Difficulty Playing Chords - Finger Spread Across Frets!

Posted by Mi Rankin on January 25, 2024 at 6:30pm

Hi - Got my cgb up and tuned and now tring to play some music!
I have tried to follow some of the videos by Ben & Glenn with some success - I managed a few notes!
Stumbled across 'Chords made easy on the CB Gitty site -(https://www.cbgitty.com/news/3string-cigar-box-guitar-chord-forms-made-easy-the-ultimate-guide/) which looked very useful. However, there is no way my fingers are able to spread across the frets to manage the C Major Chord. - 2nd to 5th fret impossible.

To overcome this, big issue as I see it, would it work if I reduced my scale length and slightly narrowed my neck?  My CBG is set up to a 25.5inch (645mm) scale and 1 5/16 inch (34mm) width.
Any help or suggestions are appreciated.

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Replies

  • Bill Saunders February 7, 2024 at 12:52pm

    Another thing you might try is using a capo. Down tune by two semitones - from GDG to FCF. Put a capo on the 2nd fret. Then play chord shapes as you normally would. Basically moving the the nut down to the 2nd fret, about 3 inches on a 25 inch scale. Now your 2nd and 5th frets, about 4.5 inches apart on 25 inch scale, are the 4th and 7th frets, 3 1/8 inch apart. Notes and chords will be in tune, just a bit higher pitch due to the shorter scale.

    Best

    Bill

  • Bill Saunders January 26, 2024 at 9:57am

    Hi Mi.

    The difficulty you're experiencing is what led me to explore tunings different than GDG.

    I have personally settled on DGB, for now at least.

    If you look at the I,IV,V, minor VI in G, that is G, C, D, Em; then on DGB you have (0,0,0) for G; (2,0,1) for C; (0,2,3) for D5, or (0,2,1) for D7; and (2,0,0) for Em. Can play a lot of songs with those. Note I use the D7 as it makes the chord changes easier and faster, and the difference between the sound and a 'true' D is insignificant to my ear.

    Regards

    Bill

    • Mi Rankin > Bill Saunders January 29, 2024 at 4:59pm

      thanks, I'll give this a go.

    • MadGomer > Bill Saunders January 28, 2024 at 4:41pm

      I wish someday I could grasp all of that, the theory stuff just doesn't stick with me. Fortunately I have long fingers and can make a lot of the things work on gdg.

  • BrianQ. January 26, 2024 at 1:20am

    It’s still gonna be quite a stretch with a shorter scale, so be patient, it’s gonna take some time to train those fingers, best thing you can do is keep playing? 

    • Mi Rankin > BrianQ. January 29, 2024 at 3:55pm

      I'll be long gone of this planet before that happens!

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