# Electric Guitar 101

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-guitar-101/472493>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [November 13, 2008, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-guitar-101/472493 "2008-11-13T05:15:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [November 13, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-guitar-101/472493/21 "2008-11-13T22:16:20Z")

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I appreciate it. 😉

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**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\
**Post date:** [November 14, 2008, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-guitar-101/472493/22 "2008-11-14T01:56:18Z")

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> [@squeegee](#):
>
> Wait a sec. That doesn’t look fingerable. Did you mean 3, 1, 4?
> 
> What I think you said:
> 
> ```auto
> 
> EADGBE
> 1 ||||||
> 2 |3||||
> 3 1||||4
> 
> ```
> 
> I can’t finger this, I don’t see how anyone could, so I must be misunderstanding. Did you mean:
> 
> ```auto
> 
> EADGBE
> 1 ||||||
> 2 |1||||
> 3 3||||4
> 
> ```
> 
> ?

The latter, yes. I was listing fingers from the closest to the nut, and from low note to high note on the same fret. 1, 2 and 3 is what most folks get taught as their first G major.

[hijack]I gotta learn how to do code like that. That is so much clearer.[/hijack]

```auto

1 ||||||
2 |1||||
3 2||||3

```

```auto

1 ||||||
2 |1||||
3 2||||4

```

```auto

1 ||||||
2 |1||||
3 3||||4

```

{Not very practical, that last; included only for the sake of completeness}

```auto

1 ||||||
2 |2||||
3 3||||4

```

How fun! Thank you for that net trick, **squeegee**!!

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\
**Post date:** [November 16, 2008, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-guitar-101/472493/23 "2008-11-16T19:44:43Z")

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As I said, I got a CD with some music on it I can practice with. After a very quick search I found some [video](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dp0Jkf-7Iwc) to go along with one of the tracks the instructor provided. (i.e., the audio on the CD is from this YouTube video.)

I find this sort of thing to be very helpful, though it would be nice to see both hands at the same time. (That’s an advantage to being with a real person. Details in video can be too small to discern when showing both hands.)

Got the Epi out. Just have to take care of a couple of domestic tasks and I can get to practicing. 🙂

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**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\
**Post date:** [November 17, 2008, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/electric-guitar-101/472493/24 "2008-11-17T13:59:07Z")

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> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#):
>
> ```auto
> 
> 1 ||||||
> 2 |2||||
> 3 3||||4
> 
> ```

I play a G most often this way:

```auto

1 ||||||
2 |1||||
3 2|||34

```

this adds another D to the chord, which makes it sound simpler and cut through some mixes better. Also, pivoting on the ring finger(3) when shifting from G to D chords is easier to do. And you can play a C/G chord by moving the “1” and the “2” fingers each up a string so they are in the correct position for a C Chord.

```auto

1 ||||||
2 ||1|||
3 |2||34

```

If you start with a D, then play that C/G then play G you get a very cool sound - and on a 12-string it is very rich…

And as for barre chords - well, the biggest issue for me was learning when not to play the whole chord. When I play E-based barre chords (e.g., A at the 5th fret), more often than not the I am playing big, distorted classic rock or punk riffs - for those, I really only need the lowest 3 strings (E,A,D) fretted. So knowing that I don’t have to stress about getting the fingering perfect on the barre and just nailing those strings makes life easier. Gotta love power chords…

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