left hand fingering on open position

It is quite interesting you raise this question because I have struggled with it some time ago, because I started on classical guitar using 1, 2, 4 on open position, and then I saw Joe Pass method with 1, 3, 4 on same frets. I still don't have a straight forward answer, but I feel that while on classical guitar the fingers 1, 2, 4 feel much more confortable and safe, on electric guitar, specially from the 8th fret up, fingers 1, 3, 4 feel more confortable and while 1, 2, 4 seem to damage the hand causing some pain.



In ohter words: one might think that finger 2 is stronger than 3, so it would be better to use 1, 2, 4, but on the other hand separating fingers 3 and 4 feels more natural than finger 1 and 2 (just try it!)



Currently I try to use mainly closed position, trying to find most confortable positions, sliding and moving the arm instead.



As usual there is no standard perscription that replaces personal search and decisions...



Joao Pedro





[quote]When I was learning the basics of scales, I hadn't heard of the CAGED system. Maybe I wasn't paying attention or maybe that was before the term was coined, I don't know. Anyway, I was looking at a page that lays out the basics (Major Scale Shapes: CAGED System) and it is familiar to me, but I've got two questions. First, here is one of the two fingerings for G major in the D form:







I use that shape, but not that fingering! I was taught a fundamental idea on left hand positioning: closed or open. Closed means you position your fingers over consecutive frets and open means you skip a fret between your index and middle finger. Using the open positioning, I would play the previous D form using the index finger on fret 5, but my middle finger on fret 7, ring on fret 8 and pinky on fret 9. I know, it comes down what feels best to you, but the above image is leaving the middle finger completely out of the action, and working my pinky harder as a result, and I want to rely more on my stronger fingers! Comments?



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