I don't know much about music theory, but when I was a really really new fiddle and mandolin player, I learned this:
A huuuuuge number of songs (folk, rock, spiritual) revolve around a 3 chord progression. The root chord, the 4 and the 5. Once I figured this out, I could backup most fiddle jams even if I did not know the tune.
On a dulcimer-fretted CBG or stick dulcimer, your root chord is open. You only need two more chords.
So, if you were tuned DAd:
D root - open
G 4th - middle string first fret, other two open
A 5th - top and bottom strings first fret, middle open
That's it.
These same chord shapes apply, no matter what your tuning, so long as you are in some sort of power chord (DAd, GDg, AEa) to start. Those shapes will give you the 4th chord and the 5th chord of your root open chord.
Now you can play the chords to Puff the Magic Dragon, The Water is Wide, We Will Rock You, This Land is Your Land, Battle Hymn of the Republic, Oh Suzanna, Tis a Gift to Be Simple, Shenandoah,
Your ear will soon tell you when to change chords.
If you are looking at sheet music, you can generally identify the root chord by finding the last chord in the song. Then, you can transpose that to your CBG tuning by substituting your open/4th/5th appropriately.
Again, using D as an example:
D root, G 4th, A 5th
Just sub your open, 4th chord shape and 5th chord shape wherever you see a D, G and A, respectively. More below.
A root, D 4th, E 5th
G root, C 4th, D 5th
E root, A 4th, B 5th
Anyway, thought that might be helpful -- it sure was to me!
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Thanks Diane, that bit of wisdom is helpful, especially when I know what sound I like but cant always figure out how to make it. I believe that is my problem with 6 strings, figuring out the mechanics to make the sound, all the chords books I have don't teach enough in my opinion or maybe I just don't get it. Hopefully the 3 and 4 string cbg's will help simplify this.
Oh, you can also play some Beatles and Chuck Berry tunes and some Jerry Lee Lewis tunes with that 3 chord progression theory too. Thanks for the help.
LOL! Thanks Diane. I'll take that as a "yes" that the chord progreesion will be the same. I'll check out Shane's vids. I've got 4 projects in the works right now, and I hate making any two alike, so I may have to do both a "regular" dulcimer/strummer and a blues-cimer. Hey, maybe even a double neck with both!
Diane in Chicago said:
Oh, I wish I had a blues-stick here handy. As I recall the layout helped you pickout melodies in the blues scale, and the other strings you weren't fretting always make a cool chord.
And you can barre chord on those frets and get a blues progression.
At the top of the page is a "lessons" button. On that page are vids by Shane, showing the blues scale on a fretless. That was what inspired me to make a blues scale dulcimer in the first place. (however, I discovered I was far from the first - and I thought I was such a genius - har!) I put the frets where Shane tells you to put the slide.
The wife might like a blues stick! Makes you sound so groovy without knowing beans about music!
Oh, I wish I had a blues-stick here handy. As I recall the layout helped you pickout melodies in the blues scale, and the other strings you weren't fretting always make a cool chord.
And you can barre chord on those frets and get a blues progression.
At the top of the page is a "lessons" button. On that page are vids by Shane, showing the blues scale on a fretless. That was what inspired me to make a blues scale dulcimer in the first place. (however, I discovered I was far from the first - and I thought I was such a genius - har!) I put the frets where Shane tells you to put the slide.
The wife might like a blues stick! Makes you sound so groovy without knowing beans about music!
Hal "PairsNPaint" Spalter said:
Hello Diane!
I just joined this group and I've been reading the old posts.
I've built about a dozen CBGs so far, and was looking for something a little different. A "Blues-cimer" looks like fun and would probably help my novice playing. My question for you is this: Based on the above, would the three-chord progression fingering you describe work on a blues fretted fingerboard, i.e, do the different fret positions "make" the blues sound or is a different fingering required? I know it's probably a stupid question, but I am a total newbie (hooked on building, gotta learn to play or the wife throws 'em out.)
I just joined this group and I've been reading the old posts.
I've built about a dozen CBGs so far, and was looking for something a little different. A "Blues-cimer" looks like fun and would probably help my novice playing. My question for you is this: Based on the above, would the three-chord progression fingering you describe work on a blues fretted fingerboard, i.e, do the different fret positions "make" the blues sound or is a different fingering required? I know it's probably a stupid question, but I am a total newbie (hooked on building, gotta learn to play or the wife throws 'em out.)
Replies
Thanks Diane, that bit of wisdom is helpful, especially when I know what sound I like but cant always figure out how to make it. I believe that is my problem with 6 strings, figuring out the mechanics to make the sound, all the chords books I have don't teach enough in my opinion or maybe I just don't get it. Hopefully the 3 and 4 string cbg's will help simplify this.
Oh, you can also play some Beatles and Chuck Berry tunes and some Jerry Lee Lewis tunes with that 3 chord progression theory too. Thanks for the help.
Diane in Chicago said:
Oh, I wish I had a blues-stick here handy. As I recall the layout helped you pickout melodies in the blues scale, and the other strings you weren't fretting always make a cool chord.
And you can barre chord on those frets and get a blues progression.
At the top of the page is a "lessons" button. On that page are vids by Shane, showing the blues scale on a fretless. That was what inspired me to make a blues scale dulcimer in the first place. (however, I discovered I was far from the first - and I thought I was such a genius - har!) I put the frets where Shane tells you to put the slide.
The wife might like a blues stick! Makes you sound so groovy without knowing beans about music!
Hal "PairsNPaint" Spalter said:
Hello Diane!
I just joined this group and I've been reading the old posts.
I've built about a dozen CBGs so far, and was looking for something a little different. A "Blues-cimer" looks like fun and would probably help my novice playing. My question for you is this: Based on the above, would the three-chord progression fingering you describe work on a blues fretted fingerboard, i.e, do the different fret positions "make" the blues sound or is a different fingering required? I know it's probably a stupid question, but I am a total newbie (hooked on building, gotta learn to play or the wife throws 'em out.)
Thanks!