D chord
- Thread starter Cyhusk
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anthonyg
Well-known member
I assume your talking about 2220?
You could try playing it as 2225 (still a D maj chord just a different inversion) with your first finger as a bar (2222) and say your ring finger on the fifth fret of the A string. Since the C maj chord is 0003 you can think of is just sliding the C maj chord up 2 frets to 2225 for the D maj chord.
You could try playing it as 2225 (still a D maj chord just a different inversion) with your first finger as a bar (2222) and say your ring finger on the fifth fret of the A string. Since the C maj chord is 0003 you can think of is just sliding the C maj chord up 2 frets to 2225 for the D maj chord.
cdkrugjr
Well-known member
There are three different ways you can play 2220. Each is equally "correct."
–Finger 1, 2, 3. This is REAL easy to think of, but if your hands are at all large, tricky to finger.
–Bar the three strings with your 1 finger. Lots of folks swear by this fingering. I mostly swear AT this fingering
–Finger 2, 1, 3. This moves your index finger back in a triangle shape, making for MUCH more room.
I prefer this on both Nylon as well as on steel-stringed instruments where the strings are much closer together.
–Finger 1, 2, 3. This is REAL easy to think of, but if your hands are at all large, tricky to finger.
–Bar the three strings with your 1 finger. Lots of folks swear by this fingering. I mostly swear AT this fingering
–Finger 2, 1, 3. This moves your index finger back in a triangle shape, making for MUCH more room.
I prefer this on both Nylon as well as on steel-stringed instruments where the strings are much closer together.
Or...
You can use your middle finger to barre the G and C strings and use the ring finger to press the E. That works well for my chunky fingers, although I can manage the 1,2,3 method or the triangle shape. I don't have the finger flexibility to barre all three strings with one finger without muting the A at the same time.
mikelz777
Well-known member
This is the only fingering position that works for me. It also makes several transitions a lot easier. When moving to/from G, your index finger is already in position so it serves as an anchor. When moving to/from A your second finger is already in position and you just have to slide the index finger over. When moving to/from E7 or G7, your second and third fingers are already in the proper shape and just need to be shifted down a string.
rorym
Well-known member
You might want to consider trying a uke with a wider neck. I’ve not had the opportunity to do so, but this may be the solution to your problem. It would also help with a myriad of other chords as well.
Gary52
Well-known member
Yet another method: Barre the G & C strings with the index finger, middle finger on the E. That's the easiest way for me to finger the D.
Jerryc41
Well-known member
How about using 2 1/2 fingers, with the finger closest to you hanging over the edge a bit? They're not big enough to cover all three strings?
Ms Bean
Well-known member
Some people like 4 middle, 3 ring and 2 little finger.
merlin666
Well-known member
On my tenors I use three fingers. On my concert with narrow nut I just use index and middle fingers together which works quite well to press three strings. Never was able to do partial barre three strings with just one finger.
Just play the D chord as 222x. Bar the second fret with whichever finger works best, and mute or don't play the 1st string.
Move it up two frets and you have an easy-peasy E chord at 444x.
If you're playing 2220 for D, or 4442 for E, the 4th string and 1st string are the same note anyway.
Move it up two frets and you have an easy-peasy E chord at 444x.
If you're playing 2220 for D, or 4442 for E, the 4th string and 1st string are the same note anyway.
cdkrugjr
Well-known member
. . The VERY one I can't do . . . I also like 2225, barring the 2. That's a honestly my preferred voicing for C, C#, D, Eb, E, and sometimes even F
ripock
Well-known member
I also like 2225, barring the 2. That's a honestly my preferred voicing for C, C#, D, Eb, E, and sometimes even F
I always play it Snargle's way as well. Why don't you play 222X? It is the same as the 2225 without the redundant and shrill A note?
I am 6'4" and have very large fingers. The way that works easily for me is to barre the G and C strings at the second fret with the index finger, and use the middle finger to press the E string at the second fret. With a little practice you can do it without touching the A string, leaving it to ring open.
Canada Jim
Well-known member
If you can't bend your finger back to clear the A string, just mute it, playing 222X. For the 2220 D, the 1st and 4th strings are the exact same note (assuming you're in re-entrant tuning)
This won't work for a chord melody arrangement, but works fine for strumming back-up to vocals. It also works for the dreaded E chord (444X).
This won't work for a chord melody arrangement, but works fine for strumming back-up to vocals. It also works for the dreaded E chord (444X).
cdkrugjr
Well-known member
Because it's a D, not an A? Doubled root is "Bog Standard" for four-voice writing and Just Sounds "Righter" to me. Not a fan of muting single strings in a strum, though I do it when fingerpicking.
I'm not doing badly with barre chords, but barre-ing 3 strings doesn't seem like it's going to happen. I'm an unusually bendy dude overall, but my first finger joint is really, really unhappy trying to bend backwards.
I'm surprised that nobody is mentioning the method I'm seeing most frequently on YouTube tutorials, which is using fingers 2-3-4. That's working GREAT for me! Especially for Knockin' On Heaven's Door, where I go from G to D to Am to C-- it's very easy for me to rearrange from G to this form of D, leaving my second finger already in place for the Am. When I lift the other two fingers up for the Am, I'm most of the way to having my third finger ready to land on C. I've tried all the other methods, and for this song, this is the only method working smoothly for me.
That said, I'm boldly stepping into week 4. LOL I've got lots of practicing and learning ahead of me. I can see other songs where the 2-1-3 fingering in particular might work even better.
I'm surprised that nobody is mentioning the method I'm seeing most frequently on YouTube tutorials, which is using fingers 2-3-4. That's working GREAT for me! Especially for Knockin' On Heaven's Door, where I go from G to D to Am to C-- it's very easy for me to rearrange from G to this form of D, leaving my second finger already in place for the Am. When I lift the other two fingers up for the Am, I'm most of the way to having my third finger ready to land on C. I've tried all the other methods, and for this song, this is the only method working smoothly for me.
That said, I'm boldly stepping into week 4. LOL I've got lots of practicing and learning ahead of me. I can see other songs where the 2-1-3 fingering in particular might work even better.
ripock
Well-known member
That was a typo. I meant A string. And I often play triads as triads. I started with playing E major with a muted C string and it snowballed from there. I don't have any reason for doing it. Maybe I like the more minimalistic chord. I don't really know.
NewLele
Well-known member
I think Ms Bean suggested that positioning above. I’m blown away by how many different ways there are to get the same result! Such a versatile instrument. I’m on about week 7 and every day learning something new, happy strumming
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