the A-major trick for crammed fingers (big hands or small fretboards)

[@squeakybat]

I was excited to learn guitar after years of wanting too. I finally get my first guitar.... and my fingers just wont stop getting in the way of my other fingers... this was a big help. i almost thought that I was doomed to never be any good because of my thick fingers.

[@victorwong9622]

This is SO simple. From those of us that couldn’t solve this problem, thanks!!

[@arrowspellets2728]

I'm taking it all in buddy, it makes chord changes a lot faster for someone like me. Can't Thank you enough!

[@songnotes]

Sure thing, as always! Plenty more coming

[@aracron]

Wow! I have always played the A major like this. That was how I taught myself years ago. I had stopped playing for a long time and recently came back to it, this time taking online lessons. I was really struggling to play the A major like the lessons stated, not only because of finger crowding, but even after years of not playing, my muscle memory was still there for how I originally taught myself this chord. Thank you for showing this as a viable alternative!

[@paulrhodesquinn]

This definitely works for me at 0:44! Many thanks!

[@TheAdamJG]

This has helped me alot, i was having huge issues getting a clean chord sound - thanks bro 💪

[@stevenclark2764]

Thanks man. Absolute beginner here that gave up because I couldn't do an A chord. I'm back learning now.

[@JimmNeutricity]

Definitely eye opening. Thank you!

[@draco5991rep]

Perfect, thank you. No more buzzing

[@matthewwood8734]

God bless you! How obvious but brilliant. Love the chord transition insight.

[@lordginger636]

This is a game changer

[@toddweiler227]

Thanks a lot! You just made Louie, Louie a lot easier to play. Keep up the great work.👍🎸

[@doctorarmani2112]

brilliant guitar tip

[@mrsmith6674ify]

Thank you so much

[@copykon]

You my friend, deserve a million hits. I'm going to be using this, thanks!

[@starvideoproduction2045]

Awesome! Love this help thanks

[@TheDodo1224]

I'm playing A chord the same as you, such smooth transitions

[@dawnfache]

This was helpful. Thank you so much.

[@transientemotion]

Bro, thank you for that. I can play every basic chord and this has been the missing one I just can't get right with my fingers. I got it without buzzing finally and less pressure on my fingers

[@codyfreeman4651]

Thanks a ton

[@phobostech]

Dude - brilliant! Gracias homie

[@johnfweeks]

great tip! i can play A now!

[@clawhammer704]

Great lesson...

[@leicalvr]

Soooo helpful. Thank you. You made my day!

[@Jamzocd]

I like that fingering for A too. Easy transitions and for me I get a cleaner tone.

[@mattholt8300]

Awesome tips. Thanks for the post!

[@johnd942]

Great tip, thank you!

[@stephencrouse6032]

Outstanding - thanks for your contribution!

[@shivashisbhagat4330]

❤️ thank you so much sir

[@Diasporaliving]

Thank you! Very clever. Cheers, Dave.

[@murphroberts4891]

David, like you mentioned, I learned to form my A chord with my three fingers in a line across the 2nd fret and, for the most part I still play the chord in that way. But I also frequently find myself barring the strings (2, 3, 4) with only my index finger. Most of the times when I bar the A, it's because I'm also playing notes on the 3rd and 4th frets of those same strings (A great transitional run from an A- to E-chord lives there). One thing that's certain though, there is no faster way to form an A-chord than barring all three strings with the index finger.

[@danbryant7322]

I do the same. Seems easier for me with just the one finger.

[@GPM116]

I use pinky..ring..middle unles I bar it ..i taught myself 4 styles when i broke my index..also learned to play most all open chords without index finger...tape up index with masking tape and force yourself to play without it...you get really coordinated and it opens everything to easier bar chording when you go back to your index. I made massive improvements and still use it to keep my fingers multi talented...try it..

[@songnotes]

Wow, great to know - and makes total sense! I actually burned out my index finger practicing a song this week (tons of slides on the left index, came close to creating a blister)..., and the next night went about playing the same song with my middle finger instead. Was enjoyable to watch my brain kinda re learn the muscle patterns. That was just one session, I can only imagine what a few weeks would do. Thanks for the comment!!

[@KatAttack61]

Thank you! The same trick works for my ukelele D chord

[@jeffreyrobin8751]

thank you! subscribed

[@jagsproduction]

Thankyou for the tip!♥️

[@myaccountisntthisone]

Thanks. Just starting to play and I couldn't fit my fingers the other way, experimented and found this, but was worried there might be some unknown reason why this would be a bad habit to get into. Nice to see that it is a viable solution.

[@vixguy]

thanks!

[@oliverstieglitz]

So fantastic. Nobody ever told me about that simple trick. 🙈Thank you so much. 🙃🙂😉

[@MrMoonmonkey71]

Thanks I have thick fingers and this helps massively

[@kjp6571]

Thanks...was having a brutal time with fitting 3 fingers for A major chord. Problem solved...cheers!!!!

[@luismiguelreategui278]

I do the same 😊

[@selectionapartmentsrooms9244]

Subscribe solo for this advice. Just started guitar 8 days ago , learning A cord gave my most problem , my hands are just gigantic, Im 6.8 and can't fit 3 fingers on one fret. So this advice is massive for me, thank you !

[@fwaries2002]

Just beginning, I was trying to play A-major and one of the strings was always out. I tried your way, first strum perfect.

[@richardkoolen8396]

I’m a beginner and love my guitar lessons. Chords are cool but I absolutely hate the A chord. Hope the triangle will help. Thanks for sharing 😊

[@giusepperesponte8077]

Yep, this is exactly how I do it and I think everyone should, with the normal fingering the 4th string buzzes very slightly and doesn’t ring as clearly, this is better because the fingers are closer to the fret wire.

[@charliemason4355]

Another advantage to this form is moving from A to Amaj7 (slide the index finger up a fret) and A7 (lift the index finger). Depending on what the next chord is I either use the form shown in the video or bar the 3 strings with my ring finger like when I playing the E, A, B progression. I think the hidden message here is you can use different fingers to facilitate/speed up chord transitions.

[@walkerheyting178]

Lifesaver

[@swaggercat]

Cool. Like a mini D shape. I've always used my middle finger across all 3 strings. Not great technique, but works for me.

[@wadebecker06]

Got a new sub🔥✌🏻

[@joetroutt7425]

I use that technique on a few songs that have certain chord progressions but I also just take two fingers and cover the D,G,and B string barring the D and G string with one finger. It really just depends on the song I'm playing.

[@SHARPxOix69]

Hey man, what about a flamenco lesson? Let me know what you think about it. Keep up the good work. Cheers

[@MrRKuken]

This method is the easiest for me because as you mentioned the sus4 and sus2 transitions are the smoothest but the one finger(index) barred a is the best to 'master' because with that you can still do sus4 and 2 as well as many other variations e.g the A6 (F# note on the 4th(D) string) or the G# bass note on the 6th(E) string while playing the one fingered A major. There are some songs (The weight by the band) Lucky Ali(dekha hai aise bhi) to name a couple; that require the mastery of one finger barred A major, not to mention some blues licks.

[@BeowulfGaming]

The triangle is much better, its hard to nail down but its better for transitions. after some time and playing with distorion and gain i just started playing by barring index across it and ignore the high e :D

[@nicholaslane9448]

Hell yeah

[@mariovalenzuela4413]

you are a blessing lol

[@user-dd9pn8uq2b]

This help alot because im new to learn play guitar and get frustrated because my finger big and c shape

[@ronsandberg1472]

Huh. I've been playing the open A chord this way for years. I thought I was some sort of weirdo.

[@Max-vf9en]

OG

[@KimYoungUn69]

No u just fat 🤣

[@dhruvstar3000]

This made summer of '69 so much easier!! Thanks mate

[@Max-vf9en]

My third string always sounds buzzy, it's so frustrating:(

[@pierrefitch]

We’re you able to fix buzz ?

[@downfall1991]

And how do you play Bmaj or A#maj like that?

[@porticoman]

That’s how I do it. Works much better for me.

[@suprappers]

Nicee❤❤❤

[@rinkeshmandal3547]

How will I play B mojar chord if I play like u play A major chord?

[@tubui8830]

Great trick! But, can u make video for how to barre with ring finger. Play C chord with index and ring finger barred

[@songnotes]

Check out this video I made on that shape - kzbin.info/www/bejne/nqSolol7m8ibpas - it talks about b flat (1st and 3rd fret barred) but it’s the exact same principle as the C barre chord (3rd and 5th fret barred)

[@michaelhotten752]

Was wondering if you would have similar advice on the D chord. As a beginner I have struggle with this chord as it is normally taught so I have tried putting my index on the the 1 string and middle finger on the 3. I have more success strumming a clean chord this way. Since I'm a newbie, maybe I just need to stick it out with the traditional fingering. But would be the pitfalls of gong with index finger first string, middle finger third as my "go to" D chord method?

[@albertmendoza6390]

Sometimes when I need a little speed I barre the 1st four cords like you taught me

[@vinnyoorsprong62]

hello my question is , do you have a tip to bend the hand so that I play pure chord tones. thanks you! ;-)

[@shegocrazy]

I might have fat fingers and i'm only learning but after persevering with the 2.1.3 fingers I find that I can cover it better with 2.2.1. It's easier & sounds better. Same with A minor. Finger 2.2.1 instead of 2.3.1. Don't know if many songs transition between A and Am but using 2 fingers only requires finger 1 to slide up and down. I've been really trying to use the traditional 3 fingers but it sounds so flat because the adjacent strings are being muted no matter how I turn my fingers. Oh well.

[@chrisunderhill3739]

Can you please tell me a little about your Taylor guitar - thanks

[@murphroberts4891]

I'm going to speak out of turn, but only because your question remains unanswered after two months. David listed the guitar in the description of this video, if you had taken the time to read it. The guitar is a Taylor model 310 which, while you may be able to find as NOS, is no longer in production. It differs from most Taylor dreadnought models in that it is a slightly shorter scale than most. It has a solid spruce top and sapelle (African "mahogany") back and sides. This is not a cheap guitar, having listed at about $1800. It came with a hard-shell case, as Taylor guitars over $1000 dollars generally do. If you had made an effort, you could have found this information on the Taylor web site and elsewhere.

[@StuClifton]

If I play it that way, I still often kill the G string. Play it with a flat index, but that limits changes to A7 and sus chords

[@willianpinto3352]

Hi David, can you make a video teaching how to play the song Runaway - Del Shannon, please?

[@olivierdaon2405]

i use 2 fingers the n2 and n3. N3 for 2 strings

[@RyanTford]

This is so much easier. Why isn’t it always taught like this??

[@cameroncross6641]

Hey you guys are awesome and I have just joined your channel and I have learned a lot but I was wondering if you guys can do a song by Chris ledoux "sveenteen".

[@SimplySerpentine]

thanks bro my giant hands make it difficult to do certain cords

[@lemmysverruca]

Wait, I thought the triangle shape was how people usually play it.

[@dirtro7075]

My fingers are too big for that as well

[@prudencendovie9190]

😊

[@Sean_Hurl]

Have been trying to work on this since @JustinGuitar suggested it in his course but just doesn't play cleanly - will persevere.

[@songnotes]

Keep with it! Can take a while + perseverance to make new voicing like this click. I’ve also seen an approach where people use their middle ring and pinky fingers to play the A chord. Good luck!

[@albertmendoza6390]

Me too it takes awhile to develop that muscle memory

[@Maximas991]

(Treat You Better) song please!!!

[@bombsquad5947]

That’s how I do it.

[@SlayEveryDay761]

My fingers are too small for my guitar 🙁

[@chopdepraful]

Awesome gr8 trick. I have been avoiding chords A D E progressions beginner songs just for that lame A chord, But now feel motivated Thanks

[@murphroberts4891]

You must be a heck of a dedicated player. You'll really enjoy the B-flat and F, or do you avoid them, too? (Really? An A-chord?).

[@--thatbih]

For the A major you can just use one finger. Cover all the 3 with the first finger. By far the easiest

[@ashscott6068]

But then you lose the high E. Not that it's a problem cus 3rds are always a bit out of tune on guitar

[@dcthomp]

how do you do that and not press on the high E?

[@Weedhammer247]

Now do it further up the neck lol.

[@ndnow12]

Don't use your index finger, use your middle,ring,pinkie.

[@sakalaath]

Still too hard. Maybe my frets are too low. It's not a new guitar.

[@prudencendovie9190]

😂