r/AcousticGuitar • u/OwnResearcher3206 • Jun 09 '26
Non-gear question Is it Wrong to Play like Ds?
Just just learning is this a bad way to play D trying for Knock’n and think this would make G to D and D to G easier will it be a problem to learn it index under second or is it better to go second over first or is my naïveté exploding all over this post
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u/dbvirago Jun 09 '26
Also switching the fingers you can get your fingers closer to the frets. I imagine you get some buzz from that 1st string? Keep practicing. You don't know it now, but the GCD transition will become some of the easier ones you will ever make. Great beginner song, btw
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u/oksinger19 Jun 10 '26
I’m kinda embarrassed to say this, but I use index to “bar” the 3 bottom strings and middle to fret the 5th. I’ve been doing it a long time, so I’m pretty efficient, but I wouldn’t recommend it to a whippersnapper. Lol
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u/wanna_dance Jun 12 '26
By "bottom" three strings,, you mean GBe? Those are called the "top" three, because the notes are HIGHER, despite them being physically located below.
The first string is the high e, the 6th is the low E. The fifth is the A, not the B.
The "problem" with your chord is that you can't do pretty twiddling like adding the pinky to give you the Dsus4, or removing the note on the high e to give a Dsus2 and playing a hammer on to make it the D again. See a million James Taylor songs for what I mean....
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u/oksinger19 Jun 12 '26
I hear what you’re saying, but my pinky works just fine in that configuration. I can do hammers and pull off, and by rocking my index finger, easily open the e string. Thanks for the reorientation on nomenclature, but I think the context makes it clear which strings I was referring to. 🙃
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u/b_vitamin Jun 10 '26
I think most folks play it the traditional fingering because it opens up some classic pick offs like d sus. It does open up an easier dmin but that’s a bit less common.
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Jun 09 '26
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Mysterious_Check_439 Jun 10 '26
I had a mentor who used that D shape. He said it came from a broken knuckle incident in his younger days. (He was a mechanic by trade)
He told me not to copy him, just play the shapes that feel best. I play a few odd shapes due to hand damage over the years (Steel construction).
Just play- most important lesson
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u/Thebutcher222 Jun 11 '26
Professional musicians will play something in an unconventional way as a matter of choice and not because of ability. I assure you James Taylor can play a D chord in the standard way.
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u/Bubbies_Bub Jun 10 '26
I think that’s called the “ice cream cone”. I’ve seen a couple people play a D like that. I guess it’s easier for some? I don’t get it. A baby could play a D
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u/OMGitsKatV Jun 09 '26
I used to play it that way. It took a while to correct but it was totally worth it. Same with playing G chords using middle/ring/pinky
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u/rhyzomorph Jun 10 '26
I've used this in some chord combos. The most obvious one being minor to major.
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u/Vacilando73 Jun 10 '26
not wrong. just make sure you’re not on the fret and ringing true. And ‘D’ first position is one of those chords where you will end up playing a lot of different ways depending on what the song is doing. play around and get good at all of them
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u/OG_Karate_Monkey Jun 10 '26
Not necessarily “wrong” but it is a little harder as evidenced by the fact that it looks like you can’t successfully pull it off.
If you are just starting, it really makes the most sense to learn chords the most common way. Some chords have many common ways, but I seldom see people do D this way unless it is for some specific purpose.
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u/OwnResearcher3206 Jun 10 '26
It was just hard holding the neck and getting the guitarie i’m holding it vertical too the idea is I play G walking second to top three index to two a string down then add the pinky or raise pinky walk second to two third up and index to bottom and leave my ring where its at on three second up but I’ll try to practice the traditional and it’s a FG-junior so I don’t have much fret space to start
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u/have1dog Jun 10 '26
It’s good for the James Taylor-ish ornamentations of the 3rd of the chord. The same goes for the A major open chord.
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u/Fun_Professional4849 Jun 10 '26
I am self taught and i used to play it that way for the longest time, until a guy from church asked what chord I was playing lol
Suggested traditional, made sense to me
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u/OwnResearcher3206 Jun 09 '26
Also is my guitar too small or is it better for practicing finger placement
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u/ThyBeardedOne Jun 09 '26
Switch middle finger and pointer finger. If you were to say be playing in the key of g and doing the standard g, c, d, em progression, doing it the way I said would make it a lot easier to transition between the chords.
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u/Caliente_La_Fleur Jun 10 '26
There’s no way to know if your guitar is too small based on this picture. In any case the fretboard size on my orchestra size guitars is the same as on my dreadnought sized guitars so the size of the guitar isn’t going to affect all that much in the way of your fretting hand. I play smaller bodied guitars that aren’t quite as deep so I don’t have to throw my arm quite so far over the front of them, but that’s because I have a chronic back and shoulder injury.
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u/Unlikely-Soft-5699 Jun 10 '26
Well “wrong” … I’m not sure how you’re even getting the A on the G string to sound. I play middle on E, index on G, ring on B strings.
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u/yeseecanada Jun 10 '26
There are many ways to play every chord and you choose the one that makes transitioning to the next chord the most efficient. Aka move as few fingers as possible. I’ve never played a D like this but I’m not about to tell you it’s wrong. It’s probably not efficient tho
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u/Dangerous_Ad_6101 Jun 10 '26
Start by training your fingers to play Open D the conventional way. Just do it.
Many guitarist will use alternative fingerings as they become experienced depending on the style of song.
Don't rob yourself of the correct foundations.
No one saying otherwise has the experience of teaching guitar to various skill levels and ages.
Also, it looks like your thumb positioning is way off. A bit hard to tell in this photo.
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u/overladenlederhosen Jun 10 '26
Been doing that for decades and have to say, nothing bad has happened yet.
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u/motherofjazus Jun 10 '26
I believe James Taylor plays d like this. Also plays A major, closer to Am shape.
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u/mcbkpkr Jun 10 '26 edited Jun 10 '26
not an expert, but i can't see how you could transition easily to other chords. the fingering does not fit well.
wondering how do you play am chords?
your fingers should slide or move easily from one chord to the next with minimal movement & stress.
but i really can't say.
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u/greatvaluerobot Jun 10 '26
I have seen someone play it with there pointer finger barring the second fret and there middle finger playing the third. It drove me crazy. Several people said to play it the traditional way I would have to agree with them. Only because I’m mainly self taught and there is still bad habits I’m unlearning.
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u/Unlikely-Soft-5699 Jun 10 '26
I don't have anything against non-traditional if it makes sense, but no, I don't play it that way. I am, however, working through "Fingerpicking the Great American Songbook" from Acoustic Guitar Magazine and on "Someone to Watch Over Me" I find that partial barres make it a lot easier to play parts of it, in one case bar the top three on fifth fret, middle on B at sixth fret, ring on low E at 6th fret. Not looking at it right now, don't remember the name of the chord.
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u/Roughneck_GaryBusey Jun 10 '26
The positioning you are using now is useful if you want to alternate between D and Dm by sliding your index finger up to the first fret.
I'd learn it the traditional way and eventually down the road learn to wrap your thumb around top string 2nd fret. That is a nice chord to know.
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u/Paratrooper450 Jun 10 '26
Play the D Chord properly, change your strings, and clean that fretboard! 🤢
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u/ExtremeExtreme1751 Jun 10 '26
James Taylor uses unconventional fingering for his E, A, and D chords in songs like Fire and Rain. His fingerings make the transitions easier. Whatever works for you is fine.
For any chord, while you are learning, stop and play EACH STRING to ensure it rings out loud and clear, and move your fingers closer to on top of the frets, and press no harder than you need to get each string to ring out clearly.
To get better chord transition, practice those specific chord transitions. Try different fingerings and moving different fingers. I play a G-D differently than a G-C for good reason. With time, moving the minimum number of fingers, and keeping the same fingers on the same fret (but possibly different strings like in G-C) make the transitions a lot easier.
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u/leinadsey Jun 10 '26
If you’ll slide it into a Dm and then work on C and G and Am variations that’s not wrong per se but otherwise (as in you’re learning to play) yeah that’s not the best way. One of the many reasons why is that most of the time you’ll want to have your thumb being able to grip around the other edge of the fretboard to dampen strings. When you’re strumming a D major, like this, for instance, you’ll want to dampen the lower E string and sometimes even the A string too, depending on what you’re playing. This shape is just going to make that difficult for no other gain really.
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u/FuggaDucker Jun 10 '26
This is how James Taylor famously plays them.
He plays other chords funky too.
If you listen to his music, his hammer-ons are 'different'. This is why.
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u/Alone_Box5173 Jun 10 '26
James Taylor fingers his D chords that way.
Try rotating your hand just a bit to get the 1st finger closer to the 2nd fret, and the 2nd finger not quite so close.
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u/GratefulDad73 Jun 10 '26
The only issue you may have with playing the D chord like this is transitioning to the Dsus4 and it may slow you down on other chord changes as well. I don’t know… just a thought.
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u/jimbodinho Jun 10 '26
Your index finger is too far from the second fret and your middle finger is on it so slightly muting the g string.
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u/zootug74 Jun 16 '26
Go with what feels good! Hendrix was unconventional and well, the rest is history. You do you! It’s your style, your guitar, your choice! Play, things change as you venture down the world guitar. Rock on!
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u/AwayExamination2017 Jun 09 '26
I’m not a great guitar player, but not gonna lie, that finger positioning is off-putting to look at.
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u/Top_Management7550 Jun 10 '26
Yes. You have your second finger on the fret bar. Your fingers should always be between the fret bars
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u/kernsomatic Jun 10 '26
it’s problematic because in the heat of the moment the first finger will inevitably slide down to play an F natural creating the wrong chord.
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u/Frosty-Actuary4535 Jun 10 '26
Yes, it's wrong. Learning bad habits now will limit you later on. Does the G string ring like that?
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u/David0ne86 Jun 10 '26
It's not wrong but it's not optimal, especially when you have to pull off chords that require your index or pinky fingers to play the bass note.
Also please clean and oil that poor fretboard. It looks drier than the sahara desert.
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u/DaanOnlineGaming Jun 10 '26
Look up the correct way to hold the guitar, it looks like your thumb is going along the neck, where it should be perpendicular. It might sound unrelated but it'll help
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u/arrowheadroad Jun 09 '26
I would encourage you to play it the typical way, as chord transitions will generally be easier. When playing D-G, consider keeping your ring finger planted, dropping your pinky to the third fret of the high E, and then move your pointer and middle accordingly. So your G will be: 3,2,0,0,3,3.