Open G vs. Open G

Nope, just different voicings.

320003 is the notes: GBDGBG
320033 is the notes: GBDGDG

Because the D is the 5 of the chord it's only being in the chord once in the 320003 version means the over-all sound has a less resolved feel to it. But the "major" quality of the chord is brought out because the B (the 3rd which determines major or minor) is there twice.

In the 320033 version, the 5 is there twice, giving the chord a slightly more robust feeling, but because the B is only in the base, the major quality is not as pronounced.

But these are very subtle things and in most cases the difference is entirely one of personal taste. 9 out of 10 people listening to you play in most contexts aren't going to be able to tell the difference.

The second form of the G chord - 320033 - is sometimes used to get a droning sound....

Try the following progression....

G (320003) / Em (022000) / C (332010) / D (200232) - that's how it's normally played. Now try it this way.....

G (320033) / Em7 (022033) /Cadd9 (332033) / Dsus4 (200233) - see the difference? In this second case, the B and E strings, fretted with your ring and pinkie fingers, never alter....they're called Pedal Points, there was a useful article on this a while ago....

https://www.guitarnoise.com/lessons/chord-pedal-points/

:D :D :D

Vic

The reason you see 320003 as the 'proper' way to fret a G is that beginning chords try to do four things:

- Include every voice (in this case G, B, D - more advanced chords often drop a voice or two, but beginners don't need to get into the hows and whys of that just yet)

- Have at least one note doubled - that is, there will be four or more strings played (to give a nice full sound)

- Put the root on the bottom (good for getting into bass note-strum patterns)

- Use as few fingers as possible.

For beginners with small hands, I actually teach xx0003 as the first G chord - it gets them playing right away.

Later on with most students we get into other varations of open chords, like 332010 for C - which makes it easy to alternate between the root and the fifth for bass notes.

Wow... Posted this message about an hour ago, came back and have some very good replies. Thanks!

I'm a beginner again in the sense that I played for a number of years in my younger days, but always by feel and trying to copy what was being played on those round black disks. Everything I learned was either through friends, or by listening and trying to copy what sounded right.

Great site here too. Finding lots of stuff to work with.

Being able to get answers to wierd questions like this one is great. Thanks, expect some more. :D

I'm a beginner again in the sense that I played for a number of years in my younger days, but always by feel and trying to copy what was being played on those round black disks.Yeah, I'm learning a bunch of stuff I didn't pick up in the first thirty years I had a guitar. :wink:
The above quote also reminded me of my stock description of what a "45" was: "Like a CD, but black." ( http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/searchdetail.asp?T1=154+0593&dept=lch8&search=1me05&child=1me05 )
:lol:

Thanks for all the info, guys.

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought it was going to be a discussion of Open G tuning (low to high, DGDGBD) vs. high bass or "Dobro G," (GBDGBD.)

I don't mess with that EADGBE stuff often. Way too complicated.
:D

When I saw the title of this thread, I thought it was going to be a discussion of Open G tuning (low to high, DGDGBD) vs. high bass or "Dobro G," (GBDGBD.)That "Dobro G" is new to me, but that's what I thought the thread was gonna be about, too. Couldn't imagine what the other possibility might be. Now I've learned something new today. 8)
I don't mess with that EADGBE stuff often. Way too complicated. :DI never got into Drop D (or anything else other than standard) until David Hodge's "Harvest Moon" article, but it turned out to be pretty cool.
Last night I put my Ibanez Talman into Open G, to work on that prelude to "American Woman." ("American woman gonna mess your mind," G7-Gb7-F7-G kinda thing.)
It is fun, but I'm not gonna do a Keef Richards and remove the sixth string. :wink:

No need to pull off that sixth string. It's really handy to have it!

No need to pull off that sixth string. It's really handy to have it!That's what I thought, although my instructor had a technical explanation about how it made the 5th (G) string always the root note, so that would be an advantage. It was all kinda over my head, and I still think that since I paid for six strings, I might as well get my money's worth. :lol:

The root note's on the open 5th string. It's really handy to be able to hit that fifth below the root (makes a great turnaround), and you can get some good boogies going using that open D-tuned sixth string, its third fret, and various combinations of the open and third-fretted strings above it. You find those same notes in the standard old blues shuffle, but on the low D you're working them in a lower range.

Then, of course, theere's the 3X0003 option, which I think sounds cleaner than the others.

Vic, is that Wonderwall you posted, there?

Then, of course, theere's the 3X0003 option, which I think sounds cleaner than the others.

Vic, is that Wonderwall you posted, there?

um, it wasn't meant to be - just an example of how chords change with different voicings.....

for Wonderwall you'd need those chords plus an A7 sus4 -002233....I posted that on the ESD a while ago, but it's just the basic Em/C/G/D chords and a different voicing of A7sus4....

I may "revisit" the post over the weekend.....

:D :D :D

Vic