When I play a G chord, I always bar the first (E) and second (B) strings with my pinky instead of fretting the E string with my pinky and the B string with my ring finger.
Is this a bad habit I should try to correct? Chord charts always seem to indicate that I should use the ring and pinky fingers but I am curious to know the potential disadvantage of barring it.
Iāve never tried it that way. No reason why you canāt. There are several fingerings you can use for a chord, depending on the song. If you want to add an embellishment or to make the next chord change easier you might use a different fingering. Thereās not always one way of doing things.
The only thing that immediately comes to mind is your G to D transition maybe slower. If you use the conventional method then one of your fingers doesnāt have to move
As already mentioned, there are different fingering possibilities.
But keep in mind that sooner or later you would need other fingers too, to do the embelishementsā¦
I learned to be really quick with the āproperā fingering of the full open G chord, and now I find it really hard to do the ālazy man Gā, which would enable me to use my free fingers for other notesā¦ I guess I just need to practice more (it always come down to this 
).
Little finger on the E string and ring finger on the B string, 3rd fret, is an important feature because of the transition to closely related chords Cadd9 and D. You may also struggle to playa stuck 3&4 Em7 grip with your option.
Iām thinking itād be beneficial to be able to play it both ways. And being able to play it (both ways) on demand in whichever way is suitable to the song your playing.
What will be the dictator as to which way to play it will be the leading and following chords to your G chord. Or perhaps the embellishments required for the fingers not in use needing to play.
Laying 4th finger down in a mini barre means 3rd finger is not required.
But I do not see the benefit. 3rd finger is rendered virtually unusable for any embellishments due to the grip. Unless you can somehow perform outlandish contortions with 3rd finger. It becomes a useless passenger in a sub-optimal position for chord changes.
I see no merit in choosing the grip at all.
C,
Cadd9, x32o33
G6, 32oooo
Gmaj7, 32ooo2
Cadd9, x32o33.
This is a chord progression where Iām using the pinky to barre 3rd fret (B and E string) Cadd9.
Iām playing the bottom 2 strings of C with 2nd and 3rd fingers. Cadd9 to G6, Iām moving the 2nd and 3rd fingers to go between the Cadd9 to the G6 and between C and Cadd9.
Granted that donāt include open G in it. So far, using the pinky to barre them top two strings to be useful to go between them C to Cadd9 or the Cadd9 to the G6.
Chord progressions are from a song I started learning 2 or three days ago. Again, not necessarily G chord, but pretty close. Similar fingerings. Kinda sorta.
I could be wrong too? So far it seems to be the best approach though for my song in question. If thereās a better way, Iād like to hear about it.
It appears Iām mostly using the pinky barre to go between C and Cadd9. 2nd and third finger to go between C and G6 or Gmaj7.
I would go
C ā x32010 (regular)
Cadd9, x32030 (4th finger to 3rd fret from regual C)
G6, 320000 (2nd & 3rd fingers)
Or, alternatively
G6, 3x2003 (3rd, 2nd & 4th fingers)
Gmaj7, 3x0002 (3rd & 1st fingers)
Cadd9, x32030 3rd, 2nd & 4th fingers)
Unless the sound of the song absolutely needs the stuck 3&4 version of Cadd9 (not the one above with open 1st string) in which case I would navigate Cadd9 ā G6 as a chord change with hand and wrist movement being unavoidable.
The song is āClose to Youā. Hal David and Burt Bacharach.
So far, the Cadd9 seems to sound best with the mini barre.
Iām learning this song per sheet music. I think interpreted by Hal Leanrd. I think? But not positive.
I tried your chords in it and they sound close, but not quite. The way itās written seems to sound better. Closer to the song anyways. To me. As I say, Iām learning this song, if I can. Very challenging chords for me and none that I have used much before. The changes are kinda quick too, considering itās a kinda slow song @ 84 bmp.
Thanks for the input Richard.
I am following the discussion with interest but once minor question: when you are annotating a chord such as x32o30, what is the difference between the āoā and the 0?
Iām not sure which is correct.
But I read them as the same, the āoā or ā0ā is designating a open, played string (a note).
A āxā or āXā is designating a muted string that is not played.
While two different ohās. A small oh vs a zero.
I interpret this written chord as,
muted 6th string, the lowest E. The string is not played.
3rd fret A string
2nd fret D sting
open G string played
3rd fret B string
open high E string played.
Iām curious too about which is correct? It may change how I write.
As of now, I write small x and small o.
But if I see caps there, I still assume the same played open string (0) or not played string (X).
The open strings should be 0 ā¦ zero.
If I accidentally typed letter o it is a typo.
Ooops - I just checked and corrected - I had clumsy fingers on my smart phone it seems.
I have done that mini bare with one finger before also. But I just didnāt see a real benefit other than I could do it and maybe resting my ring finger a moment during long periods of struming G or the songs that are stuck chord heavy.
I am basically focusing on the 2 main ways. I think knowing I can pull it out of my sleeve if needed is cool. But I am still trying to get nice and smooth playing the major scale while in the chords. I also have made a large effort into playing the Full G chord in a lot of songs which I never did before, It was only the 2 finger G that justin showed us, I love that because its easy transition. But the change to the rock G or full G has been an effort for me because it was a switch in finger location, and itās a really big movment back and forth. Any changes messes up my automaticity, while not thinking. I am sticking with the 2 main fingerings for now for that G chord.
No doubt exploration is cool though.
Whatās your source for those chords?
I had to buy it at my local music store. They got it off a computer from I donāt know where. They printed it off for me. They put in it a kinda nice āCustom Printed for you by Dietze Musicā folder for me. At least itāll keep my 6 pages contained, maybe.
I ābelieveā it to be the official version, maybe.
At the bottom of page 1 of 6 it states.
āCopyright 1963 Casa David Music Incorporated. USA/New Hidden Valley Music Company. USA.
Warner/Chappell Music Limited/BMG Rights Management (UK) Limited (Hal David).ā
Iāve listened to several piano versions. Trying to grasp the song. All came very close to following what I have printed. But none were exact. Best I can hear.
I donāt know what the original version is. Perhaps it really is the Carpenters. Iāve not brought myself to listen to that version. The Carpenters? ā¦
The version that inspired me is done by Reincidente. These cats really got it right, for me.
Ya shouldnāt a got me startedā¦ 
I found that by searching princeton reverb. The guitar player is playing one. What a sweet amp! It sounds likeā¦ āmusicā.