Hold the guitar in playing position. Place the fingers of your fretting hand on the neck of the guitar. Rest your strumming hand just above the strings near the sound hole.
Place the middle finger of your fretting hand on the third fret of the bottom E string. Place the index finger of your fretting hand on the second fret of the A string. Place the pinky finger of your fretting hand on the third fret of the high E string.
Leave the middle D, G, and B strings open. These strings will play in open style (sounding out their tonic notes) when you strum the guitar.
Depress the strings with all three fingers and strum with the pick to play a basic G Major chord.
Place the ring finger of your fretting hand on the third fret of the high E string.
Leave the G and B strings open. Do not strum the bottom three strings.
Depress the third fret of the high E string and strum the top three strings of the guitar to play an abbreviated G Major chord.
Lay the index finger of your fretting hand across the entire third fret on the guitar's neck. This is the "barre" position.
Place the middle finger of your fretting hand on the fourth fret of the B string. Place the ring finger of your fretting hand on the fifth fret of the A string. Place the pinky finger of your fretting hand on the fifth fret of the D string.
Strum the guitar strings to create a basic G Major barre chord.