Add easy flourish to C-F-G-Am
Lesson #223 • Mar 4, 2019
Video Overview
Instructional PDF 2 pages
Editor’s notes
A favorite tip of mine, while playing songs in the key of C, is using the following improvisational flourish to spice up the C, Am, F, and G chords. By only removing & adding a single finger on your left hand – middle, index, or pinky – you can create a distinct effect on each of the four chords mentioned above. What’s better, is you can mix and match these flourish notes freely - and it’ll always sound good! In this lesson, I’ll show you how.
For each of the techniques below, get comfortable by being able to remove & add the individual left-hand finger noted in each heading – for each of the four chords. Once you feel comfortable with this, try to play freely using these four chords - in any order you want, using any strumming pattern you want! Add & remove the noted finger as you desire. Then learn the next technique – and return to the improvisational play, this time switching up which fingers you’re removing or adding.
The end result is ideally the ability to freely jump between these four chords, but do so in a way where you’re always able to add interesting flourish via the techniques shown here.
Technique 1: Removing/Adding Middle Finger
E ––0––––0–– ––0––––0–– ––0––––0–– ––3––––3––
B ––1––––1–– ––1––––1–– ––1––––1–– ––0––––0––
G ––0––––0–– ––2––––0–– ––2––––0–– ––0––––0––
D ––2––––0–– ––2––––0–– ––3––––3–– ––0––––0––
A ––3––––3–– ––0––––0–– –––––––––– ––2––––0––
E –––––––––– –––––––––– –––––––––– ––3––––3––
C * Am * Fmaj7 * G *
Technique 2: Removing/Adding Index Finger
E ––0––––0–– ––0––––0–– ––3––––3–– ––3––––3––
B ––1––––0–– ––1––––0–– ––1––––0–– ––0––––1––
G ––0––––0–– ––2––––2–– ––2––––2–– ––0––––0––
D ––2––––2–– ––2––––2–– ––3––––3–– ––0––––0––
A ––3––––3–– ––0––––0–– –––––––––– ––x––––x––
E –––––––––– –––––––––– –––––––––– ––3––––3––
C * Am * Fadd9 * G *
Technique 3: Removing/Adding Pinky Finger
E ––0––––3–– ––0––––3–– ––0––––3–– ––3––
B ––1––––1–– ––1––––1–– ––1––––1–– ––0––
G ––0––––0–– ––2––––2–– ––2––––2–– ––0––
D ––2––––2–– ––2––––2–– ––3––––3–– ––0––
A ––3––––3–– ––0––––0–– –––––––––– ––2––
E –––––––––– –––––––––– –––––––––– ––3––
C * Am * Fmaj7 Fadd9 G
Chord shapes
Here’s the four chord shapes we’ll be basing this practice tip upon. These chords are very frequently used together in songs (they’re all in the key of C), so it’s very common you’ll use them together.
E ––0–– ––0–– –(1)– ––3––
B ––1–– ––1–– ––1–– ––0––
G ––0–– ––2–– ––2–– ––0––
D ––2–– ––2–– ––3–– ––0––
A ––3–– ––0–– ––3–– ––2––
E ––––– ––––– –(1)– ––3––
C Am F G
Here’s the specific finger positions we’ll want to use for this practice tip. For the F and the G specifically, you’ll want to follow the my notes below (which will enable you to add the flourish I’ll show later on):
E ––0–– E ––0–– E ––x–– E ––3–– <= left pinky
B ––1–– <= left index B ––1–– <= left index B ––1–– <= left index B ––0––
G ––0–– G ––2–– <= left ring G ––2–– <= left middle G ––0––
D ––2–– <= left middle D ––2–– <= left middle D ––3–– <= left ring D ––0––
A ––3–– <= left ring A ––0–– A ––x–– A ––2–– <= left middle
E ––––– E ––––– E ––x–– E ––3–– <= left ring
C Am F G
For the F, there’s actually a few ways you can approach it (all of which are easier than the full 6-string barred version). It’s ideal to know all of these:
E ––x–– E ––x–– E ––0–– E ––3–– <= left pinky
B ––1–– <= left index B ––1–– <= left index B ––1–– <= left index B ––1–– <= left index
G ––2–– <= left middle G ––2–– <= left middle G ––2–– <= left middle G ––2–– <= left middle
D ––3–– <= left ring D ––3–– <= left pinky D ––3–– <= left ring D ––3–– <= left ring
A ––x–– A ––3–– <= left ring A ––x–– A ––x––
E ––x–– E ––x–– E ––x–– E ––x––
F F Fmaj7 Fadd9
Good luck!
I hope this was helpful for you. As always, it’s best to see my video lesson for reference. Please let me know what questions you have, and until next time - best of luck!
Enjoy my lessons? Buy me a beer!
If this and my other lessons have proven helpful to you, please consider making a one-time donation to my tip jar. Contributions of any amount help make this project possible (including the many, many hours I put into it).
Fun & Helpful Tools I've Made
Subscribe to my YouTube channel
Be sure to never miss a lesson by subscribing on YouTube. I put out 2-3 new videos every week. These include full song lessons, as well as covers, practice tips, behind-the-scenes updates. Thanks!
Recent Lessons
-
March 22, 2024
Lead Guitar & the F1 Theme Song
-
March 15, 2023
Pink Floyd's "Breathe" - with Simpler Chords Included
-
March 6, 2024
Q&A: 8 Tips to Avoid Muting Strings
-
March 1, 2024
Blues Shuffle Riffs - Using Just 2 Strings!
-
February 16, 2024
Soulful Lead Guitar with "America the Beautiful"
-
February 8, 2024
Country Honk by The Rolling Stones
-
January 31, 2024
Beginner Blues - New Course Sneak Peek!
-
January 23, 2024
Strumming with Accented Notes
-
January 13, 2024
Lead Guitar Finger Placement – ft. La Sitiera (The Mavericks)
-
January 9, 2024
Hybrid Fingerstyle - First Steps!