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Open G Tuning Made Easy — Guitar Tricks Chord Guide

·2 mins
Open G Chords Tuning Beginner Video Lesson
Table of Contents

Source: Guitar Tricks

What This Video Covers #

Guitar Tricks is known for making complex guitar concepts approachable, and this Open G lesson follows that pattern. The focus is on practical chord playing from the moment you tune down — not theory, just shapes that work immediately.

The Setup #

The video starts by walking through the three string changes needed to reach Open G from standard tuning:

  • Low E (string 6): tune down a whole step to D
  • A (string 5): tune down a whole step to G
  • High E (string 1): tune down a whole step to D

The result is D–G–D–G–B–D, a G major chord across all six open strings.

Core Chord Shapes #

The lesson focuses on the chord vocabulary you need most:

Major chords: A single index-finger barre across all six strings gives you any major chord. Barre at fret 2 for A, fret 5 for C, fret 7 for D, and so on.

Power chords and partials: You don’t always need all six strings. The video shows how to isolate two or three strings for tighter, punchier sounds — similar to the way Keith Richards approaches rhythm playing.

Suspended and add9 colours: Open G tuning naturally produces richer chord colours with small adjustments. Adding a note on string 2 or 3 over a barre instantly creates sus2 or sus4 tensions.

First Songs to Try #

The lesson suggests jumping straight into simple songs once the shapes click. Open G is ideal for rhythm-heavy styles because the major chord is already under your fingers — there’s very little work needed to sound good.

Who This Is For #

Beginners who want the fastest practical on-ramp to Open G. If you’ve tuned down and don’t know what to do next, this video answers that question directly.

Key Takeaways #

  • The index-finger barre is the single most important shape in Open G
  • Partial shapes on fewer strings give you flexibility in any style
  • You can start playing real music in Open G within minutes of tuning down