I'm a chord-playing mandolin player. I know the basics - mostly 2 and 3 finger chords. I'm looking at checking out a 4-string CBG and either tuning it to GDAE or open tuning it and learning some slide. I see so many 3-string CBG and am wondering if they are strictly for picking and slide, or do people strum them? Do they sound lame to strum because there are only three strings?
Just wondering...
BB
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I play mainly in open tunings. It is possible to play in all the various keys using moveable chords, but essentially the guitar works best in one key. Arranging in the key of the 5 chord works well too. I have chord charts on my page for 3 different inversions up the neck for Dgbd tuning (Spanish Open G). Of course, if you add a high drone g string (gDgbd), you are playing banjo.
Regardless of the tuning you decide on, you should basically find the chords of the major scale up the neck (major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished). Utilizing the first tone (tonic) on different strings will help you find the different inversion. Approaching an instrument in this fashion, makes it possible to easily see the arrangement of the basic chords. Enjoy.
I guess its all about how you think about playing. I played standard guitar for many, many years but have recently been playing banjo. I find the chords to be much friendlier (same with the full Spanish tuning on a guitar). You don't get the same voicings of chords which I think is really important. Knowing when the voicing of a standard tuned guitar, versus the banjo/spanish, versus mandolin/tenor banjo (guitar) works best. Kind of like hot peppers...all spicy but not the same flavor...
Barry Lampke said:
Looks like I meant DGBE, the top four strings of a guitar. I know basic guitar and mando chords so I want to stick with something I know (especially if I'm expected to sing too!).
Ben said:
Barry...DGBd...welcome to the banjo. Look up banjo chords. As for scale length, a relatively standard length works well for this tuning. My banjo is actually about 26." I've made plenty of different lengths though. I believe Diane in Chicago plays short scale instruments. A word of warning: if you're not great about putting frets in the right place, longer scale necks will be more forgiving to the ear. Otherwise, experiment and have fun. If you know how to transpose, you can play anything!
Barry Lampke said:
I meant DGBD...
Barry Lampke said:
Holy cow - thanks for reminding me about this! If I can do C, G, E, A, Am, Em, Dm, F Bb and B7 I am OK. I will have to test on a reg. guitar. What do you think? Perhaps DGDB, the four high strings of the guitar? Will these chords work well with this tuning?
John Bolton said:
I have done mando tuning (GDAE) on CBGs and it works for simple 2 finger chords. The longer scale of a guitar neck makes for some long finger stretches making it hard to utilize your mando skills. I do better chording/picking and sliding in open G (DGBD) using some banjo chords. Good luck.
Looks like I meant DGBE, the top four strings of a guitar. I know basic guitar and mando chords so I want to stick with something I know (especially if I'm expected to sing too!).
Ben said:
Barry...DGBd...welcome to the banjo. Look up banjo chords. As for scale length, a relatively standard length works well for this tuning. My banjo is actually about 26." I've made plenty of different lengths though. I believe Diane in Chicago plays short scale instruments. A word of warning: if you're not great about putting frets in the right place, longer scale necks will be more forgiving to the ear. Otherwise, experiment and have fun. If you know how to transpose, you can play anything!
Barry Lampke said:
I meant DGBD...
Barry Lampke said:
Holy cow - thanks for reminding me about this! If I can do C, G, E, A, Am, Em, Dm, F Bb and B7 I am OK. I will have to test on a reg. guitar. What do you think? Perhaps DGDB, the four high strings of the guitar? Will these chords work well with this tuning?
John Bolton said:
I have done mando tuning (GDAE) on CBGs and it works for simple 2 finger chords. The longer scale of a guitar neck makes for some long finger stretches making it hard to utilize your mando skills. I do better chording/picking and sliding in open G (DGBD) using some banjo chords. Good luck.
Barry...DGBd...welcome to the banjo. Look up banjo chords. As for scale length, a relatively standard length works well for this tuning. My banjo is actually about 26." I've made plenty of different lengths though. I believe Diane in Chicago plays short scale instruments. A word of warning: if you're not great about putting frets in the right place, longer scale necks will be more forgiving to the ear. Otherwise, experiment and have fun. If you know how to transpose, you can play anything!
Barry Lampke said:
I meant DGBD...
Barry Lampke said:
Holy cow - thanks for reminding me about this! If I can do C, G, E, A, Am, Em, Dm, F Bb and B7 I am OK. I will have to test on a reg. guitar. What do you think? Perhaps DGDB, the four high strings of the guitar? Will these chords work well with this tuning?
John Bolton said:
I have done mando tuning (GDAE) on CBGs and it works for simple 2 finger chords. The longer scale of a guitar neck makes for some long finger stretches making it hard to utilize your mando skills. I do better chording/picking and sliding in open G (DGBD) using some banjo chords. Good luck.
Holy cow - thanks for reminding me about this! If I can do C, G, E, A, Am, Em, Dm, F Bb and B7 I am OK. I will have to test on a reg. guitar. What do you think? Perhaps DGDB, the four high strings of the guitar? Will these chords work well with this tuning?
John Bolton said:
I have done mando tuning (GDAE) on CBGs and it works for simple 2 finger chords. The longer scale of a guitar neck makes for some long finger stretches making it hard to utilize your mando skills. I do better chording/picking and sliding in open G (DGBD) using some banjo chords. Good luck.
Dang! Doing an Am with GDAE tuning on a 25" scale (my 6-string regular guitar) is painful! B7 is similarly a stretch. I can manage other chords OK. Now what to do? Can I fudge these chords? Do people make CBGs with necks on a smaller scale, larger than a mando or Uke, or is it pretty much one or the other?
Barry Lampke said:
Holy cow - thanks for reminding me about this! If I can do C, G, E, A, Am, Em, Dm, F Bb and B7 I am OK. I will have to test on a reg. guitar. What do you think? Perhaps DGDB, the four high strings of the guitar? Will these chords work well with this tuning?
John Bolton said:
I have done mando tuning (GDAE) on CBGs and it works for simple 2 finger chords. The longer scale of a guitar neck makes for some long finger stretches making it hard to utilize your mando skills. I do better chording/picking and sliding in open G (DGBD) using some banjo chords. Good luck.
Holy cow - thanks for reminding me about this! If I can do C, G, E, A, Am, Em, Dm, F Bb and B7 I am OK. I will have to test on a reg. guitar. What do you think? Perhaps DGDB, the four high strings of the guitar? Will these chords work well with this tuning?
John Bolton said:
I have done mando tuning (GDAE) on CBGs and it works for simple 2 finger chords. The longer scale of a guitar neck makes for some long finger stretches making it hard to utilize your mando skills. I do better chording/picking and sliding in open G (DGBD) using some banjo chords. Good luck.
Playing and strumming a 3 string CBG can be done, but it is a little tricky. Basically due to the lack of strings. A major chord requires 3 tones (135). To make it a 7th chord, you need to add the flat 7. You can drop a note and work in partial chords. It is for this reason, 4 string instruments are more popular than 2 and three string instruments all around the world. The other problem is chord voicing and finding the necessary chords right next to each other. Please check out the Chord Chemistry 101 lectures in my blog on my page. You might find this helpful with 4 string chord inversions up and down the neck. Also, if you are interested, please check out my instructional video CD 4 (3 string CBG). I think you will find it a good exploration of 151 tuning (GDg). Enjoy. http://shop.ebay.com/njmikeb/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&a...
Replies
Regardless of the tuning you decide on, you should basically find the chords of the major scale up the neck (major, minor, minor, major, major, minor, diminished). Utilizing the first tone (tonic) on different strings will help you find the different inversion. Approaching an instrument in this fashion, makes it possible to easily see the arrangement of the basic chords. Enjoy.
Barry Lampke said:
Ben said:
Barry Lampke said:
Barry Lampke said:
Barry Lampke said:
John Bolton said:
Barry
http://shop.ebay.com/njmikeb/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&a...
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