• Latest
  • Trending
  • All
Guitar Players – Give Your “A” Chord the Finger

Guitar Players – Give Your “A” Chord the Finger

March 4, 2021
Veterans Day Message from President Trump

Veterans Day Message from President Trump

August 1, 2022
Navajo Code Talker Samuel Sandoval dies

Navajo Code Talker Samuel Sandoval dies

August 1, 2022
#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran Victor “Brute” Harold Krulak

#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran Victor “Brute” Harold Krulak

August 1, 2022
Trump supporters attempt world record boat parade near Clearwater Beach

Trump supporters attempt world record boat parade near Clearwater Beach

August 1, 2022
Veteran honored for once-secret role in WWII ‘Ghost Army’

Veteran honored for once-secret role in WWII ‘Ghost Army’

August 1, 2022
Helping a Fellow Vet with Disability Claim : Veterans

Helping a Fellow Vet with Disability Claim : Veterans

July 31, 2022
Table Tennis 1. European Championship1995 Vienna (Wien)Veterans Orlovwki Dvoracek Tischtennis

Table Tennis 1. European Championship1995 Vienna (Wien)Veterans Orlovwki Dvoracek Tischtennis

July 31, 2022
Low-Cost Tech Shaping Modern Battlefield > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

Low-Cost Tech Shaping Modern Battlefield > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

July 31, 2022
The Army won’t lower its standards again to meet recruitment goals

The Army won’t lower its standards again to meet recruitment goals

July 31, 2022
Coast Guard veteran held without bail in ID theft mystery

Coast Guard veteran held without bail in ID theft mystery

July 31, 2022
British Normandy Memorial opens on D-Day anniversary

British Normandy Memorial opens on D-Day anniversary

July 31, 2022
Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall Stories

Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall Stories

July 31, 2022
Wednesday, March 29, 2023
  • PRESS RELEASE
  • ADVERTISE
  • CONTACT
198 Veterans News
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Global Veterans
  • USA Veterans
  • EU Veterans
  • Canadian Veterans
  • Australian Veterans
  • Asia Veterans
  • African Veterans
  • Veteran Supports
  • More
    • Global Veteran Supports
    • Veterans Nonprofits
    • Veterans Sponsors
    • Sponsorship
    • Veteran Blogs
    • Veteran Books
    • VIP videos of Veterans
198 Veterans News
No Result
View All Result
Home Veteran Books

Guitar Players – Give Your “A” Chord the Finger

by The Editor
March 4, 2021
in Veteran Books
257 2
0
Guitar Players – Give Your “A” Chord the Finger
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

[ad_1]

Anyone who’s played in a band for any length of time has surely been subject to the hoots and howls for “Freebird” that typically begin pelting the stage somewhere around the third or fourth set.

Having been on the receiving end of such rants for more years than I can count, it has been interesting to see the reaction of numerous band members when the post midnight chants start rolling in for what is arguably the most requested song in modern history.

On more than one occasion I have cowered behind the PA cabs, eying the closest exit, while someone in the band gets on the mike and announces “I got your Free Bird!”. This, of course, accompanied by a universally recognized gesture.

The title of this article, of course, has nothing to do with giving your A chords that kind of finger – although we will discuss giving your open A chords a “one finger salute”, of sorts.

Conventional guitar lessons and teaching methods have a tendency to do what many educational programs do in almost any discipline of study – make things harder. The way beginning guitar students are taught to play an A major chord in the open position is one perfect example of that.

When I first picked up the guitar, well over thirty years ago, I still remember the Alfred’s 1 guitar book that I used to figure out where to awkwardly put my fingers. Very early in the process I had to learn how to play the A major chord. In the book was a chord diagram that indicated that the A chord in the open position should be played by placing the:

2nd finger on the 2nd fret of the 4th string.

3rd finger on the 2nd fret of the 3rd string.

And the…

4th finger on the 2nd fret of the 2nd string.

Throughout the years I have seen other lesson programs that instruct students to use other fingering combination’s for the A chord. Some say to use the 1st, 2nd and 3rd fingers in succession. I have even seen some suggest using a 2 – 1 – 3 fingering combination (which to me seems extremely awkward).

The one thing I have rarely seen is a guitar instruction program that shows students how to play the A chord the easiest way.

In our guitar course we talk a lot about visualization and chord “shapes”. If you take a moment to visualize the shape of an A major chord in the open position, you will see that the chord shape is simply a straight line across the second fret of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings.

As a firm believer in looking for the fastest, easiest and simplest way to play things on the guitar, it just has never made good sense to me to have to finagle three fingers in various combinations to play this chord, when one finger will do the trick!

An open A major chord can, with very little effort, be played by using the first finger to “barre” the 2nd fret of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th strings. The hardest part of playing the chord this way is getting your finger placement just right so that the 5th string (A) and the 1st string (E) are not inadvertently muted.

This is accomplished by playing the notes with the flat part of the finger, from the tip to about the first joint, then bending the main finger joint at such an angle that the 1st (E) string is able to sustain clearly.

In addition, there is no reason to limit yourself to playing the open A chord with only the first finger. Many times it will behoove you to use the second finger or even the third finger to play the chord.

In fact, if you are playing a barre chord in the “A” shape, you are already using the third finger to play the “A” shape, only in a higher fret position. So why not use the one finger method to play the A chord in the open position?

There are times when using the one finger A chord technique, that you might use different fingers to play the chord in the same chord progression.

For example, when playing the common E – A – D – A chord progression, you might transition from the E chord to the A chord by playing the A with the second finger. Then when transitioning from the D chord back to the A, you could use the first finger.

This way your hand falls naturally into place throughout each chord change, making the transitions much more smooth and effortless.

There are some occasions when using the three finger method to play the A chord makes more sense then the one finger method. For instance, when you are playing a walk down from the A to the A7 and you need the extra fingers to make the walk down formations.

But other than on those times there is absolutely no reason to work any harder than you have to when playing the A chord.

So the next time you pick up your guitar, try giving your A chord “the finger”, regardless of what the books are telling you. You will find that once you get used to playing them this way, it will be difficult to ever imagine going back to the old, clumsy three finger method!

[ad_2]

Source by Keith Dean

Tags: ChordFingerGiveGuitarPlayers
Share202Tweet126Send
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Desmond inquiry: Lionel Desmond’s case manager at Veterans Affairs begins testimony – Halifax

Desmond inquiry: Lionel Desmond’s case manager at Veterans Affairs begins testimony – Halifax

June 22, 2021
Afghans, Canadian veterans in Alberta fear Taliban takeover will undo years of progress

Afghans, Canadian veterans in Alberta fear Taliban takeover will undo years of progress

August 14, 2021
Lionel Desmond inquiry: Veterans Affairs review cites delays, calls for changes – Halifax

Lionel Desmond inquiry: Veterans Affairs review cites delays, calls for changes – Halifax

June 25, 2021

Hello world!

1

Lady Gaga Pulled Off One of the Best Halftime Shows Ever

0

Barack Obama’s Now Mainly Focusing on Wearing This Casual Backwards Hat

0
Veterans Day Message from President Trump

Veterans Day Message from President Trump

August 1, 2022
Navajo Code Talker Samuel Sandoval dies

Navajo Code Talker Samuel Sandoval dies

August 1, 2022
#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran Victor “Brute” Harold Krulak

#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran Victor “Brute” Harold Krulak

August 1, 2022
198 Veterans News

Own and operated by The Ike Lemuwa Group, LLC a Commonwealth of Virginia Limited Liability Company, USA.
Info@nigeriasmartnews.com / info@ikelemuwagroup.com
Toll-Free: 1 888 642 8433
3821 Dominion Drive Dumfries, Virginia, 22026. USA

Trending News

Troops En Route to Afghanistan Aim to Help Remove Civilians, Pentagon Official Says > U.S. Department of Defense > Defense Department News

Am I being scammed? WTF is this?! Mid-Atlantic Consolidated Patient Account Center sounds sketchy. I received a phone call after this letter also.. : Veterans

Technology for Seniors Who Won’t Give Up Their Flip Phones – Veterans Home Care

"Interviews with My Lai Veterans" (1970) Reel America Preview

The Favorite Receivers of Miami Dolphins Quarterback Dan Marino

Recent News

Veterans Day Message from President Trump

Navajo Code Talker Samuel Sandoval dies

#VeteranOfTheDay Marine Corps Veteran Victor “Brute” Harold Krulak

Trump supporters attempt world record boat parade near Clearwater Beach

  • Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA
  • Cookie Policy
  • T & C
  • Contact

198 Veterans News - Copyright AllRights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Global Veterans
  • USA Veterans
  • EU Veterans
  • Canadian Veterans
  • Australian Veterans
  • Asia Veterans
  • African Veterans
  • Veteran Supports
  • More
    • Global Veteran Supports
    • Veterans Nonprofits
    • Veterans Sponsors
    • Sponsorship
    • Veteran Blogs
    • Veteran Books
    • VIP videos of Veterans

198 Veterans News - Copyright AllRights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In