The Stuck 3&4 Chords

Beginner Grade 2 Module 8: Cool Chords, Fast Changes & Scales!
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HI Toni! Being very honest I mostly think of them as G, D, C etc…but just as the 3/4 versions of them :rofl:

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I’ll try that! But even so… I thought I knew C, D and G! So it’s all a bit of a blow and I feel like I’m in reverse! :laughing:

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Don’t fret Toni and take your time with it. I don’t mean to confuse with my approach to them, and to be clear my head just goes “stuck 3/4 C”, “Stuck 3/4 D” and so on…I really should learn them properly!!

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Hi Tony, I’ve just started Module 8 few days ago and I know exactly what you mean :blush:
:face_with_spiral_eyes:. Firstly, I tried to memorize the exact chord names, but after mixing them all up, I decided to use my limited free time to just playing them and thinking of them as the ‘stuck 3&4’ versions :wink:.
But I like playing them. Although, some practice is necessary to make them sound good - that’s true at least for me :grinning:.

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This is probably a silly question… is G5 one of the stuck Gs?
Does the Big G (and the Rock G) have proper names such as that?
I wish the chords could all have their own proper name!!
I’m really enjoying trying to play them and feel like I’ve actually stepped up a tiny bit on all fronts of my journey :blush:
Love my guitars :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:
Toni

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69

Hi Toni

G5 is a power chord and only uses the Root and the 5th interval. It is therefor neither major or minor. It would normally be played with a 6th string (E) root 3rd fret and the fifth interval played on the 5th string (A) at the 5th fret. The root note octave can also be played on the 4th string (D) at the 5th fret.

image

So it is not one of the Stuck 3 4 chords. As to names, they’re just G chords. There are so many fingering options over the fretboard you’d need an encyclopaedia if they all had different names :rofl: Once you get used to all the different shapes, you will just think G, same with everything else. It would also get very confusing when chord extensions come into play but leave that for another day.

:sunglasses:

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70

If you mute the 5th string then the stuck 3&4 version of the G contains only the notes G and D, technically making it a G5: 3x0033, giving the notes GxDGDG. Having said that, I think the G5 notation is usually reserved for power chords, as @TheMadman_tobyjenner notes.

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A very good point John and absolutely true. However playing it like that I never think of it as a G5 just a big g but not so big. Hey maybe they all need separate names after all.:rofl::rofl::rofl:

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Yes, but would you not class the example you have given as a power chord in the open position.

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For a G5 power chord I think that should be the A string at the 5th fret, not the 7th fret? Also, is the fret diagram you posted of an A power chord (A5)?

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Good spot Chris, early morning and no java on board ! Corrected the text and working on new image. Thx for highlighting. :+1:

Sorted, apologies peeps. :sunglasses:

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Posting before coffee? Step away from the keyboard!

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This may be just me, but I when I think “power chord”, I’m thinking a 2- or 3-string chord played on the lowest strings. I don’t think of a trebly-sounding chord like 3x0033 as a power chord. I guess if only the lower strings were played 3x00xx, I would think of it as a power chord.

Again, this is just how I think of these chords, I really don’t know what the accepted conventions are.

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This was the fingering that you described and the chord library refers to it as a G5.

Edit: with my very limited knowledge I’d have thought for the 5 basic open chords (C, A, G, E, D) if I remove the 3rd I’d get a C5, A5, G5, E5, D5?

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Thanks all!
The reason I thought it might be G5 in the mod 8 practice one of the suggested chords for practice is G5.
Anyway I’ll just call them G for now!!

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@jjw @TheMadman_tobyjenner AC/DC called and they want their G5 back (they play it 3x0033 in back in black) :smiley:.

Root and a 5th, I think it’s still a power chord even if not using barre chord style fingering. :thinking: At least that’s my understanding

@TangleJangle Chords are named for the notes in them, not the fingering. Which can get pretty confusing. So 4 finger “Big G” is a G, muting the 5th string and it’s a G5 (different chord), and they’re all “Stuck 3/4” chords.

Different way to play the same chord e.g. the different Gs are called voicings. They sound a bit different but are the same chord.

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@jkahn ahhh! That explains things a bit - they are named after notes not the fingers! I’d assumed fingers although I had just started to realise that the chord name seems to be to do with the top note! :laughing: I mean, I knew the notes come into it but… well, I assumed name equalled grip pattern.
Its all so exciting :blush::sunglasses::guitar:

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I put this disclaimer in for a reason! :smiley:

I see now on Justin’s video on Stuck 3&4 Chords, he explains that 3x0033 is a G5 chord, and says “you could call this one an open power chord”.

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82

Love the stuck chords, a few of it are used in “More than words” by Extreme. Such a classic! I will admit my technique is far from ideal as I am fairly new, but I find it so much more inspiring playing a song that I like clumsily than if I perfected each chord before learning more songs… :grin: Will have to learn up Wonderwall next…

Btw, there is a broken link at the end of the page for the next lesson “Perfect fast changes.”

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Is it very silly or bad to play the first and second string of the stuck chords with only your ring finger? So in this case you don’t bend your finger but put it flat on the first and second string. Anyone else playing it like this?

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