Hi! I'm Bill, a 68 year old geezer, who always wanted to play guitar, but my fingers were too fat to make a chord!
I saw a cigar box guitar online, and saw the generous string spacing, and said Eureka!!
Bought one from a local guy, and watched a few videos, and strted strumming along the first day. I ain't saying it sounded good, but I was playing!
I have messed with lap steel some, because using a steel, I don't have to fret chords, but I am not as interested in playing melodies or solos as I am in just being able to sit in with some friends and strum along.
Well, After I got a little used to playing the CGB using one finger chords, I started looking for other places to find the chords.
It struck me that I could tune the guitar to a major triad, as with the A, C#, E strings of my lap steel.
I decided to give it a try (only using G, B, D), and it seems like the chords lay out real nicely, with major, minor, and 7ths real handy, and with the 1, 4, 5 changes available within a couple of frets of each other using "slants".
All that to ask this newbie question...
What are the downsides to tuning to a major triad?
I don't want to start down this road, to find out the hard way it is a dead end.
Oh, yeah, 99% country!
Many thanks, and I love my CBG and CBN!!
Bill
Replies
Major chord open tuning does in fact give you easy access to all 4 chord shapes
Thanks, JL
For GBD open tuning, here are the 1, 4, 5, relative minor and seventh:
This particular form for the G7 is kinda awkward for me, and there are two or three other ways to get it, but this is to show how they all can be accessed within a few frets of each other.
C maj
5
| x | - | - | - | - |
| x | - | - | - | - |
| x | - | - | - | - |
F maj
5 6 7
| - | - | x | - | - |
| - | x | - | - | - |
| x | - | - | - | - |
G maj
5 7 8 9
| - | - | - | - | x |
| - | - | - | x | - |
| - | - | x | - | - |
G7
5 6 7
| x | - | - | - | - |
| - | x | - | - | - |
| - | - | x | - | - |
A min
5
| - | - | x | - | - |
| x | - | - | - | - |
| x | - | - | - | - |
Funny you should ask...
I never cared much for strumming GBD tuning because of the "parallel fifths" sound getting monotonous. Like the others here, I preferred Gdg or dgb or f#ad'. Then I stumbled across Bill Evans's book "Banjo for Dummies" on sale at the used book store.
Bought 2 finger picks and a thumb pick and tried playing 3-finger style as if GBD were the first 3 strings on a 5-string banjo. I'm using a slide on a fretless instrument and picking 3-finger "rolls" in steady 8th notes. You have to adapt his roll patterns to 3 strings--but see examples on his page 166 and following (or see and hear typical rolls in any banjo instruction book or video).
This may make sense to you from lap steel days. I know I've seen Dobro players mimic the banjo rolls on AC#E.
The 1, 5, 8 tuning is a starting point. With every different open tuning there's different music to be had. Even tuning three or four stings in standard tuning works.
Took me a second, but I figured it out.
:-)
Working on this song today:
transposed to where chords are
F C Am A# and C
https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/deluge/open_up_the_sky_chords_...
You sound like you have more music theory than I do. There are a great many tunings used and I think yours makes an open G. I think if you are just sliding it might be great, but like Korigan said, if you want to do some finger chords and picking, DGB is easiest to do that and good old GDG is as close to a standard as there is in CBGs.
I use GDGB on a four string tuning (among others) and like it.
I suggest you take a look at this lesson: knotlenny's CBG 101 at page top or google it.
Thanks, John. Will do.
I don't foresee much sliding, hopefully some fingerpicking and strumming.
Basically these are usually tuned 1-5-1(old Rock power chords) for the simplicity, but you can tune to what you want. I prefer 4 strings that I tune 1-5-1-3. That way I can add a 3rd when I want and makes playing with 4rths and 7ths easier.
Welcome.
I am enjoying learning playing this thing, and have been pleasantly surprised to find out that at least on simple songs, I can actually sing and play at the same time!
There may be a 4-string in my future, if the string spacing will accomodate my chubby fingers. :-)
I use the 1"x 2" boards for my necks(actual 3/4"x 1&1/2") and I have the short fat fingers too. Which is why I played Rhythm guitar using power chords. LOL Remember that 6 string guitars are usually 1&11/16" or 1&3/4" at the nut, so 4 strings with 1&1/2" all the up the board is very good spacing. I found myself getting use to all the space.
Not many can sing and play at the same time and some can do both very well at the same time. Practice, practice, practice and practice some more.
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