Dang D shape

BoogieMan

Blues Junior
D shape is kicking my butt, still only on C, I get all the way down to the E shape, then get all kinds of confused to make the D shape
Welcome to the club! I'm also struggling changing from the D shape back to the C shape (octave). Takes me back to a time when I was learning the basic open chords. Seems to take muscle memory longer to kick on than it used to!
 

jmin

Student Of The Blues
I have the same problems with the the "full" D shape, as well as the full G shape. So, I just started messing around with the "little" versions of all the shapes. (I'm not taking the CAGED course so forgive me if this isn't allowed). I really don't ever see a situation where I would play the full D or G shape as a chord, but using the little D (just like we learned it on the second fret with just three fingers) definitely has its uses!
 
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BoogieMan

Blues Junior
I've thought of using only the first 3 strings for the D shape as well and I think this will be OK as long as you know the note on the 4th string which is the connection to the previous shape.
 

jmin

Student Of The Blues
I've thought of using only the first 3 strings for the D shape as well and I think this will be OK as long as you know the note on the 4th string which is the connection to the previous shape.
Actually, my non-caged focus is on the root note on the 2nd string.
 

sdbrit68

Student Of The Blues
Actually, my non-caged focus is on the root note on the 2nd string.
The caged course is about how to connect them.............where I would rather just use the 3 string, I invested in the course, so figure I wanna do it right, plus i am at a level of more just do.....then improvise later.

I am going on the,Griff has been there done that,I will follow. Personally, I am glad i spent the time really getting full barre chords down, now I am starting the small chords, but it helps me see the fretboard better
 

MikeS

Student Of The Blues
Staff member
I'm right there with you. I've never played the D shape with anything but my first three fingers switching to the last three fingers is a bear. Of course if you get good with little chords and only hit the bottom three strings....
 

JN99

Hang Fire
FWIW, if anything to anyone, I find I cannot make a bar chord D shape with much success at all using the middle/ring/pinky so instead I use the ring finger as a mini bar across G-B-E and the pinky on the B string.
 

BoogieMan

Blues Junior
FWIW, if anything to anyone, I find I cannot make a bar chord D shape with much success at all using the middle/ring/pinky so instead I use the ring finger as a mini bar across G-B-E and the pinky on the B string.
Tried your technique and really like it. Works even better for me to use the middle finger to bar the three strings, play the note on the B string with my ring finger (pinky works too) and reach back with my index finger for the note on the 4th string. Thanks for the suggestion.
 

Griff

Vice Assistant General Manager
Staff member
You can also do it as sort of a power chord and drop the high E string all together... sometimes that also helps.

With a lot of these chords, playability isn't the #1 concern by any stretch... it's a matter of learning the connections and the function of the notes within the chords.
 

sdbrit68

Student Of The Blues
You can also do it as sort of a power chord and drop the high E string all together... sometimes that also helps.

With a lot of these chords, playability isn't the #1 concern by any stretch... it's a matter of learning the connections and the function of the notes within the chords.


I spent a a few years learning everything part way, or learning things but no understanding of the why, now.......I am ready to laern properly, its harder, but worth it
 

Cleotis

Boiled Eggs Rock
Welcome to the club! I'm also struggling changing from the D shape back to the C shape (octave). Takes me back to a time when I was learning the basic open chords. Seems to take muscle memory longer to kick on than it used to!

Quick question... when you go back to C from the final D, your pinky is not the connector any more. You go back one to the 2 dot octave fret. Is that correct? Thanks!

Edit: So, when trying out the shapes in 'G', a few more questions came up. Should we start on the 'G' shape ( G-E-D-C-A ) ? Which brought up a generic question... when crossing from D to A, do we always fall back one fret? It seemed like that is the case for both the 'C' and the 'G' chords. Thanks.
 
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BoogieMan

Blues Junior
I'm not sure what you mean by "go back one". The connecting note moving from the D shape to the C shape is the C root on the second string at the 13th fret. When you move up to the C shape you do bar the 12th fret with your index finger and your pinky on the fifth string C root at the 15th fret is now the connecting note for the following A shape if you were to keep going.
 

Cleotis

Boiled Eggs Rock
Hello BoogieMan, Cool name! So, think I've got the notes and chords correct. But getting there is perhaps different? From the course video and TwoNotesSolo's flash cards, it seemed like the note furthest toward the bridge is always the place for the bar on the next position. Unless, you are going from D to C. The finger position closest to the bridge for a C chord using the D pattern is the pinky on the 13th fret of the second string as you say. But then going back around to the C means you have to bar the 12th fret. That is, my reference to "going back one". It seemed to be the case for the G chord too. Maybe all of them.
 

BoogieMan

Blues Junior
Good observation. I see it for the C shape but not for the others (just trying to visualize the connections... don't have my guitar right now).
 
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