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I was reading through a chart last night that included some chord shapes.
It was a blues in open G (DGDGBD). I couldn't play it. I'm not a terrific
guitarist by any means, especially considering I'm picking it up again after
a multi-year hiatus, but I played all sorts of wide chords in my college
jazz band. I'm not used to not being able to play the chord because of
physical limits. So...how would you guys tackle this?       

57543X

Eric Clapton. Thanks buddy.

sittin here at my desk without a guitar in hand I'd say, bar the fifth, pinky on the a string 7th. middle on the g string 4th and ring on the b string 3rd. Again, I gots no guitar in my lap, but I can't think of another way. And the e string is easy, I bet I would mute that without trying .
Mike

I gotta try that tonight when I get home! needs a guitar to try it out

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Eliminate the note on "7", otherwise I don't see how it's physically possible (unless you're Tal Farlow!). Okay, if your fingers are long and strong, you could barre the two strings at "5" with your ring finger, use your pinky on "7", your middle on the third string at "4" and your index on the second string at "3".

HEY, WAIT A MINUTE!!! Are you listing your strings (57543X) from low (6th) string to high (first)? What chord is this supposed to be? The notes, from low to high, would be G,D,G,B,D--a Gmaj., plain ol' "I", chord! An unusual amount of effort for an open-tuning blues!

Haha, yep, I'm listing the strings from the low E to the high E.

wow, after I read the following post mine and rereading the question,, what picture did I have in my head???? now as I read it, I say, can that even be played?? If so I go with Carltons answer. I'll have to try it..

haha, well I sure can't play it. The only way is to bar the fifth fret notes
with the third finger, and I sure as heck can't.

James,
with all the modesty involved, i always though i was a far better player than i was a builder
well...while clapton is a great player, he was never the kind to over complicate things.
so this on the verge of impossible chord shape is not much likely what the man himself used.
but, if i understand correctly, all you do is drop your lowest two strings a whole tone, and your hightest a whole tone down to D?
you can either trust me on this one, or check it with two guitars, just try to keep track in your head, but if you tune your guitar to the same open G tunning you mention and just strum all open chords going from the low "G" down to the high "D" youll get exactly the same notes at excatly the same order if youd play this 57543X thing.
and ill bet thats how "slow hands" is playing it.
thats the whole idea behind open tunnings, to simplify playing, and as CArlton mentioned, when it goes down to it it aint nothing but a plain G chord, which only makes sense, that if you are to play a G chord in an open G tunning youll just have to strum all string open

and for far more intersting open tunnings check out jimmy pages mean guitar playing on the "unledded- no quarter" tour.

hope i was helpful.

good luck,
Udi.

I play in open G a fair amount and have never needed to play a G that way there are dozens of alternatives. Playing it doesn't sound greatly removed fromthe open chord. No I didn't work out a fingering I left my friendly Gibbon at home today and I don't think my stubby fingers would do it, but used this chord making link:

Chord link

OK I just tried it on my office guitar, (you do all keep a guitar in the office don't you?), and I can't do it certainly not changing from another chord to it. Use an alternative G, this is the Blues we're talking about isn't it.

Colin

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DOH- In spite of the "OT" I opened this thinking it would be a survey of how many of us spread glue with our fingers(how tough? HHG). Really this is stuff my brother understands-If I don't get to see the chord, I can't play it.

well, when i saw the capital "A" in the topic title i though its some weird poll regarding how i place my fingers while playing an A chord

i'm with udi on this one.

transcribers often come up with virtually impossible chord shapes; theoretically correct but....

have a look at what came before and after it. if the transitions do not require it, that is to say you can go from and to the preceding and following chord without using the wierd one it is probably a transcription error.

The way I see it you need a fifth finger between thumb and index. Maybe a thumbdex

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I'm with Udi on this, play it as an open G. What likely happened is whomever transcribed the song probably used some type of midi program that automatically puts/creates the TAB fingerings for you, and computers are stupid so that is probably the fingering it came up with. I've seen some really bad fingering choices laid out by computer programs who have never played a guitar.

Cheers!

John

While I agree that it is a silly chord it is playable. (classical player might want to avert their eyes for this ) Index finger plays 3. middle plays 4, ring plays 5, pinky plays 7, and 5 on the low E is done with the thumb. These things happen when peoply play a base chord and do a walking bass line with their thumb. I'd never play such a chord myself.

[QUOTE=Mike Mahar] 5 on the low E is done with the thumb.
[/QUOTE]
Mike, you must have those Tal Farlow hands I mentioned! Using my thumb on that low string is the first thing I tried, but it made it impossible to then stretch my index finger to the third fret, second string AND get my pinky over to the seventh fret. The only artistic reason I can think of for using a shape like this instead of just playing the open-string "G" chord would be for voice leading; but out of context, I can't tell. I'm tending to agree with the "stupid computer" transcription theory!

I don't know guys...these transcriptions are right on the money, down to
the vocal runs. Personally I just omit the notes I don't think are
important, but it was a fun question! The song is "Motherless Child,"
from "From the Cradle," and "Unplugged." This chord is a really quick
passing voice after he goes to the four.

Fun huh :)

[QUOTE=James Orr] This chord is a really quick
passing voice after he goes to the four. [/QUOTE]
Aha! Okay, what does it go to after this contested chord? If it goes to a "G", then we know it's a mistake, 'cause this knuckle-breaker is a "G". And if it does go to "G", I bet this one was supposed to be a "C#diminished" (the sharp-four dim.). We need information, man!!!

if anybodys got the DVD or video of the unplugged it might all become much clearer.
any way, anywhere ive looked. it seems like the song is indeed in open G tunning but played with a capo on the 4th fret so...?

We had a fingering pole in my neighborhood.
The police got him!   

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Covina, CA

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