How do you play an open G chord?

[atquinn]

I have always played it with the 2nd string open, 3-2-4 style. I'm assuming that's the "accepted" way to play it. However, you can also play it with the D on the 2nd string, 2-1-3-4 style, which sounds better with distortion since the 5th doesn't clash like the 3rd can. How many of you have always played it the 2nd way by default?

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Austin

[G Man]

It took me several years to retrain my hand, but I now play open G 3-2-4 like the bluegrassers, it makes transitions to the C and Am shapes super fast as well as allowing for quick runs more easily.  As for the D on the 2nd string, it really depends on the song, and yes, sometimes that extra high note helps fill things out nicely.

[zenmindbeginner]

I play an "open G" with the 3rd (2nd fret A string - B note) muted and the D and G played on the B and E strings.

When I think of an "open G" I think of an open sound which is just fifths... when I play a G major, it's usually a bar chord unless I am playing country and then the G major is just the "open G" with the un-muted 3rd. 

[Steve Haynie]

I always played with the open B string. 

One day it was revealed to me that AC/DC music required playing that D note on the B string, and since then I have played it the same way I always did anyway.  Every now and then when that D note on the second string is needed to make the chord more distortion friendly it is used with purpose and determination.

[Kurt L]

I always grab the D on the second string. 

Not sure when/where I first came across the 4-finger open G but it was a loooong time ago and the 3-finger version just sounds bad to me now.

[Thundersteel]

I add the D as well.

[Hbom]

I play it both ways. Depending on the song and progression.

[Ting Ho Dung]

Never really thought about it so I picked up a Strat and sure enough, ring finger hit the D. 

ETA: After thinking about it briefly, I think I probably learned it that way from when I used to play Freebird. 

[sixesandsevens]

56 minutes ago, zenmindbeginner said:

I play an "open G" with the 3rd (2nd fret A string - B note) muted and the D and G played on the B and E strings.

That's my default "G" as well.

[atquinn]

1 hour ago, G Man said:

It took me several years to retrain my hand, but I now play open G 3-2-4 like the bluegrassers, it makes transitions to the C and Am shapes super fast as well as allowing for quick runs more easily...

Exactly. I started out playing acoustic and all the transition runs between those shapes work right with the 3-2-4 fingering

But also this

32 minutes ago, Steve Haynie said:

I One day it was revealed to me that AC/DC music required playing that D note on the B string...

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Austin

[KH Guitar Freak]

I play with the second string fretted to give a D note. That's how I always subconciously play it. However, sometimes I experiment if the piece of music calls for it

 

Could just be me, but it also depends on the timbre of whether you are playing through an electric guitar or an acoustic guitar. Also don't forget about the timbre from a 12 string

[murkat]

Jimi Page style, thumb on the low E, ring on the B and hi E

[KH Guitar Freak]

Another trick on electric guitar with raging distortion is to omit the B note on the fifth string. The overtones of that fretted note under distortion can be annoying. Seems to give the impression that the B note is "warbling" out of tune with the other notes in the G chord

[tommy p]

2 hours ago, zenmindbeginner said:

I play an "open G" with the 3rd (2nd fret A string - B note) muted and the D and G played on the B and E strings.

Ditto.

[cmatthes]

I tune to D-G-D-G-B-D, and then hit the open strings.

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

10 minutes ago, cmatthes said:

I tune to D-G-D-G-B-D, and then hit the open strings.

 

...there's always one...

[Nathan of Brainfertilizer Fame]

I do the open b string for the ease of going to G7, C, and A/a.

But I learned the ring finger d from encountering it in Stone In Love and HoleHearted. Still use it for those, and any time I'm going to a C9.

[Biz Prof]

I definitely add the D. And it was learning rock covers that Ied me to that convention.

[velorush]

Absolutely depends on the song. 

AC/DC doesn't sound like Malcolm unless the A string is muted.  Since learning that it seems to work better that way for most any songs with any dirt. 

"(Don't Fear) The Reaper" must have the B in the arpeggio, so it gets a "normal" fingering, although I do it with second and third fingers as it makes it easier to grab that piece of an F that follows.

Clean stuff just depends, but can usually be played in the cowboy chord way, but sometimes putting the third finger on the B-string D makes it sound better in a band setting ('specially with keys - I suppose a good reference on that would be Toby's recent post on major 3rds). 

[tobereeno]

I often mute the A string as well, and generally play the D on the B string. Dammit, I now realize that it's probably subconsciously muting the major 3rd, since that bitch is 16 cents sharp. I've spent the whole afternoon watching videos and reading on intonation; this isn't a new problem and people have approached it in many different ways.

[mathman]

For rock/distorted I usually play the G on E and add the B and G.  I dampen the A.  I also learned this because of AC/DC.   I sometimes use the middle, ring, and pinky for G when I will be chording a C chord also.

As an extension to the OP question.   How many add the B and G to their C chord?   Again.  AC/DC is where I started doing that.

[MCChris]

My first guitar teacher had me add the D on the 2nd string (so, 2-1-3-4 style) when he showed me "Beautiful Loser" by Bob Seger. In fact he called that the "Seger G" and claimed he and Bob came up with it (he was in the original incarnation of the Bob Seger System). Later on another teacher taught me to dampen the A string.

[zorrow]

On my own, I tend to play the D on the 2nd, perhaps because of Queen's "Tie Your Mother Down", but it actually depends on the song. 

[tbonesullivan]

 Depends on the sound you want, and also the chords around it. I play it both ways, depending on situation.

[Jakeboy]

9 hours ago, Hbom said:

I play it both ways. Depending on the song and progression.

This.