Session 10: The G Chord: Stretching Out

Duration: 50 minutes

Break: Put the guitar down for 5 minutes at the end of Segment 3. No stretch of playing is then longer than 30 minutes.

The G major chord is the biggest stretch your fretting hand has encountered. Your fingers will span from fret 2 to fret 3, across all six strings. It is challenging, but G opens up a vast number of songs — once you have G, D, Em, and C (next session), you can play the majority of popular music ever written. Today features two songs: “About a Girl” by Nirvana (Em and G) and “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan (G, D and Am, with C added in Session 11).

Learning Objectives

By the end of this session you will be able to:

1. Play the G major chord cleanly with all six strings ringing
2. Change between G and Em, and between G and D, with a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM (the change test, Session 3)
3. Play two strumming patterns in songs: D D U U D U, and down-up eighth notes (D/U)
4. Play the verse accompaniment of “About a Girl” (Em and G, two beats each) at 60 BPM
5. Play “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan using G, D and Am (the simplified half-speed chart; C is added in Session 11)

Materials Needed

• Your Saga SF-600C-BK guitar
• A guitar pick
• A clip-on tuner or phone tuner app
• A metronome
• A phone that records sound, ten slips of paper and a pen (for the ear check after the session)
• Handout for this session: Finger Exercises (Levels 1 and 2, read after the session)
• Handout for this session: Rock Riffs And Power Chords (optional “Go further” reading after the session)
• Reference: Chord Transitions
• Reference: Chord Chart
• Reference: Glossary

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Segment 1 — Warm-Up and Stretch (5 minutes)

Hand Warm-Up

Open and close both hands loosely five times. Circle each wrist five times each way. Touch your thumb to each fingertip in turn. Shake the hands out.

Tune Your Guitar

Tune all six strings (EADGBE). Before you look at the tuner, guess: too low, too high or right? Then look.

Warm-Up

Play the “Iron Man” riff (Session 9) at 65 BPM for 4 cycles (measure 1 + measure 2 of the riff = 1 cycle). Then play A → D → E at 70 BPM (D D U U D U pattern, 1 measure each) for 9 measures (3 cycles).

Spider Crawl

The spider crawl is a finger drill: fingers 1, 2, 3 and 4 play four frets in a row on one string, one finger at a time, then the next string. Each finger lifts after its note.

Spider crawl: frets 5-8, one finger at a time, all six strings, up and down. Stop if it pulls or aches.

Start on string 6: finger 1 on fret 5, then finger 2 on fret 6, finger 3 on fret 7 and finger 4 on fret 8. Do the same on each string in turn as far as string 1. Then come back: frets 8, 7, 6, 5 on string 1, and so on back to string 6. The handout you read after this session shows the drill in TAB.

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Segment 2 — Technique Focus: Big Stretches and Finger Independence (10 minutes)

Preparing for G

The G chord asks your fingers to reach across a wider area than any chord you have played so far. Prepare the reach with the chord’s own shape, one finger at a time.

Pain rule: tender fingertips are normal. Pain in the wrist, forearm, thumb joint or knuckles, numbness or tingling, any sharp pain, or pain that lasts into the next day means stop. The full rule is in START HERE.

Reach Exercise

Where your hand goes: Keep your thumb behind the neck, roughly opposite finger 2 and a little lower than you hold it for Em. Let your wrist come forward a little, under the neck, so that each finger can stand on its tip. Keep your elbow in, close to your side.

First, higher up the neck, where the frets are closer together. This is for the reach only; it will not sound like G. Place the fingers one at a time, in this order:

1. Finger 2 (middle) on string 5 (A), fret 6
2. Finger 3 (ring) on string 6 (low E), fret 7
3. Finger 4 (little finger) on string 1 (high e), fret 7

Pluck strings 6, 5 and 1 once each. Lift all three fingers and let your hand hang loose. Do this 5 times.

Then at frets 2 and 3, where G is played. Again one finger at a time:

1. Finger 2 (middle) on string 5 (A), fret 2
2. Finger 3 (ring) on string 6 (low E), fret 3
3. Finger 4 (little finger) on string 1 (high e), fret 3

Pluck strings 6, 5 and 1 once each, then let go. Do this 5 times. Do not hold the shape; place, pluck and release.

If you cannot reach: That is normal at first. Do not force it, and stop if anything hurts. Segment 3 gives a two-finger shape you may use in this week’s songs while the reach comes.

Finger Independence Exercise

This exercise trains each finger to move without disturbing the others. It is the spider crawl on string 1 alone, played slowly with the metronome:

e|---5---6---7---8---|---8---7---6---5---|
B|-------------------|-------------------|
G|-------------------|-------------------|
D|-------------------|-------------------|
A|-------------------|-------------------|
E|-------------------|-------------------|

One finger at a time. Place finger 1 on string 1 fret 5, play, and lift it. Place finger 2 on fret 6, play, and lift it. Do the same with finger 3 on fret 7 and finger 4 on fret 8. Only one finger is down at any moment; the other three stay loose, just above the string.

Then come back: play fret 8 once more with finger 4, then fret 7 with finger 3, fret 6 with finger 2 and fret 5 with finger 1, lifting each finger after its note.

Do this at 50 BPM, one note per click (quarter notes): eight notes, as in the TAB. Repeat 4 times. Stop if it pulls or aches.

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Segment 3 — New Learning: The G Major Chord (15 minutes)

The G Major Chord

G major is a full, ringing chord that uses all six strings. It has the widest finger spread of any open chord.

Chord Diagram:

G

OOO

2

3

4

EADGBe

• Finger 2 (middle): string 5 (A), fret 2
• Finger 3 (ring): string 6 (low E), fret 3
• Finger 4 (little finger): string 1 (high e), fret 3
• Strings 4, 3 and 2 are played open
• Strum all six strings

Making the reach: Place the fingers one at a time, in the order of the list: finger 2, then finger 3, then finger 4. Use the hand position from the reach exercise: thumb behind the neck and a little lower than for Em, wrist a little forward, elbow in. Get fingers 2 and 3 comfortable before you add finger 4.

Sound check: Pluck each string, one at a time, with your tuner on (in the mode that shows any note). Tuner check, string 6 to string 1: G, B, D, G, B, G.

• String 6 (low E): Fret 3 — clear (finger 3). Tuner: G
• String 5 (A): Fret 2 — clear (finger 2). Tuner: B
• String 4 (D): Open — clear. Tuner: D
• String 3 (G): Open — clear. Tuner: G
• String 2 (B): Open — clear. Tuner: B
• String 1 (high e): Fret 3 — clear (finger 4). Tuner: G

If a string does not ring:

• String 5 dead: finger 3, reaching over to string 6, is leaning on it. Stand finger 3 more upright, on its tip.
• String 4 dead: finger 2, on string 5, is touching it. Arch finger 2 more.
• String 1 thin or buzzing: move finger 4 closer to the fret wire, and make sure its tip is not touching string 2. Do not just press harder.

Why the little finger? Some players finger G with fingers 1, 2 and 3 instead. This course uses 2, 3 and 4 because it leaves finger 1 free and makes the change to C shorter. It also gets your little finger used to fretting, which the full barre chords you may learn after this course rely on.

The challenge: Your little finger (finger 4) on string 1 fret 3 may feel weak and uncooperative. This is normal: it is the finger you have used least. It gets easier each time you play G.

If your little finger will not reach this week: use this shape in this week’s songs: fingers 2 and 3 only, strumming strings 6 to 2. The notes are G, B, D, G, B, so it is still a G chord. Try the full shape again at the start of each practice.

Key Transitions with G

G → Em: One of the easiest changes. Finger 2 (middle) is on string 5 fret 2 in both chords, so it does not move. Lift your little finger (4) off string 1 and move your ring finger (3) from string 6 fret 3 to string 4 fret 2.

Em → G: The reverse. Finger 2 stays on string 5 fret 2. Move your ring finger (3) from string 4 fret 2 to string 6 fret 3 and add your little finger (4) on string 1 fret 3.

G → D: From G, lift all fingers. Place finger 1 on string 3 fret 2, finger 2 on string 1 fret 2, finger 3 on string 2 fret 3. No shared fingers.

G → Am: Lift all fingers. Place Am shape (finger 1 string 2 fret 1, finger 2 string 4 fret 2, finger 3 string 3 fret 2).

Drill: G → Em → G → Em, one strum per chord, 10 times. Then G → D → G → D, 10 times. Then G → Am → G → Am, 10 times. No metronome: place every finger before you strum.

Target for this week: pass the change test (Session 3) for G-Em and for G-D with a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM.

Break: 5 minutes. Guitar down.

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Segment 4 — Song Workshop: Two Songs (15 minutes)

This session features two songs. Spend approximately 8 minutes on the first and 7 minutes on the second. For the second song, “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”, the goal in the session itself is to play its chart once through slowly, without the metronome; its tempos are end-of-week targets, and it has its own row in this week’s practice plan. Do not drop either song: both come back in the Phase 2 checkpoint.

Song 1 — “About a Girl” by Nirvana: verse accompaniment, simplified (8 minutes)

Song: “About a Girl” Artist: Nirvana Album: Bleach (1989) Credits: Written by Kurt Cobain. Recorded by Nirvana on Bleach (1989). What you are learning: An accompaniment for the verse: two chords, Em and G, two beats each.

Listen first: Find Nirvana’s recording of “About a Girl” (the studio recording on Bleach, 1989) and listen to the introduction, about the first 15 seconds, three times before you pick up the guitar. Listen for: (1) the guitar playing the two chords alone for four measures, then the band joining for four more; (2) the darker chord (E minor) on counts 1 and 2 and the brighter chord (G) on counts 3 and 4 of every measure. Count “1, 2, 3, 4” along with it. The verse carries on in the same way for eight measures.

What this is: This is a simplified arrangement written for this course. It has not yet been play-tested against the recording. It is a strumming pattern over the verse’s two chords, with the chord changes where the record has them, at about half the record’s speed. It is not the guitar part as played on the record, and only the verse is taught.

The recording: The Bleach studio recording is in E minor in standard tuning, the same pitch as this chart, at about 130 BPM. The better-known MTV Unplugged in New York recording (performed 1993, released 1994) is tuned a half step (one fret) lower and is a little slower, about 122 BPM; if you play along with that one, every chord you play will sound slightly too high. (Standard pitch for the Bleach recording comes from two published transcriptions; it has not been checked by ear.)

Tempo: Start at 50 BPM and work up to 65 BPM, following the tempo ladder below. The record is at about 130 BPM; 65 BPM is half speed. Strumming pattern: D D U U D U

Verse Accompaniment (Simplified)

Structure: Em for two beats, G for two beats, in every measure. Eight measures make one verse.

"About a Girl" - verse accompaniment (8 measures)

Measure:   1        2        3        4        5        6        7        8
         | Em  G  | Em  G  | Em  G  | Em  G  | Em  G  | Em  G  | Em  G  | Em  G  |
Beats:     12  34   12  34   12  34   12  34   12  34   12  34   12  34   12  34

Every measure is the same: Em for beats 1 and 2, G for beats 3 and 4. On the record the introduction is this same measure eight times (four with the guitar alone, four with the band).

Step 1 — four downstrokes (use this first, and keep it if Step 2 breaks down):

Chord:  Em      G
Strum:  D   D   D   D
Count:  1   2   3   4

Step 2 — the course’s main pattern, D D U U D U:

Chord:  Em         G
Strum:  D     D  U     U  D  U
Count:  1     2  & (3) &  4  &

On beat 3 your hand still moves down, but it misses the strings: a silent downstroke. That keeps the hand swinging down on every number and up on every &. Count it aloud: “1, 2-and, (3)-and, 4-and”. Use the silent beat to change to G, so that the first G stroke is the upstroke on the & of 3. Change back to Em for beat 1 of the next measure. This is the course’s own accompaniment pattern, not the strumming on the record, where G is also struck on beat 3.

Tempo ladder: The click is always one beat: four clicks to a measure, two clicks on Em and two on G.

1. 50 BPM, Step 1: one downstroke per click. Eight measures without stopping.
2. 55 BPM, then 60 BPM, Step 1.
3. 50 BPM, Step 2 (the main pattern); then 55 and 60 BPM. Goal for Session 10 itself: eight measures at 60.
4. 65 BPM, Step 2: half the record’s speed, and the end-of-week target.
5. 70 BPM, Step 2: the Phase 2 target, used in the Session 12 medley and the Phase 2 checkpoint.

Faster than 70 is an extension for after the course; the record is at about 130.

Form: Verse, measures 1–8, once through. To finish, play one downstroke of Em on beat 1 of a ninth measure and let it ring. (The ending is written for this course.)

What it should sound like: Check it three ways. (1) Click check: play the eight measures with the metronome; you pass if you never stop and you finish with the click. (2) Count check: say “1, 2-and, (3)-and, 4-and” aloud while you strum two measures; your pick must miss the strings on (3). (3) Recording check: record the eight measures and listen once for one thing: is the speed the same from start to finish?

Performance note: This is a rock song, not a ballad, so it can be loud. Use a bigger, faster strum with the same loose grip. Loud does not mean tense.

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Song 2 — “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan: simplified chart, half speed (7 minutes)

Song: “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” Artist: Bob Dylan Album: Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973) Credits: Written by Bob Dylan. Recorded by Bob Dylan on the soundtrack album Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973). What you are learning: Two lines of chords that alternate, G–D–Am and G–D–C, with a gentle, flowing strumming pattern.

Listen first: Find Bob Dylan’s original recording of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” (Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid, 1973) and listen to the introduction, before the singing starts (about the first half-minute), three times before you pick up the guitar. Listen for: (1) two lines of chords, played twice: Line 1 goes G, D, A minor; Line 2 goes G, D, C; (2) G and D passing quickly, while the third chord of each line lasts as long as the first two together. The verses (the sections whose words are new each time) and the chorus (the section whose words stay the same) use these same two lines.

What this is: This is a simplified arrangement written for this course. It has not yet been play-tested against the recording. It has the song’s own chords in the right order, written at half the record’s speed (every chord lasts twice as many beats), with the course’s own gentle strumming pattern.

The recording: The recording is in G major in standard tuning, at about 69–70 BPM: the same key and chords as this chart. But the learning chart is written at half speed. On the record G and D last two beats each and Am or C four beats; here they last four beats and eight beats. So you cannot strum along with the record from the learning chart; that comes with the record-speed chart, the last step of the tempo ladder.

Tempo: Start at 55 BPM and work up to 65 BPM this week (the end-of-week target), following the tempo ladder below. The course target is 70 BPM, which is half the speed of the record. In today’s session, play the chart slowly, without the metronome. Strumming pattern: D U D U D U D U (straight eighth notes)

Simplified Chart (Half Speed)

"Knockin' on Heaven's Door" - learning chart (half speed): 8 measures, one chord per measure

Measure:   1    2    3    4
Line 1:  | G  | D  | Am | Am |

Measure:   5    6    7    8
Line 2:  | G  | D  | C  | C  |

Until Session 11: you have not learnt C yet, so play Am in measures 7 and 8. That is a stand-in, not what the record plays. From Session 11, play C.

Strum:  D   U   D   U   D   U   D   U
Count:  1   &   2   &   3   &   4   &

Straight down-up eighth notes, light and even, the same in every measure. This is the course’s own gentle pattern; the strumming on the record is busier. On D strum strings 4 to 1 only; on Am and C, strings 5 to 1; on G, all six.

Form on the record: The introduction is Line 1 and Line 2, twice. Each verse is Line 1 and Line 2, twice (four sung lines, one sung line to each line of chords). Each chorus is the same again: verse and chorus use the same chords.

Form for this course: Line 1 and Line 2 (measures 1–8), twice through: 16 measures. To finish, play one downstroke of G on beat 1 of the next measure and let it ring. (The ending is written for this course.)

Tempo ladder: The click is always one beat: four clicks to a measure, two strums per click (down on the click, up between clicks).

1. In today’s session: the learning chart once through, slowly, without the metronome, with Am in measures 7 and 8.
2. 55 BPM, learning chart, with Am in measures 7 and 8 until you know C.
3. 60 BPM, then 65 BPM, learning chart. 65 BPM is this week’s end-of-week target.
4. 70 BPM, learning chart, with the real C from Session 11: the course target and the Phase 2 checkpoint tempo. This is half the speed of the record.
5. Later target, once you can pass the change test for G and D with a new chord every 2 beats at 60 BPM (Session 12): the record-speed chart below at 60 BPM, then 65, then 70 BPM. Your strumming hand moves exactly as before; only the chords change sooner. At about 70 BPM this should line up with the recording (not yet play-tested).

Record-speed chart (later target): the same chords in 4 measures

Line 1:  | G  D  | Am     |
Line 2:  | G  D  | C      |
Beats:     12 34   1234

In the record-speed chart G and D last two beats each and Am or C four beats.

How to Learn These Songs

“About a Girl”: The Em → G transition is easy (finger 2 stays put), but here it comes every two beats. Start with Step 1, four downstrokes a measure, and follow the tempo ladder. Then move to Step 2, the D D U U D U pattern — this pattern is the same one from Sessions 5 and 8, so it should feel familiar. Play the one-measure pattern (Em two beats, G two beats) eight times for one verse.

“Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door”: The G → D transition is the hardest (all fingers move). In the session, play the chart once through slowly, without the metronome; one strum per measure is enough at first. On your practice days, start slow — 55 BPM. The two-measure chords (Am in Line 1, C in Line 2) give you a rest between changes. The strumming is straight D/U eighth notes — no complicated pattern.

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Segment 5 — Review and Practice Plan (5 minutes)

This session has more new material than most. If your end-of-week check is not all ‘yes’ after one week, take a second week on this session before you move on. The course then takes a week longer, which is normal.

What You Learned Today

• The G major chord (finger 2 string 5 fret 2, finger 3 string 6 fret 3, finger 4 string 1 fret 3)
• G ↔ Em transition (finger 2 anchors on string 5 fret 2)
• G ↔ D and G ↔ Am transitions
• “About a Girl” by Nirvana — verse accompaniment (Em–G, two beats each, D D U U D U strumming)
• “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” by Bob Dylan (G–D–Am and G–D–C at half speed, D/U strumming)

Common Mistakes

1. String 5 dead in the G chord — Finger 3, reaching over to string 6, is leaning on string 5. Stand finger 3 more upright, on its tip.
2. String 4 dead in the G chord — Finger 2, on string 5, is touching string 4. Arch finger 2 more.
3. String 1 thin or buzzing in the G chord — Move finger 4 (little finger) closer to the fret wire rather than pressing harder, and make sure its tip is not touching string 2.
4. Slow G → D transition — All three fingers change position. Lift them all together, hover briefly, then place the D shape. Drill this pair in isolation.
5. Forgetting which song uses which pattern — “About a Girl” = D D U U D U (rock feel). “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” = D U D U D U D U (gentle, flowing). Before playing each song, play the strumming pattern on Em for one measure to set the feel.
6. Strumming strings 6 and 5 on the D chord — D uses strings 4 to 1 only. When you switch from G (all 6 strings) to D, rest the pick on string 4, then strum from there. This takes conscious practice.

Self-Check Questions

1. Pluck the six strings of G one at a time with the tuner on. Does it show G, B, D, G, B, G, with every string ringing clearly? If not: use “If a string does not ring” in Segment 3 to find the finger that is causing it and correct it; do not press harder. Check again the next day.
2. Can you pass the change test (Session 3) for G-Em and for G-D with a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM: eight chords in a row, each landing on its click? If not: for the pair that failed, repeat the drill under “Key Transitions with G” in Segment 3 (one strum per chord, no metronome), and try again the next day. If the reach to G pulls or aches, stop for today.
3. Can you play the eight-measure “About a Girl” accompaniment at 60 BPM without stopping? Record the eight measures and listen once: is the speed the same from start to finish? If not: go back to 55 BPM on its tempo ladder for two days, using Step 1 (four downstrokes) if Step 2 breaks down, then try again.
4. Can you play the eight-measure “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” chart twice through at 65 BPM? Check: you never stop and you finish with the click. If not: go back to 60 BPM on its tempo ladder for two days, then try again.
5. Can you form all six open chords you know — Em, Am, E, D, A, G — from memory, without looking at a diagram? Check: form each chord and strum it once, then compare with its diagram: all six had every finger on the right string and fret. If not: play the chord you missed first in the Chord Review block of the practice plan, with its diagram open, and try again the next day.

Practice Plan for Week 10 (each practice day, 25 minutes)

Block	Time	Activity
Warm-Up	3 min	The warm-up from this session’s Segment 1, then tune. On practice days that means the hand movements, A → D → E for 9 measures and the spider crawl; the “Iron Man” riff has its own row below
Chord Review	3 min	All six chords (Em, Am, E, D, A, G), four beats per chord (one measure of D/U strumming) at 70 BPM. Repeat until the time is up
Transition Drill	4 min	Change test on G-Em and G-D at this week’s rung: a new chord every 4 beats at 60 BPM. Then G → Am → G → Am, 10 slow changes, no metronome. Repeat until the time is up
About a Girl	6 min	Verse accompaniment (8 measures). Follow its tempo ladder from 50 BPM towards 60–65 BPM. Repeat until the time is up. Focus on Em → G timing
Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door	7 min	The eight-measure chart. Follow its tempo ladder from 55 BPM towards 60–65 BPM. Repeat until the time is up. Focus on G → D transition
Iron Man Maintenance	2 min	Play the riff four times at 65 BPM. Then E5 to A5, palm-muted eighth notes, one measure per chord, 4 measures at 70 BPM, to keep power chords sharp. Repeat until the time is up

This is your plan for the whole week. The end-of-week check is in Weekly Plans Phase 1 2, Week 10.

Guitar Tip — Saga SF-600C-BK

The G chord uses frets 2 and 3, which are close to the nut. On the Saga SF-600C-BK, the fret spacing is widest near the nut and gets narrower as you move up the neck. This means the G chord stretch is the biggest it will ever be — as you learn chords higher on the neck in future sessions, the same stretches will feel easier because the frets are closer together. If the G chord feels like a big reach right now, take comfort: your hand is adapting to the widest spacing on the entire fretboard.

After the session (not part of the 50 minutes)

• Read: Finger Exercises, the sections “Level 1 — Tabletop Finger Lifts (No Guitar Needed; From Session 10)” and “Level 2 — Spider Crawl (From Session 10)” only. Level 2 is this session’s spider crawl, with its TAB. Leave “Level 3 — Trills (Hammer-On / Pull-Off Pairs) (From Session 16)” until Session 16. (5 minutes)
• Record: this week’s ear check. Mark it on any later practice day. This week it is the recorded card test (Session 6), Test 1: major or minor. Ten slips: E, A, D, G, G, Em, Em, Am, Am, Am. (From Session 11, C takes the place of the second G.) Play one down-strum for each slip. Answer “major” or “minor”. Pass: 8 of 10. (3 minutes)
• Optional: Rock Riffs And Power Chords, the three sections under “Beginner Arrangements”, which are for songs you have already met: “Arrangement 1 — “Come As You Are” Intro Riff (Nirvana)”, “Arrangement 2 — “About a Girl” Verse Accompaniment (Nirvana)” and “Arrangement 3 — “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” Simplified Chord Accompaniment (Bob Dylan)” (15 minutes).