Banjo Chords: A Practical approach to playing CBG

I just recently posted Lesson 1 of

Part 2: How to Play 3 string CBG

(A Cigar Box Guitar Player's Guide to Playing Chords)

I would like students to understand that I am not reinventing the wheel.

I am teaching a method of movable chords that is based upon 4 string tenor guitar / banjo and the traditional 5 string banjo that utilize open tunings (The instrument is tuned to a chord).

Although a 5 string banjo is usually tuned in the key of G (gDgbd) all the chord shapes will work!!!

The Dgb strings have the same relationship as string ADf# on my 3 string CBG in the key of D. (Tones 513 from the Major Scale)

On the banjo, of course the high g is played as an open drone, but the high d string can be fingered the same way a the low D!!!

Actually, chords on 4 and 5 string instruments are closer to full six string guitar chords because a chord begins and ends on the same tonic (Tone 1 from the Major Scale) note. (Example: G chord starts and ends on G)

This is not exactly possible with the limitations of a 3 string. Playing mostly "partial chords" the arrangments have a rural primative quality. I personally like this. It has a very unique voice.

This information is also directly applicable to six string guitar in open tuning (Delta style Bottleneck Blues Guitar)

I hope you find this information useful in your practice.

Enjoy, Keni Lee

Right after I left that comment and shut down to get to work, I had an epiphany.
My aha moment was the realization that I could set up a four stringer just like my banjo tuning for practice, and at the same time "fix" another problem.
Anyone who has tried to learn an instrument knows how annoying a household can become while practicing the same lick, phrase or technique again, and again...... Well its three times as bad with certain instruments. Fiddle and Banjo certainly come to mind. Yes, I can remove the resonator, and even stuff a towel inside, but I dont even like to change tunings, just want to pick it up and play you know?
So I have just what I needed! Another motivation to build yet another project! (Like I needed an excuse. really!)
But I can just throw together an acoustic four stringer and I might even purposely build it to be muted......... Just for practice.
Now Keni throws these additional tuning ideas at me and I want to build one of each............. LOL!
Oh and the banjitar video is good too, thanks for the link!

Replies

Keni Lee Burgess November 18, 2010 at 3:27pm

Thank you Mark for your response. Yes, the possibilities are endless. Necessity...The mother of invention. There is an early 3 string banjo from Africa that might interest you. Enjoy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UY56zfyJsPw
Mark Bliss November 18, 2010 at 12:50pm

Right after I left that comment and shut down to get to work, I had an epiphany.
My aha moment was the realization that I could set up a four stringer just like my banjo tuning for practice, and at the same time "fix" another problem.
Anyone who has tried to learn an instrument knows how annoying a household can become while practicing the same lick, phrase or technique again, and again...... Well its three times as bad with certain instruments. Fiddle and Banjo certainly come to mind. Yes, I can remove the resonator, and even stuff a towel inside, but I dont even like to change tunings, just want to pick it up and play you know?
So I have just what I needed! Another motivation to build yet another project! (Like I needed an excuse. really!)
But I can just throw together an acoustic four stringer and I might even purposely build it to be muted......... Just for practice.
Now Keni throws these additional tuning ideas at me and I want to build one of each............. LOL!
Oh and the banjitar video is good too, thanks for the link!
Keni Lee Burgess November 18, 2010 at 7:57am

Thank you Mark for your response. I play around with clawhammer technique from time to time, but mainly wearing fingerpicks, I am conditioned to upstroking with my fingers. LOL I play banjo from time to time too, but nothing related in style to traditional Bluegrass banjo. Certainly the picking patterns are different on banjo than they are on the guitar due to that high drone 5th string, but the gDgbd tuning is very similar to the guitar DGDgbd in Open G. So, this is why I am very fond of the banjitar:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F89Gr_OyTwo
There are so many options, but certainly applying a similar approach to different instruments is a great way to have a variety of sound, but not a lot of confusion.
Enjoy your practice.
Keni Lee Burgess November 18, 2010 at 7:44am

Thank you Ben for responding. Yes, definitely each tuning offers it own unique voice too. Currently, I am working with a system of movable chords based on a 513 interval, but there are five other possibilities too, that can be used as a basis for building a moveable chord system: 531, 315, 351, 135, 153. Talk about options! Enjoy.
Mark Bliss November 18, 2010 at 7:33am

Great help Keni, hits home for me as I felt I had kind of "hit a wall" from trying to play to many various intruments. Now if you can just tutor me on improving my claw hammer technique.... LOL! I have wanted for so long to become better at a "blues style" banjo technique and you have me headed back on the right track I believe. Bless you sir!
Ben November 18, 2010 at 6:06am

Gotcha. Let's not discount the unique sound that chord voicings play though. (But yes...the world is balanced again...we share the same outlook on things...)

Keni Lee Burgess said:
Thank you Ben for your comment. I believe you are totally correct in regards to traditonal tenor tuning. Notice the traditional is only in front of the word "banjo". My approach of tuning a tenor banjo / guitar to open G Dgbd comes from appying my knowledge to the instrument. My point is simply that it is not necessary to learn all new fingerings to play a wide variety of instruments. If you restring an instrument, and retune it to a tuning that you have a working knowledge of, you can get the unique tone the instrument offers. A ukulele can be open tuned too. Enjoy.
Keni Lee Burgess November 17, 2010 at 11:00pm

Thank you Jason for your comment. Yes, you are exactly on the right track in my mind. Certainly, due to the unique high open drone string found on a banjo, the picking patterns are different than on a guitar that has bass strings, but the chords are definitely the same. I play banjo too, but certainly not like a Bluegrass player.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRmhVsd2404
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QsWcvh10w1Y
The point is like I stated, there are direct simularities between tunings. If you can see them, you can take advantage of your already exsisting knowledge. You don't need, like you clearly understand, a whole new set of fingerings and chords.
Did you see my blog?
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/profiles/blogs/triads-exploring-the-b...
Enjoy your practice and thanks again for your interest.
Keni Lee Burgess November 17, 2010 at 10:45pm

Thank you Hermit for your comment. In addition to the Key of C chords, I will be posting lessons for the keys of D, G , A, and E. Also 7th and m7th chords. I think the whole series will provide a good foundation for finding any chord you need in three different positions. Enjoy your practice and thanks again for your interest.
Keni Lee Burgess November 17, 2010 at 10:40pm

Thank you Ben for your comment. I believe you are totally correct in regards to traditonal tenor tuning. Notice the traditional is only in front of the word "banjo". My approach of tuning a tenor banjo / guitar to open G Dgbd comes from appying my knowledge to the instrument. My point is simply that it is not necessary to learn all new fingerings to play a wide variety of instruments. If you restring an instrument, and retune it to a tuning that you have a working knowledge of, you can get the unique tone the instrument offers. A ukulele can be open tuned too. Enjoy.
Ben November 17, 2010 at 6:22pm

Hey Keni Lee,
I know that we tend to comment on the same "How do you chord..." posts and we tend to talk about open tunings and I usually follow a logic towards 5-string banjo tunings. I'm curious about your tenor banjo/guitar comment though. These tenor instruments are not traditionally tuned to open chords but instead in 5ths (CGDA like a viola). The other option I'm aware of is the "Chicago" style tuning for 6-string players who want to play a tenor guitar (DGBe like the top 4 strings of a 6er). Did you find another traditional way of tuning the tenors? (I admit I haven't watched the video...yet). Please note that I'm not picking a fight, just wondering how I didn't know of a traditional open tenor tuning before.

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