The key of G is a staple chord for many songwriters due to its familiar shapes. Additionally, its gentle barre chords make learning it easy and straightforward.
Make sure to perform finger stretching exercises prior to playing this chord to ensure that your fingers are in their correct positions, which will prevent them from muddling other strings and creating an unpleasant sound.
Open G Chord
Utilizing Open G tuning is an ideal way to hone chordal fingering skills. You’re able to navigate major chord shapes quickly across the fretboard while developing navigational abilities as a bonus!
As demonstrated below, this tuning can also be used to play arpeggios. This chord scale consists of major pentatonic scale notes that can be moved across the fretboard to form various arpeggios.
Open G can also be used to form minor chords by simply moving up one string, yielding a maj7 chord with a missing third note – especially when played acoustically and played with some smudge (think Lowell George from Litte Feat). Furthermore, this shape can even be taken further by moving it two frets up for an add9 chord!
Open G Shape 1
The open G shape employs an easy two-octave fingering pattern that works across the fretboard. This voicing makes chord songs easier without needing to learn full shapes.
This open string voicing of G major works beautifully when followed by Cmaj7 (omitting the ninth). Give this a try on your next blues song to see for yourself!
This opens up a range of variations on the basic G major chord. Keith Richards likes using it on his version of Walkin’ Blues; you could also use it as a minor chord to add tension in chord progressions and as an alternative to more commonly found barre chords in G major.
Open G Shape 2
An effective G major chord shape when played open tuning is 6sus4. This chord utilises all six strings and produces an open sound, as well as leaving your fingers free for adding hammer-ons and pull-offs to major chords.
Am shapes (X-2-2-2-1) are another straightforward movable chord form for open G and are perfect for creating minor chords with added sevenths or other notes.
These chord forms can often be found used in worship songs. Their bright sound adds life and excitement to anthemic or driving songs – a reason many worship leaders love using them!
Open G Shape 3
The Open G Shape is often the first major chord beginners learn, comprised of its root, major third and perfect fifth of the G major scale. It can be enhanced with various notes to add variety. Singer-songwriters frequently utilize capo tuners to transpose these chords to keys suitable for their voices.
These major shapes offer several advantages over lesser ones: they can be moved up and down the fretboard using similar fingerings, making it easier to develop familiar sounds while aiding lead players’ navigation of the fretboard.
G minor chord is an invaluable accompaniment for melancholic moments, offering more somber notes than its counterpart. Similar to B minor, but with deeper tones.
Open G Shape 4
The Open G shape is a moveable chord which can serve as the basis for other major chords as well as arpeggio shapes. It provides an excellent way to develop fretboard knowledge while also serving as an introduction to alternative tunings.
Keith Richards’ acoustic rendition of Brown Sugar features some sublime sounding open G chords. Additionally, Keith removes his low sixth string which significantly alters how the chords sound.
This video shows an excellent strumming pattern and progression that works beautifully in Open G, as well as the need to change fretboard patterns and learn new shapes to fully utilize this tuning.