Forums

3 stringer tuning advice for complete beginner - standard guitar or open tuning?

Posted by Guiyoforward on October 1, 2015 at 12:58pm in Performances, How to Play, Lessons, Concerts

Hi everyone, 

I am a complete beginner in music and guitar playing. I got a Loog guitar for my kids but liked it so much that I will build a CBG from the kits sold by CB Gitty. The problem is that I don't know how to play the guitar and I know very little music theory (and practice for that matter).

My question is fairly simple. Tuning a 3 stringer and/or Loog as the first three strings of the guitar GBE has the clear advantage that I can take any existing tablature and just use the bottom half part for chords. I still have to memorize 7 major chords, 7 minor chords, and a few more, and I need some dexterity in my hands which I don't really have :) Sounds doable though.

Now, there are many many open tunings, and correct  if I'm wrong, but GBD seems to be one of the most populars. From what I have read, this open tuning (and seral others, open C with  GCE) allow me to play several important chords by just barring the three strings and moving up and down the fret. This is a BIG advantage, it means very simple finger patterns, easy chord switching, and less costly transitions between chords. But then if I still have to learn several "complex" (i.e., not one finger barring all strings) patterns than I might as well just use standard guitar tuning...

My question is very specific: what are the advantages and disadvantages of one versus the other? There are of course millions of factors to take into account, so I'm asking this from the point of view of an untalented, ungifted, not too dexter, perhaps a little lazy newbie :) 

Thanks everyone!

You need to be a member of Cigar Box Nation to add comments!

Join Cigar Box Nation

Tags: open, tuning
Email me when people reply –
Follow

Replies

  • Paul Craig October 5, 2015 at 3:42am

    My CBG's are 4 string and I use the middle strings of a 6 string guitar A/D/G/B. I can use this tuning for many blues & rock guitar oriented songs and if I tune the low A string to G, then I can do slide or 1 finger chords for G/D/G/B(1-5-1-3) CBG style.

  • Cause the Blue rat October 3, 2015 at 9:09pm

    Truth is the options are limited to what you want to try. The strings you choose to use with the combination of tunings. 

    You mentioned the first three strings. If you start with standard tuning you can play simple cords using the G string as a drone. Incase you don’t know what a drone is. It’s a string ( or note  that is always hit wile a song is played. Think bagpipes but a lot easier to listen to. :). Great for bluegrass and more traditional Appellation style music. 

    An easy set of three note drone cords. Standard tuning. Using the G string as the drone. Simple numerical cord names. Major scale.Open G always played.

    I First string seventh fret. Second string eighth fret 

    II First string eighth fret. Second string tenth fret.

    III First string  tenth fret. Second string twelfth fret.

    IV First string twelfth. Second string thirteenth. ALSO can be played,

    First string open. Second string first fret. 

    V First string second fret. Second string third fret.

    VI First string third fret. Second string fifth fret.

    VII First string fifth fret. Second string seventh fret.

    VII = I 

    There is really no disadvantages in any tuning. it all depends on you. Your creativity and effort. Music is a hobby that pays 100% back what you put into it. 

    Your best bet. Get comfortable with one tuning. Then explore another. Each one is a new learning experience. Each one has new possibilities. 

    I know this isn’t the blues. But with any real guitar the music possibilities are endless.

    • Guiyoforward > Cause the Blue rat October 3, 2015 at 10:01pm

      Thanks!! I guess by standard you mean GBE standard guitar, not GDg "standard" cigar box. But never mind, I'll give these a try

  • the anonymous pick October 1, 2015 at 3:41pm

    short  , easy  ,  sweet . 


    credit to knotlenny
  • Ron "Oily" Sprague October 1, 2015 at 3:03pm
    Actually, the most common tuning for 3-stringers is GDg. On the Loog ( I have one as well), you can just barely get the E to tune up to G, and barely get the B to tune up to D, but it's doable. You're correct, GBE is easy on the Loog because standard guitar fingerings work for many chords. You can also use GCE, but be aware that what you learn in one tuning will not necessarily translate into another tuning.

    A really nice 3-string tuning is ADF#, which you can also do on the Loog. It has similar advantages to GBE, in that there are 3-finger movable chord shapes, and majors and minors are somewhat easier to play than GDg.

    There are advantages to GDg, like 1-finger barre chords, and there are also some interesting limitations.
    • Guiyoforward > Ron "Oily" Sprague October 1, 2015 at 4:57pm

      Thanks. My impression is that 1-finger barre chords are THE solution for someone like me. Am I wrong about that? If it's true, any criteria to decide between GBD and GDg?

      • Ron "Oily" Sprague > Guiyoforward October 1, 2015 at 11:47pm
        Criteria for those tunings is primarily what kinda music you wanna play. GBD is essentially a banjo tuning, while GDg lends itself to blues. But you can play almost any style (within some limitations -like 3 strings ;-) ). Pick's vid of Knotlenny (my distant cousin Kevin Sprague) is a great place to start learning. Also have a look at Shane Speal's teaching vids (use the Search, Luke.)
This reply was deleted.