How to Play a 3 String Cigar Box Guitar
Tune the 3-string Cigar Box Guitar to the Key of D (My Father’s Tuning - DAD)., For review: It is Every Good Boy Does Fine on the lines (EGBDF), and FACE on the spaces., The C Major scale has no sharps or flats., However, to maintain this same step...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Tune the 3-string Cigar Box Guitar to the Key of D (My Father’s Tuning - DAD).
There are eight notes between the low D and High D’ strings (an octave). , On the Bass clef it is Good Boys Do Fine Again and ACE G on the spaces., There is a whole step (skip a fret) between everything except B&C and E&F (1/2 step or next fret up).
From C to C' there is a pattern:
W, W, H, W, W, W, H, where W=Whole step (skip a fret) and H=Half step (next fret up)., To play a D Major scale (from low D to high D') follow this second pattern.
Practice this pattern with "finger fretting" and also with a slide. , Similar to the above pattern, except the C is a natural
- fret above the B.
Start in the 5th fret on G, then play the notes up to high G.
In Western music many chords are made up of a triad; the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of a scale.
Due to the limitations of this instrument (only 3 strings), a chord is made of the 1st and 5th notes in the scale.
For example, an A chord is composed of A and E (and A’).
This means a barre placed across the 3 strings will make a chord.
Use a glass or steel slide to form the barre (or lay one finger across all three strings).
Place the slide directly above the metal fret wire to make a crisp note.
Keep the slide parallel with the frets when you move it.
Pick a note, then slide a fret or two up or down the neck to the next note. ,,,,, Play G (5th fret), C (10th fret), G (5th fret), D (12th fret), G, C, D, C, G or variations thereof., Frets: 12th, 9th, 5th, 7th, 12th… repeat three more times; follow-up with a turn-around... 12th, 14th, 12th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 12th., See if you can find the individual notes to a melody that may go to this familiar progression. , G, C, G, D...
The fret numbers are given for the key of D, figure out the fret number for the same progression in the other two keys.
Play the 4 chord progression four times, then follow up with the turn-around.,,, The lines represent the strings (fat string at the bottom), the numbers represent the fret to put your finger or slide in. , -
Step 2: For review: It is Every Good Boy Does Fine on the lines (EGBDF)
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Step 3: and FACE on the spaces.
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Step 4: The C Major scale has no sharps or flats.
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Step 5: However
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Step 6: to maintain this same step pattern when starting on the D note
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Step 7: the key of D has two sharps; F# and C#.
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Step 8: The key of G has only one sharp (F#).
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Step 9: Practice a progression in the key of G.
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Step 10: G chord 5th fret
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Step 11: C Chord 10th fret
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Step 12: G chord 5th fret
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Step 13: D Chord 12th fret Though difficult to see
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Step 14: there is a glass slide on the ring finger.
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Step 15: A classic Chord Progression: Place the slide directly above the metal fret at the 12th position
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Step 16: strum or finger pick 1
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Step 17: 4 beats and move the slide to the next position.
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Step 18: The progression is what the left hand would play on a piano.
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Step 19: Experiment to find other three or four chord progressions.
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Step 20: Many 3 Chord progressions (1st
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Step 21: Many 4 Chord progressions
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Step 22: with "turn-around" (8th
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Step 23: Tablature: There are probably few examples of Cigar Box Guitar tablature
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Step 24: here is one blues scale riff...
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Step 25: This progression came from a guitar booklet called Basic Blues by Will Schmid.
Detailed Guide
There are eight notes between the low D and High D’ strings (an octave). , On the Bass clef it is Good Boys Do Fine Again and ACE G on the spaces., There is a whole step (skip a fret) between everything except B&C and E&F (1/2 step or next fret up).
From C to C' there is a pattern:
W, W, H, W, W, W, H, where W=Whole step (skip a fret) and H=Half step (next fret up)., To play a D Major scale (from low D to high D') follow this second pattern.
Practice this pattern with "finger fretting" and also with a slide. , Similar to the above pattern, except the C is a natural
- fret above the B.
Start in the 5th fret on G, then play the notes up to high G.
In Western music many chords are made up of a triad; the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes of a scale.
Due to the limitations of this instrument (only 3 strings), a chord is made of the 1st and 5th notes in the scale.
For example, an A chord is composed of A and E (and A’).
This means a barre placed across the 3 strings will make a chord.
Use a glass or steel slide to form the barre (or lay one finger across all three strings).
Place the slide directly above the metal fret wire to make a crisp note.
Keep the slide parallel with the frets when you move it.
Pick a note, then slide a fret or two up or down the neck to the next note. ,,,,, Play G (5th fret), C (10th fret), G (5th fret), D (12th fret), G, C, D, C, G or variations thereof., Frets: 12th, 9th, 5th, 7th, 12th… repeat three more times; follow-up with a turn-around... 12th, 14th, 12th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 12th., See if you can find the individual notes to a melody that may go to this familiar progression. , G, C, G, D...
The fret numbers are given for the key of D, figure out the fret number for the same progression in the other two keys.
Play the 4 chord progression four times, then follow up with the turn-around.,,, The lines represent the strings (fat string at the bottom), the numbers represent the fret to put your finger or slide in. ,
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