How do you pay the A chord?

PittPastor · Nov 2, 2017

Might seem like a dumb question, but I'm trying to fix some areas in my guitar playing.

I've always played it with the index finger and middle finger, mashing the three strings. I could never seem to get all three fingers on the second fret comfortably, so I moved to the two finger mash method 30-some years ago.

Recently, though, I am hearing a slight buzzing, or sometimes a dampened string. I don't know if my hands are suddenly weaker, or I am just paying attention more (I started to play a lot under amplification, so maybe I just hear it now...)

Anyway, I've been experimenting with some different A-chords, as well as some different fingering positions. Just curious if anyone else has done much thinking on this...?

txbumper57 · Nov 2, 2017

I play the "A" chord with my index finger only crossing all 3 strings at the same time.

TX

dreadnut · Nov 2, 2017

I've always played it the same was as you, Pastor. However, probably 90% of the time now I play an A7 instead, using the same two fingers but leaving the "G" string open. It works great on most songs, but sometimes you do need the full "A" chord.

fronobulax · Nov 2, 2017

I'll slip it a five, unless it is clear it doesn't belong and then I just get it to leave.

(This will only be funny until a moderator changes the "pay" typo to "play")

There's probably a Honda joke here as well but I sense I am wearing out my welcome.

Of some relevance - On bass I would often flop a finger across multiple strings to play single notes. My teacher did not encourage
that but I had other, worse habits. When I decided to try one finger per string the resulting sound became much clearer.

crank · Nov 2, 2017

txbumper57 said:
I play the "A" chord with my index finger only crossing all 3 strings at the same time.

TX

This^. It's a rock thing. Sometimes I play it with my pinky, ring finger and middle finger if I want to hear the open high E string.

Kitarkus · Nov 2, 2017

I'm an odd duck....I use my middle finger on the D string, middle finger on G, and index finger on B.....using three fingers. I have small hands and have never felt that I can get a consistent clean A chord using 1 or 2 fingers.
Just to be preemptive here....no....not at all....it is not true what they say about guys with small hands

AcornHouse · Nov 2, 2017

When I play an open string A, I use the one finger method. I'm playing a lot of 5th fret barre A chords these days since my students are doing a Paramore concert (I REALLY miss open string chords.)

PittPastor · Nov 2, 2017

Ha! Didn't notice the typo...

OK, you rock guitarists, how do you one finger it and still get the E string sounding clear? Or do you just live with it muted?

Dreadnut, I hear you, but so many times I seem to have A to A7 progressions.

I've been playing around with moving it to the fifth fret. If I'm moving in open chording, it kind of breaks the flow, but I seem to be able to hit that and have it ring clear easier than the A on second fret thing.

AcornHouse · Nov 2, 2017

PittPastor said:
Ha! Didn't notice the typo...

OK, you rock guitarists, how do you one finger it and still get the E string sounding clear? Or do you just live with it muted?

I guess it's about the finger bend. I'm able to fret the 3 strings and still get the e to ring. Now, when I'm doing a barre chord with that shape, I do tend to get some muting, since my 4th finger doesn't quite get the same bend.

Rich Cohen · Nov 2, 2017

Everyone is different when it comes to the size and shape of their fingers. I've always used my middle and ring finger to cover the three strings. Occasionally, I try to "do it right" (if there is such a thing) and try to cover each string with one finger. But, my fingers are generally too big for such an operation. Essentially, I think we all end up doing what works for us, no?

johnny3j · Nov 2, 2017

AcornHouse said:
When I play an open string A, I use the one finger method.....

Me too...although I use all three on classical guitars

Russell Letson · Nov 2, 2017

For decades I used the inside-out middle-index-ring configuration on the D-G-B strings for plain A and the index-barred D-G-B with the middle or ring finger for the G note for an A7, but once I got started needing more notes on the E and B, I switched to the "long A" shape--index-barre the DGBE and put the pinky on the 5th-fret A on the E string, which leave a couple fingers free for deployment.

I've seen many players with big fingers use only two for first-position A and E chords--it makes their hands hard to read.

guild-1979-d40 · Nov 2, 2017

Interesting to see the wide variety of techniques and tricks. In the first position, I use either the three finger approach or the index finger across the D, G and B strings. Sometimes I'll play a two string version of the chord using the open A string and my index finger on the second fret of the D string.

griehund · Nov 2, 2017

PittPastor said:
Ha! Didn't notice the typo...

OK, you rock guitarists, how do you one finger it and still get the E string sounding clear? Or do you just live with it muted?

Dreadnut, I hear you, but so many times I seem to have A to A7 progressions.

I've been playing around with moving it to the fifth fret. If I'm moving in open chording, it kind of breaks the flow, but I seem to be able to hit that and have it ring clear easier than the A on second fret thing.

I used to use 1st, 2nd and 3rd finger in first position. But since my fingers point in different directions these days I will either barre it or use this 3 finger style. I can't always get a clean barre but this fingering moves nicely up and down the neck.

davismanLV · Nov 2, 2017

Index and middle finger for me. I have to be careful that they all play cleanly but I could never fit 3 of MY fingers without muting the strings on both sides. It works pretty well most of the time.

Westerly Wood · Nov 2, 2017

txbumper57 said:
I play the "A" chord with my index finger only crossing all 3 strings at the same time.

TX

me too mostly, though depending on tones i want to get, i will use 3 fingers and even drop to 2...but mostly the one index...

oh yeah, i do the 5th fret thing above, but also wrap thumb on E string to get added base, and often add pinky to make more an A/D chord. super fun and adds color to mix on some songs.

swiveltung · Nov 2, 2017

PittPastor said:
Ha! Didn't notice the typo...

OK, you rock guitarists, how do you one finger it and still get the E string sounding clear? Or do you just live with it muted?

Dreadnut, I hear you, but so many times I seem to have A to A7 progressions.

I've been playing around with moving it to the fifth fret. If I'm moving in open chording, it kind of breaks the flow, but I seem to be able to hit that and have it ring clear easier than the A on second fret thing.

I get all three fingers in there to get the whole chord and the high E to ring. I even do this moving up the neck sometimes. (4 string chord) It's a much cleaner chord than bridging. Depends on the song though, I also just bridge the D-G-B strings on some songs. But you invariably lose the High E string doing that.

guild-1979-d40 · Nov 2, 2017

My fingers are long and skinny which allows me to use the three finger approach. Shoe size is a 13 with an A width. Draw your own conclusions.

dreadnut · Nov 2, 2017

Yeah PP, I play "A" on the 5th fret a lot too. A nice 5-string chord.

The A7 fingering on the 2nd fret works great for walking it up 2 frets and leading into a "D" too, when fingerpicking.

adorshki · Nov 2, 2017

crank said:
Sometimes I play it with my pinky, ring finger and middle finger if I want to hear the open high E string.

I play just about all the chords I can that way.
Started doing that after I got my first steel flat-top it with the idea that the index finger was always ready to barre, that way.
And it is a slight bit cleaner due to using slightly smaller/narrower fingers.
I do use other fingerings of chords when they work better in a particular progression.

How do you pay the A chord?

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