I was playing a song (intro to “walking on the moon”) today following the TAB which called for playing the 5th fret on the A string. But then I realized that that is a D, so why not play the D string? Especially since the next notes were the 3rd and 2nd frets on the D string, followed by the 3rd fret on the A string.
I tried it using the open D rather than the 5th fret on the A and it seemed easier to me.
I’m going to watch a video of Sting playing and see what he fires.
There’s a slight tonal difference between an open string and a fretted string, in some situations one might sound better than the other. It’s not a big deal so long as it still sounds right and you can comfortably pluck, fret, and mute.
I’ve found some tabs out there with some uh … interesting fingering choices. Like this bar from Toni Basil’s Mickey on Songsterr:
Which I think is much easier to play this way:
Edit: I missed that this song might be one from the course and not just an internet tab. For tabs that Josh has written, he’s picked the fingering he picked for a reason and it’s a good idea to do it as-written. My comment is more about following random tabs from the internet.
Yes it will work. I’m sure Josh has his reasons.
For me, I prefer the fretted tone vs. The open string. For the tone itself and the control of being able to stop the note more efficiently. I dont remember the song/lesson, but there could be another reason. 4 fret span, string crossing, rhythm, setting up the next position and so on. The beautiful part about b2b is you get the practical applications without all the hang ups of trying learn theory.
I know that I fret the D on the 5th fret of the A 98% of the time. For me it’s an anchor point on the fret board. From there I can move to and from G, E, C, or A, all are common progressions in the music I play. I can also move up or down the neck depending on the feel of the song.
I suggest learning the way it’s taught while doing the course, then play it however you want in your personal time.
This.
I have much more control over the note when I fret it. I can get cleaner attack and muting.
It provides much better note separation. And that line is all about making those notes distinct.
For the types of music I like, in nearly all situations, the open string sounds better in the context of the song. It really varies by genre and band.
Open strings can be your friends when you need to re-position your hand, or just want a (short) break from fretting.
They can be your enemy if you can’t “control” them (read: mute them as necessary).
