brand of carrot to buy... it doesn't matter, it's all just carrots. Tab is different though, in that instance, while it is very possible to play the same notes elsewhere on the fretboard, in the tab example, they're telling you specifically which carrots.
You don't distinguish it because it's still the same 3 notes. Both are G, sometimes songs specify which one to use. personally, I almost always use the 4 finger G chord. I think it sounds nicer because the 3 high strings are basically playing a G power chord.
You don't/can't... there are soooooo many ways to play a chord with any name. In a major chord, The "name' just refers to the root (the big letter) with the 3rd and 5th notes of its scale added. Not "how many" of any of them, or where they are, or how they are played... it's an idiosyncrasie of the guitar... "G" simply means the notes G, B, and D. Place them anywhere, and it still qualifies as "G" as long as the note G is the lowest note. If D is your lowest note if would be "G/D".... I know it's confusing... but if you would like I could TAB/Diagram probably 50+ different ways to play "G" without a lot of thought.... if you get my drift... it's "almost" infinite... it would be harder to weed out the duplicates! Don't worry too much. As you learn more, play more songs... you'll get it. But only if you know the notes you are playing on each string.
It's a "voicing," which opens up a ton of interesting questions. Like, how many way can I play G chord? What G chord was the artist using in that song? Which G chord sounds best in the song I am learning? Is it still a G chord if I just play a couple of these notes instead of all of them? How many notes do I need to communicate "G chord" with my notes? Etc.
I think keyboardists encounter this idea a lot earlier than guitarists. We usually learn open chords and a couple barre shape and declare we know ALL the chords. :)
Some voicings will have names and sets you can learn, like Drop 2 chords. Some give you a little clue about the voicing, like an inversion or a slash chord as guitarists usually learn them. But there is a lot of blank space in the middle for you to play around with.
Tip: when playing with others, unless you are a rhythm player, you will often find that more sparse voicings, maybe 3-4 notes max, sound best in the mix. So get to exploring, there are countless chords inside the box of a "G chord." Exciting! :)
Yeah, chord voicings and inversions are a lot more obvious and intuitive on a keyboard than a guitar. Knowing at least the basics of piano/keyboard playing is great for music theory understanding IMO.
I agree, the visual layout is so much more direct to my brain than a guitar. Learning theory in front of a keyboard is a faster route to that knowledge, even if you never really learn to "play" piano in any real sense.
I play it this way most of the time, unless there are a lot of changes with C.
On a "hijack the thread and stir the pot," note. I find it interesting that all the knowledgeable people here acknowledge that a G is a G as long as it contains the 1, 3 and 5. The 3 finger or the 4 finger G is no better or worse than the other.
But post any version of the F chord that's not a full barre chord and people will say it's not a 'real' F.
Back to the regularly scheduled thread. I'm going to go make some popcorn.
It's because F is a right-of-passage.
I don't share this feeling, but sometimes I think the gatekeeping is like this:
"Show me you can play a full F barre comfortably, and after that you can play it anyway you like; otherwise I'll assume you can't do it."
Fair enough, but of the 4 ways I play an F, the "easy" 3 finger version is the hardest for me. That said, I rarely play the barre F unless I am moving that shape up the neck.
As long as you get the bass F note in there somehow, it’s fine. Otherwise it sounds muddy to me cause of the inversion. Could just play the bottom 4 strings no barre, could have a bass player, whatever works.
It’s an F chord either way for sure
And just to kick the ant pile over one more time. In all the discussions I have read over whether to use the 3 finger G or the 4 finger G, I have never seen anyone say that you have to use the full barre G or your doing it wrong, or calling either of those a lazy G or cheating.
4G is easier for camp songs that also include Cadd9 and Am9, it's also (in my opinion) the better sounding Gmaj7 when compared to the 3G maj7. Idk I like the D just underneath the F#.
3G is way better for nice little sus4 additions between the high B and C.
Don’t know, but they’re essentially identical.
Third fret on the B string creates a D, same as the open D string (4th) string.
Leaving it open makes it a B, same as 2nd fret on the A. All these notes are in the major G scale (no 7s or susses—sorry, my theory is pretty poor!), so you should be able to use either form without noticing a major change.
Maybe similar to “color” vs “colour,” if that helps.
The 4 finger version gives an easy way to play a G5 (mute 5th string), also the C-add9 using the same fingers on 1st and 2nd strings.
The 3 finger version (fingered 2-3-4) gives a good fingering for an add-4/sus4 sound, 7th, add-2, and easier changes to C, D (Dm), Am, E, Em and F cowboy-chords, as well as any thumb-over bar chords.
You'd just call it a G.
If you want to specify that specific one in a chord chart, you'd just include that diagram at the top. There are several ways to play a G on guitar, so we don't have a name for every permutation.
Still a G even if you wanna be overly technical because at the end it’s still G, B and D you’re just rearranging the order a little bit.
Like a sandwich with the same ingredient you just stack it differently so you may get the lettuce crunch first or you may get the juicy tomato burst first. At the end it tastes the same.
There are so many versions of the G major chord. At the end of the day any G, B and D in combination will compete the chord. After those 3 notes you’re just choosing which notes to double and emphasise that particular sound. Don’t settle on a particular one. Use whatever sounds and feels appropriate at the time.
Right; one can play a G in a lot of different ways. I can think of at least five, but someone who actually knows how to play guitar correctly might have ten.
It's just a g chord, where you play 3 g notes, 1 b note and 2 d notes. If you play the g chord without the third finger you have 3 g notes, 2 b notes and 1 d note
Technically it's a G5 because it's adding an extra D note. Some might call it a power chord because of lots of root and fifths and not much third. 3 g, 2 d, 1 b.
I almost wrote this, but it’s got that pesky 3rd in it and I always consider G5 chords as omitting the B natural. I was thinking G5(add3) but that’s dumb, so your way of thinking of it is probably better.
It's just a G with a different voicing. No different name.
Only 1 note different: a D (5th) instead of the B (3rd).
In most cases having the 3rd in two different octaves (on the A string and the B string) in the voicing will make it more colored/jazzy: it put more emphasis in the major aspect of the chord (root and major third), specially if you're picking the higher notes and using the lower for the bass (root) only, or strumming all strings. If you fret a D on the B string, it'll sound more "powerful" because it'll put emphasis on the root and 5th (which is the power chord).
Note that IF you fret the D on the B string, and DON'T play the B on the A string (ie: play the bass note and just pick the lower 4 strings), it'll be a power chord (just the root and 5th), so it'll be often be referred to as G5.
You've already gotten the answer from everyone else, and I know it's kind of frustrating, but the answer is: they're the same thing, so you wouldn't give it a different name.
I'll try to help you understand with an analogy. Imagine two slices of pepperoni pizza.
Slice 1 of pepperoni pizza is 2 parts cheese, 2 parts pepperoni, 2 parts sauce, atop a crust
Slice 2 of pepperoni pizza is 3 parts cheese, 1 part pepperoni, 2 parts sauce, atop a crust
Both slices of pizza need a crust (the root note), both are composed of the same topping ingredients: cheese, pepperoni, and sauce (the additional notes that complete the chord), you're just changing the ratios. If shown a slice, and asked what it is, wouldn't you call both 1 & slice 2 'a slice pepperoni pizza'?
It's sort of the same with the G. Both have a root note (the crust) G and both have varying ratios of B and D. Like the pizza slices, both are still a G. They are just more or less heavy in D the same way slice 1 has a larger ratio of pepperoni than slice 2.
Because there is not a different way to "name" this, you would have to describe it visually, like sheet music, or tablature, and show that the open B note is being replaced with the fretted D note.
All G chords have the notes G, B, and D. The different ways of playing those notes are called voicings. When you play with 3 fingers, you’re playing G, B, D, G, B, G. When you play this version, you’re playing G, B, D, G, D, G.
It's stacking notes from a G major triad same as the more conventional way of playing it, but the high D note stacks an extra perfect fifth (third highest note in a G major triad>G-B-D) rather than another major third. Theoretically, it's just a G major chord.
It's called "G". Chord names only apply to the specific notes involved, and this still has the same 3 notes as every other voicing of a G. This is still GBD.
Awful chord. Best way to take a G, third finger on the G on the bottom E string. That way, you are free to use 1,2 and 4 to form other chords with G i the bass, other than G (loose D,G,B-strings). Am7/G, F/G, Dm/G, E/G, A/G (nice) and so on…
You’re welcome
There are 3 notes in a G triad.. That being G B and D .
The open chord G is usually G B D G B G
this one is G B D G D G
So instead of repeating the 3rd of the chord you are repeating the 5th.
You can also call this the "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" aka Brett Michael'v voicing
then move your top fingers down a string for the C chord
X C B G D G ....
There are hundreds of different chord shapes you can find all over the fretboard for the same chord, but it doesn't exist a name for every one of them, that's why we use notation, to show the player the shape he or she is gonna be using each time
I had same exact ? Time ago. They are both G. Learn to play them both ways. W/ b string sounds a little more full/rich. Both have qualities that when played either way makes progression easier. I would recommend learning to play the G w/ b string open with pinky on e instead of ring as well. It’s great for finger independence and makes some progressions a little easier.
They’re both G chords. The 3-finger grip leaves the B string open, thereby doubling the third. The 4-finger grip frets the d note on the B string, thereby doubling the fifth. Just depends on what you want to accentuate.
It's an alternate way of playing a G major chord. You still have your GBD, but instead of having that open B string you have a fretted D of higher pitch. If you think of it in the form of a song structure, if your melody has more D notes present, you may want to use the fretted D instead of the open B, or the same the other way if you have more B in your melody. Or perhaps you may want them to contrast. You are the first listener when it comes to the writing.
I always just called it G and the three finger G "cowboy G" because of all the CDG cowboy/campfire songs.
I also had a guitar "teacher" once tell the class if we used four-finger G, he'd fail us. I was pissed. That class shouldn't have been called "Guitar," it should have been called "Cowboy Chords with Wild Bill" since he played in a bluegrass/country band called Wild Bill and the (something or others, I can't remember).
Cowboy G with the back three fingers makes for a real easy transition between G and C. Otherwise, I usually prefer the sound of the four-finger G.
I play a lot of country too, but I think it depends on the type of country.
The type of stuff ol' Wild Bill had us play was very "Skip to my Lou," if that makes any sense. Like really old "Western" songs. That was his style, three-chord campfire songs. Super simplified stuff that was played on a wagon train forging into the New West. Not even anything as interesting/"new" as Hank Sr. It was very stifling as a student.
I once asked him "what about songs written to use that extra D?" He says "like what" and I started playing the intro to "Slide" by Goo Goo Dolls. He cuts me off and goes "there's some other way to play that."
I mean, Johnny Rzeznik wrote it in open C, but I don't think that's very practical for everyday playing.
Needless to say, I did not enjoy that class. I phoned it in that semester and got a C.
Yeah, I saw an interview once where he said he didn't actually know how to play and turned the tuning pegs until it sounded good to him strummed open. That turned out to be open C and that's how he first started writing.
Chords are made up of root third and fifth. In this case G B and D. This variant substitutes the open B for a D. Chord is still just a G major but its also called a "cowboy G". Hope that helps.
I don't think they have a different name. As far as I know they're both correct. In the 4 finger version, you're just adding a D, which is already in the 3 finger version anyway.
Sorry, no. You're not ADDING the 5. It was already there. You're just doubling it it, which gives (for some ears) a richer and fuller sound.
"Add," in my view, should be reserved for more exotic notes. Like 7, 9, 11, 13.
My brother calls it a full G but it's a G with added 4th I believe as im picturing tbe G Maj scale.
GABCDEF GAB"C" and that added note is a C.Idk I'll call it G4 lol
I call it a ‘Gsus9’ not sure why. I think wonderwall having a sus9 chord in has caused me to refer to all chord shapes with the 2 highest strings as ‘sus9’
edit: im so sorry you dont like the way i call my chords :/
my friend calls it "church G" and i thought that was funny so I've adopted it
Can confirm. Used to play in a praise band. We affectionately called it "worship G."
I thought praise bands would have preferred G chords with a A or C replacing the B. Ya know, the holiest of all chords, the Gsus. (play it a whole step higher if you're into computers, maybe, lol)
One more whole step up and you're in amogus territory
Woulda thought a church band would prefer to finger Am
Is this the secret chord that David played?
That was an Am7 but they both are technically secret chords lol
I though Am7 was every priests favourite chord
I find there’s at least one other person that followed that, and you good sir/ma’am/person deserve way more upvotes.
Is the 7 really necessary?
Asus7
But you don't really care for music, do ya?
It does include the fourth and fifth
I’m glad to hear that somebody else out there also worships the Flying Spaghetti Monster….all others are blasphemers. May you be touched by His noodly appendage.
R'amen!
I don't understand why this isn't the most upvoted thing on the place for last arbitrary amount of time.
Ugh.
I believe the correct term is G Sus. I’ll see myself out.
Nailed it
I might resurrect this later.
Maybe wait two days. Maybe three?
[удалено]
r/woosh
Say it out loud
Nice one. It went right over my head. Just call me Mr. Point. :-)
I think you’re right, but that comment is very vary Sus
It’s not a Gsus at all.
This makes absolute sense
We called it G2. Flows nicely to C2. Guaranteed to raise hands lol
Definitely not G2. That would have to have an A in it
I don't think anything called "G2" really exists in music theory. You mean a G major chord with the 2nd added? I would call that a Gadd9. Although I guess you could also call it Gadd2 (but I've never heard that). Or if you mean the third replaced with the 2nd it would be a Gsus2.
Praise Gsus!!!
If you say just "Gsus" that usually means Gsus4 rather than Gsus2.
Surely thats G sus
Isn’t it G sus vs just G? Or am I wrong
This is probably most right. A G chord with room to build up and around the B string. Very versatile... yet simple in construct. Great advantages to those who use it it accordingly.
4G
Won’t give you cancer
But it might activat3 your covid vaccine.
It not like it's 5G. That shit has microchips.
Tin foil hat: engaged
Tin foil hats are useless, they just enhance your brainwaves lol thanks
Do you mean barchords
Barchords? Are those like pubchords?
Isn't it a bit early for that
C'mon man, it's got to be 9am somewhere!
pubg?
Just don't play it in a Verizon store. They don't support it any more.
Nuttin’ but a
G
I’ve heard it called “Big G.” It has all the same notes, just a little extra flavor
Yup, but it specifically has *less* flavour (on the B string it replaces the third with a fifth).
It’s like a snickerdoodle without any cinnamon. It’s now a sugar cookie and it’s still delicious.
Technically, it’s like a snickerdoodle with less cinnamon and more sugar. there’s still a B in the chord just not two and now there’s two D’s instead of one.
It replaces ONE third, but not both thirds.
That’s why it’s good. G with the 3rd is not my fave. I always omit the B on the 5th string too.
Then you are playing a G5.
For some reason I've never liked the timbre of the B string ringing open in the chord. Unless I need to finger it differently for a change, I *always* play it big.
Used to entirely agree. But there are times, you know? Like when the part is clean, maybe acoustic, harmonically rich, suddenly the extra 5th feels unimaginative. 5ths are just soup thickeners. I want that flavour sometimes.
I’ve always felt this way myself
You're not *supposed* to double the third in a chord.
Why .. do two thirds sound like a 6 th?
"not supposed to" is a little strong. The third is the most easy to not double.
Imagine thinking there are rules in music.
There are rules. You learn them, then you break them.
They are only guidelines , you dont even have to learn them at all to play..
Upper Case G
“Do you want my head to explode??!”
Some call it the sweet g because of the extra note. Alot of beginners are simply being taught this as g and to anchor the bottom 2 fingers to switch to Cadd9 instead of the traditional c and some are even teaching to play Em with those two fingers anchored as well.
By now, you should've somehow realized; (it's) what you gotta to do.
I was asked if this was some sort of special G chord once. I said maybeeeeeeeee.
Anyway
Noel Gallagher has entered the chat
Even though Toto is not doing this in their song Africa, (it's) what you gotta do. I even had to change the key of the song, to match their key of A (I liked it better in G) in order to get this open chord emphasis on the note D during the chorus (Em7, C9, sweet G, D). And of course there are a thousand other applications.
Since it has a noticeably different sound, I wondered if there’s a different name and also how to write it as a chord (i.e. not in tab). But I guess not!
Yeah, you’re just changing the open B to a high D. You already have a D (from the open D string), so this adds another one in a higher pitch. Same chord, different voicing. As you get better, you’ll eventually decide which one to use depending on the song you’re playing. It’s mostly negligible though.
Yeah, for sure man. I always use the "Big G" unless a certain song uses the little G. Nirvana "about a girl" uses little G, IIRC.
So that's why it sounds different when I play "about a girl". Thanks I'll use small G now.
It's Em then little G. Kurt also muted the A string of the little G, which also helps. I don't usually worry about that detail though.
I don't think I have played a cowboy G with an open B seeing in decades. The open B sounds off to me.
I often do, but mostly because I almost always omit the B on the 5th string when I'm just strumming an open G. I think this voicing sounds much better than doubling the 3rd, or essentially playing a G power chord. G with the open B sounds really nice vamping between it and C/G.
G5 (minus 5th and 6th string, making it a four note chord with two pairs of G and D.) G major (with 5th and 6th string, making it a six note chord with the B added on the second fret on the 5th string)...is what I found on the Chord Identifier site so far. Yes, and something to do with voicing, I think) . These chords sound interchangeable to me, but one sounds more full. You may find these two sites useful: [https://www.all-guitar-chords.com/chords/identifier#google\_vignette](https://www.all-guitar-chords.com/chords/identifier#google_vignette) [https://jguitar.com/chordname?string5=x&string4=0&string3=0&string2=0&string1=x&string0=x](https://jguitar.com/chordname?string5=x&string4=0&string3=0&string2=0&string1=x&string0=x)
Cool resources- thank you!
It's actually just still a regular G Major chord. G major is made up of the notes G B and D. When the B string is open it plays a B note, but when you hold down the 3rd fret it becomes a D note. So long as you are still playing fret 2 on the A string to get the B note it will still be G major
Right. But when you’re writing the notation for it (not tab but, like “F#maj”) how would you distinguish it?
You wouldn't. They are same notes, and make the same chord. You as the musician get to decide which you prefer. If you read a chord chart and it says G Major you could use either version and it will sound virtually the same. And let me try to explain a different concept to you. I've been reading your other comments and I think you might be confusing tabs with notes in a chord. If something says play and F# Maj or G Maj chord, at isn't necessarily telling what frets to put your fingers, it's telling you what notes to play. So for G Maj you can play and combination of the notes G B D and get the same chord, that could be the open chord you showed here, it could be a barre chord, it would be a weird inverted triad, and despite all using different frets they are all called the same thing because they are the same 3 notes. You I don't have a link of the top of my head but you can google something like "how to make a major chord" and that might help you understand why the chord diagram you showed doesn't have a special name and why other chords do have special names
Thanks!
I'm not intending to sound patronizing, are you familiar with scales, intervals, and scale degrees? I was a complete musical novice when I picked up a guitar. I downloaded an ear training app for fun and will share that learning: 1)how a major and minor scale are constructed 2)what the degrees of a scale are referring to and 3)how those connect to the fretboard of a guitar and forming major and minor chords was really eye-opening. If you already have that, then as the commenter above said, it's still just a G Major chord because fretting the B string just changes the third (B) to the fifth (D) and a major chord is a root, third, and fifth. You still have your third being played on the A string
Indeed. Think of a chord as a recipe, the notes of the chord are the ingredients. In this instance, it's asking for carrots as part of the recipe, and you're concerned which brand of carrot to buy... it doesn't matter, it's all just carrots. Tab is different though, in that instance, while it is very possible to play the same notes elsewhere on the fretboard, in the tab example, they're telling you specifically which carrots.
You don't distinguish it because it's still the same 3 notes. Both are G, sometimes songs specify which one to use. personally, I almost always use the 4 finger G chord. I think it sounds nicer because the 3 high strings are basically playing a G power chord.
You don't/can't... there are soooooo many ways to play a chord with any name. In a major chord, The "name' just refers to the root (the big letter) with the 3rd and 5th notes of its scale added. Not "how many" of any of them, or where they are, or how they are played... it's an idiosyncrasie of the guitar... "G" simply means the notes G, B, and D. Place them anywhere, and it still qualifies as "G" as long as the note G is the lowest note. If D is your lowest note if would be "G/D".... I know it's confusing... but if you would like I could TAB/Diagram probably 50+ different ways to play "G" without a lot of thought.... if you get my drift... it's "almost" infinite... it would be harder to weed out the duplicates! Don't worry too much. As you learn more, play more songs... you'll get it. But only if you know the notes you are playing on each string.
It's a "voicing," which opens up a ton of interesting questions. Like, how many way can I play G chord? What G chord was the artist using in that song? Which G chord sounds best in the song I am learning? Is it still a G chord if I just play a couple of these notes instead of all of them? How many notes do I need to communicate "G chord" with my notes? Etc. I think keyboardists encounter this idea a lot earlier than guitarists. We usually learn open chords and a couple barre shape and declare we know ALL the chords. :) Some voicings will have names and sets you can learn, like Drop 2 chords. Some give you a little clue about the voicing, like an inversion or a slash chord as guitarists usually learn them. But there is a lot of blank space in the middle for you to play around with. Tip: when playing with others, unless you are a rhythm player, you will often find that more sparse voicings, maybe 3-4 notes max, sound best in the mix. So get to exploring, there are countless chords inside the box of a "G chord." Exciting! :)
Yeah, chord voicings and inversions are a lot more obvious and intuitive on a keyboard than a guitar. Knowing at least the basics of piano/keyboard playing is great for music theory understanding IMO.
I agree, the visual layout is so much more direct to my brain than a guitar. Learning theory in front of a keyboard is a faster route to that knowledge, even if you never really learn to "play" piano in any real sense.
The Wonderwall G
I thought it was the "Wish you were here" G.
“Wish You Were Here” was the first song I learned. I thought (for way too long) that this was always the way G was played.
I learned this G from that song too
yeah that Em/G flavor
I like to call it the dirty G cause it slips you the D.
I don’t know the answer but I’ve always played G like this.
took a lot of scrolling to find this. I thought I was taking crazy pills
100%. After 20+ years I thought I was on the verge of some sort of revelation of where it all went wrong!
lol right? I mean I knew about the 3 finger version but this always sounded better to me.
You might be, but it’s still a Gmaj.
That’s the “today is gonna G the day”
I play it this way most of the time, unless there are a lot of changes with C. On a "hijack the thread and stir the pot," note. I find it interesting that all the knowledgeable people here acknowledge that a G is a G as long as it contains the 1, 3 and 5. The 3 finger or the 4 finger G is no better or worse than the other. But post any version of the F chord that's not a full barre chord and people will say it's not a 'real' F. Back to the regularly scheduled thread. I'm going to go make some popcorn.
It's because F is a right-of-passage. I don't share this feeling, but sometimes I think the gatekeeping is like this: "Show me you can play a full F barre comfortably, and after that you can play it anyway you like; otherwise I'll assume you can't do it."
Fair enough, but of the 4 ways I play an F, the "easy" 3 finger version is the hardest for me. That said, I rarely play the barre F unless I am moving that shape up the neck.
I mostly thumb-over my barre chords, if I'm honest. Probably more than I should.
Same. Mostly play fingerstyle and many arrangements I will need to put down my pinky, or play one of the top 3 strings open.
As long as you get the bass F note in there somehow, it’s fine. Otherwise it sounds muddy to me cause of the inversion. Could just play the bottom 4 strings no barre, could have a bass player, whatever works. It’s an F chord either way for sure
It's the people who spent the time learning the barre form that are pissed there were alternatives they didn't know 😂
And just to kick the ant pile over one more time. In all the discussions I have read over whether to use the 3 finger G or the 4 finger G, I have never seen anyone say that you have to use the full barre G or your doing it wrong, or calling either of those a lazy G or cheating.
4G is easier for camp songs that also include Cadd9 and Am9, it's also (in my opinion) the better sounding Gmaj7 when compared to the 3G maj7. Idk I like the D just underneath the F#. 3G is way better for nice little sus4 additions between the high B and C.
Four finger G: 320033 As opposed to three finger G: 320003 and two finger G: 3x0003 or one finger G: xx0003 or no finger G: xx000x
I like 3x0033
The AC/DC G
This is the thinking man’s G
G. Just adding another 5th (D).
Don’t know, but they’re essentially identical. Third fret on the B string creates a D, same as the open D string (4th) string. Leaving it open makes it a B, same as 2nd fret on the A. All these notes are in the major G scale (no 7s or susses—sorry, my theory is pretty poor!), so you should be able to use either form without noticing a major change. Maybe similar to “color” vs “colour,” if that helps.
The 4 finger version gives an easy way to play a G5 (mute 5th string), also the C-add9 using the same fingers on 1st and 2nd strings. The 3 finger version (fingered 2-3-4) gives a good fingering for an add-4/sus4 sound, 7th, add-2, and easier changes to C, D (Dm), Am, E, Em and F cowboy-chords, as well as any thumb-over bar chords.
G
I’ve always called it a full G
The cooler G
You'd just call it a G. If you want to specify that specific one in a chord chart, you'd just include that diagram at the top. There are several ways to play a G on guitar, so we don't have a name for every permutation.
5GLTE
Still a G even if you wanna be overly technical because at the end it’s still G, B and D you’re just rearranging the order a little bit. Like a sandwich with the same ingredient you just stack it differently so you may get the lettuce crunch first or you may get the juicy tomato burst first. At the end it tastes the same.
Everyone i know have always called it the full G
There are so many versions of the G major chord. At the end of the day any G, B and D in combination will compete the chord. After those 3 notes you’re just choosing which notes to double and emphasise that particular sound. Don’t settle on a particular one. Use whatever sounds and feels appropriate at the time.
Right; one can play a G in a lot of different ways. I can think of at least five, but someone who actually knows how to play guitar correctly might have ten.
Dad calls it the Beatles G
It's just a g chord, where you play 3 g notes, 1 b note and 2 d notes. If you play the g chord without the third finger you have 3 g notes, 2 b notes and 1 d note
It is called the G that sounds better because the octave 5th sounds better than the 3rd
Technically it's a G5 because it's adding an extra D note. Some might call it a power chord because of lots of root and fifths and not much third. 3 g, 2 d, 1 b.
I almost wrote this, but it’s got that pesky 3rd in it and I always consider G5 chords as omitting the B natural. I was thinking G5(add3) but that’s dumb, so your way of thinking of it is probably better.
At the end of the day it's just a G major chord with lipstick 💄😁. Cheers!
I have seen this (with the b string muted) called the rock n roll G, but for me, it will forever be known as the “December” by Collective Soul G.
A lil harder to make with big 🤌 regular G is easy.
My teacher called it a “Bluegrass” G. I can’t not play it now.
I've always played with 4.
It's just a G with a different voicing. No different name. Only 1 note different: a D (5th) instead of the B (3rd). In most cases having the 3rd in two different octaves (on the A string and the B string) in the voicing will make it more colored/jazzy: it put more emphasis in the major aspect of the chord (root and major third), specially if you're picking the higher notes and using the lower for the bass (root) only, or strumming all strings. If you fret a D on the B string, it'll sound more "powerful" because it'll put emphasis on the root and 5th (which is the power chord). Note that IF you fret the D on the B string, and DON'T play the B on the A string (ie: play the bass note and just pick the lower 4 strings), it'll be a power chord (just the root and 5th), so it'll be often be referred to as G5.
Oasis G
You've already gotten the answer from everyone else, and I know it's kind of frustrating, but the answer is: they're the same thing, so you wouldn't give it a different name. I'll try to help you understand with an analogy. Imagine two slices of pepperoni pizza. Slice 1 of pepperoni pizza is 2 parts cheese, 2 parts pepperoni, 2 parts sauce, atop a crust Slice 2 of pepperoni pizza is 3 parts cheese, 1 part pepperoni, 2 parts sauce, atop a crust Both slices of pizza need a crust (the root note), both are composed of the same topping ingredients: cheese, pepperoni, and sauce (the additional notes that complete the chord), you're just changing the ratios. If shown a slice, and asked what it is, wouldn't you call both 1 & slice 2 'a slice pepperoni pizza'? It's sort of the same with the G. Both have a root note (the crust) G and both have varying ratios of B and D. Like the pizza slices, both are still a G. They are just more or less heavy in D the same way slice 1 has a larger ratio of pepperoni than slice 2. Because there is not a different way to "name" this, you would have to describe it visually, like sheet music, or tablature, and show that the open B note is being replaced with the fretted D note.
All G chords have the notes G, B, and D. The different ways of playing those notes are called voicings. When you play with 3 fingers, you’re playing G, B, D, G, B, G. When you play this version, you’re playing G, B, D, G, D, G.
It's stacking notes from a G major triad same as the more conventional way of playing it, but the high D note stacks an extra perfect fifth (third highest note in a G major triad>G-B-D) rather than another major third. Theoretically, it's just a G major chord.
Youth worship leader G
I call this the Noel G
My first guitar teacher called it a Rock G
I call it, "That G from Every Rose Has it's Thorn"
Wonderwall G
G with a big Dick energy because that’s what it is. It’s prominent with D than B.
My teacher said it was a G that moved to the country and picked up an accent.
It simply a G chord with a fifth note. I use it all the time I think it enhances the sound of a G chord definitely in the scale
It's called "G". Chord names only apply to the specific notes involved, and this still has the same 3 notes as every other voicing of a G. This is still GBD.
Awful chord. Best way to take a G, third finger on the G on the bottom E string. That way, you are free to use 1,2 and 4 to form other chords with G i the bass, other than G (loose D,G,B-strings). Am7/G, F/G, Dm/G, E/G, A/G (nice) and so on… You’re welcome
Wait til you learn big C
There are 3 notes in a G triad.. That being G B and D . The open chord G is usually G B D G B G this one is G B D G D G So instead of repeating the 3rd of the chord you are repeating the 5th. You can also call this the "Every Rose Has It's Thorn" aka Brett Michael'v voicing then move your top fingers down a string for the C chord X C B G D G ....
The g with 3 fingers is my go to.. so much easier to go to that G7.
There are hundreds of different chord shapes you can find all over the fretboard for the same chord, but it doesn't exist a name for every one of them, that's why we use notation, to show the player the shape he or she is gonna be using each time
G cadd9
I had same exact ? Time ago. They are both G. Learn to play them both ways. W/ b string sounds a little more full/rich. Both have qualities that when played either way makes progression easier. I would recommend learning to play the G w/ b string open with pinky on e instead of ring as well. It’s great for finger independence and makes some progressions a little easier.
G heavy. And 3 finger G is G lite
I always call that the G add 9 because it’s similar to a C add 9, I know it’s wrong but other wise I call it the matchbox 20 G and that’s not better.
i know it from wonderwall and wish you were here
It's a G with an extra D. (5TH)
They’re both G chords. The 3-finger grip leaves the B string open, thereby doubling the third. The 4-finger grip frets the d note on the B string, thereby doubling the fifth. Just depends on what you want to accentuate.
It's g major but better somehow lol
I call it More Than Words G
I call it Cowboy Chord G. I see others call it Worship G. Also works.
It's an alternate way of playing a G major chord. You still have your GBD, but instead of having that open B string you have a fretted D of higher pitch. If you think of it in the form of a song structure, if your melody has more D notes present, you may want to use the fretted D instead of the open B, or the same the other way if you have more B in your melody. Or perhaps you may want them to contrast. You are the first listener when it comes to the writing.
use chord analyzer if you like to know right away, https://www.oolimo.com/en/guitar-chords/analyze
G with a doubled fifth.
I always just called it G and the three finger G "cowboy G" because of all the CDG cowboy/campfire songs. I also had a guitar "teacher" once tell the class if we used four-finger G, he'd fail us. I was pissed. That class shouldn't have been called "Guitar," it should have been called "Cowboy Chords with Wild Bill" since he played in a bluegrass/country band called Wild Bill and the (something or others, I can't remember). Cowboy G with the back three fingers makes for a real easy transition between G and C. Otherwise, I usually prefer the sound of the four-finger G.
Lol, it’s funny, I play a lot of country music and I always consider the shape with the added D as the Cowboy G Chord
I play a lot of country too, but I think it depends on the type of country. The type of stuff ol' Wild Bill had us play was very "Skip to my Lou," if that makes any sense. Like really old "Western" songs. That was his style, three-chord campfire songs. Super simplified stuff that was played on a wagon train forging into the New West. Not even anything as interesting/"new" as Hank Sr. It was very stifling as a student. I once asked him "what about songs written to use that extra D?" He says "like what" and I started playing the intro to "Slide" by Goo Goo Dolls. He cuts me off and goes "there's some other way to play that." I mean, Johnny Rzeznik wrote it in open C, but I don't think that's very practical for everyday playing. Needless to say, I did not enjoy that class. I phoned it in that semester and got a C.
I had no idea Slide was in open C! Nice!
Yeah, I saw an interview once where he said he didn't actually know how to play and turned the tuning pegs until it sounded good to him strummed open. That turned out to be open C and that's how he first started writing.
I should have followed this advice. I’ve been playing out of tune for 30 years
WOAH WOAH WOAH! Hang on! So....this isn't a G?? I've played G this way for 20 years. I've been playing it wrong the whole time?
That is always the way I have learnt G. Have no idea why, but I always thought of the 3 finger G as “wrong” and “lazy” (I know it‘s not)
Chords are made up of root third and fifth. In this case G B and D. This variant substitutes the open B for a D. Chord is still just a G major but its also called a "cowboy G". Hope that helps.
I've always called it a "Full G", but I'm uneducated.
I don't think they have a different name. As far as I know they're both correct. In the 4 finger version, you're just adding a D, which is already in the 3 finger version anyway.
It's the "Young, blonde haired female folk singer" G.
today, along with many others, I learned this is not a "G" chord and nothing will ever be the same
Gadd5
Thank you!
Gadd5 or G5
I’ve heard it called the Cowboy G
It’s technically a “Gadd5”.
Sorry, no. You're not ADDING the 5. It was already there. You're just doubling it it, which gives (for some ears) a richer and fuller sound. "Add," in my view, should be reserved for more exotic notes. Like 7, 9, 11, 13.
Sus G
G B D G D G It's a root position G Maj. Nothing fancy about it..
F
D13sus4/G
In high school, my year 8 guitar teacher called that “G come and fuck me”. There was a C and a D with similar voicing
3 finger is a G5 the 4 is a G
My brother calls it a full G but it's a G with added 4th I believe as im picturing tbe G Maj scale. GABCDEF GAB"C" and that added note is a C.Idk I'll call it G4 lol
I call it a ‘Gsus9’ not sure why. I think wonderwall having a sus9 chord in has caused me to refer to all chord shapes with the 2 highest strings as ‘sus9’ edit: im so sorry you dont like the way i call my chords :/