Chords & Fingers

Hi guys,

Moving through Fundamentals 2 and having loads of fun while waiting for my new G&L S500 to arrive :)

Now I have a question about the different finger position for the same chord.
I have noticed some instructors use different combos for lets say Em. They are all applicable in various situations.

So what I want to know is do you guys use one and only one finger position for a specific chord or do you change it depending on the situation? Its always good to have multiple options, I know. But for the time being somehow I feel am better off with just one finger position.

It usually depends on what's coming next, or if I want to do certain embellishments to the chord.

For example, if I know I'm going to play a G major chord after my open Em, I might use my index finger and my middle finger for the Em. That way I don't have to move my index finger when I go to G - it stays on the 2nd fret A string.

But, if I was going for a dark, evil sound, adding the 1st fret of the B string to my Em, which is a C note, would require me to grab the Em with my middle finger and my ring finger.

So yes, having multiple options is very useful indeed.

To me it depends on sound and convenience:

Sound: 1 little note added or taken away can drastically change the sound of the chord. This can change the whole MOOD of the chord as well. A bright note added is a very different sound than a bright note taken away. Just think of it as using accents to your overall sound.

Convenience: Like Ben mentioned, it depends where you are on the fretboard. Sometimes it's hard to make a certain jump or change, so plan ahead and think of how you are setting yourself up for your next chord/note.

Actually, I'll also ad "comfortableness". Everyone's hands/fingers are different and how someone plays a chord might be almost impossible for you. So just do what your hands can do COMFORTABLY. Don't overstretch or hurt your hand fingering a chord a certain way just because that's how someone else does it.

Over time, you'll just find your preferred way of fingering a certain chord and do that all the time without thinking.