Hi all,

I just took delivery of my first real cbg. A 27" scale 3 stringer made by Roosterman...and its a beaut.

My wife plays 6 string and she INSISTS that I should learn the basics of 6 string so that I can play along with others, figure out songs and generally know what it what musically. She thinks if I stick to 3 string that it is a one trick pony and that is fine if thats "all I want to do" in terms of figuring out single tunes and playing them solo.

Is she right? Can I play well with others? Learn proper chords via tabs etc?

Please help

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I don't want to come across disrespectful of your wife or you...
But would you tell a child who just got a bike for Xmas that it won't get them anywhere and toss them the key to the car?
Roosters a great builder, enjoy.
Practice your scales. If in time a regular guitar calls for you it'll only help you on your way :) if on the other hand it don't.. Well just FYI I have a 50s fender, two sixties fenders, a bunch of beautiful Australian guitars, two pianos etc etc and I enjoy my own axes plenty more than any of em these days...

if your wife  is  right   ,,  then  regular guitar players shound have  no  problem   playing along  *WITH  YOU   as  is  . ;-)

 

 

The kids right.

You will be playing open slide chords to start that will train your ear and give you rythem.

Your wife can maybe try to play along with you just jam  to what you are playing your playin will come along fast.

Then maybe you might want to try somthing with a six string. She could open tune her guit.

You will have a shed load of fun!! ;-)

Hello Tom,

It is not the instrument, in regard to the numbers of strings, that is limited, but the musician's knowledge and skill of application.

I play 6 string guitar, 5 string banjo, 3 and 4 string CBG. It is all about the approach.

For instance, a 3 or 4 string CBG can be strung and tuned to offer a very similar method of movable chords that is applied to a 6 string. You can easily arrange in any key.

 http://youtu.be/xDmNWRrXbns (Using ADf# tuning) 

http://youtu.be/hER0GQCzdoo (Using Dgbd tuning)

Please visit my page:  http://www.youtube.com/user/KeniLeeBurgess?feature=mhee

There are hundreds of videos, that I think will clearly demonstrate that CBG is no "One Trick Pony"

Enjoy, Keni Lee  

right on, if it were a one trtick pony, we'd all sound the same, no?

check the videos here..

KLB's a pimp..

and i play alright too :)

Thanks for the encouragement folks. I guess my other half just figures that if I had some rock solid "I know how to play a classic G / E/ D (etc) chord", then I can LEARN how to play songs with others and emulate the songs I like from a quantifiable musical foundation...nothing "tricksy".

 

I don't know enough about 3 string guitars or music enough to argue otherwise.

 

So with various tunings and possibly re stringing you folks think I should be able to play "normal" chorded songs a well as "blues style" (slide etc)?

The possibilities are limited only by the player's vision and desire.  If all a player has ever experienced is EADGBe, then they will have a certain bias about chord shapes, picking patterns, etc.  The only benefit I can see about picking a 6 string first is if you want to pick 3 strings with "standard" guitar tuning like EAD or GBe and then you can use the same chord shapes as 6 string, but abbreviated for your 3.  Otherwise, I think it is somewhat a trivial exercise to first do 6 before you do 3 to "learn it right."

Follow your heart.  If it is easier to do as the wifey says (as it is for me in a number of ways), then do so. If your desire is stronger to start playing the unique instrument you have purchased, then grab the CBG and start wailing on it.

Keni Lee has videos for bunches of different tunings and probably 100's of songs done first on 6 strings but adapted for 3 or 4.  And they all sound great.  Good enough to wonder what all the other strings are for anyway.

Good luck and have fun.

Hello Tom,

I understand what you are saying. You can certainly make a 6 string CBG and learn the standard method too. But what makes CBGs so interesting, is that the play outside the lines.

Recently, Scrapyard Guitar posted a nice lesson:

 http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/basic-12-bar-blues 

He is using the 3 lowest strings of a standard guitar (EAD)GBE

Some people like to use a 4 string CBG and use the 4 highest strings DGBE.

So, yes you can approach CBG like a modified standard guitar too.

I know this can be confusing if you have no prior music knowledge. I learned 6 string first in standard tuning. Then got interested in open tunings. Later came CBG, where I realized how easy it was for me to apply my open tuning knowledge and simply micronize everything onto less strings.

If it was easy we would all be Jimi Hendrix. LOL But taking this into consideration, is why I presented the movable chord method on CD 6. I personally feel it offers an approach that is understandable and easy to relate to a standard 6 string by using the usual fake books (chord books) of your favorite artist or band. See the chord in the book and find it on the CBG. If you already know the song, strumming the rhythm to start, is not that difficult. 

Please feel free to write if you have any questions. Enjoy the exploration, Keni Lee    

 

KLB: "It is not the instrument, in regard to the numbers of strings, that is limited, but the musician's knowledge and skill of application." 

 

A-men! "It's in the fingers..."

If you have your guitar tuned to open G then when you strum it no slide you have G is your guitar freted? if so look at Keni Lee's stuff have a look thought the groups lots of info that will help you find what you need ;-)

Yes, its freted. Its in DAd at the moment but I'm hoping to get some other strings to lighten the tone a bit. Im very ignorant as to what strings to use on my scale length for xyz tuning etc. etc. 

All I know is that it has a 27" scale and another 5" to the furthest tuner.

But I deviate. I have looked at what Keni has to offer but it seems overwhelming. I LOVE slide but standard blues and ragtime / jazz also floats my boat (a'la Pokey Lafarge and Leon Redbone). Not sure where to turn in practical terms.

Hello Tom,

Consider CD 6. It is about learning chords and progessions. Basic stuff.  

Everything looks overwhelming from the start, but it really will make sense.

No one wants something too difficult, but on the other hand, you don't want something so watered down and basic it leads nowhere.

Additionally, I am here if questions arise, and as a teacher, I am always interested to see how things work out for my friends and students.

Enjoy, Keni Lee  

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