Hello,
Let me start of by saying I am not musically gifted. I am trying, I love music more than anything and would want more than anything to learn to play a cbg. Well I built one, I followed the advice and plans here. It turned out great , its a three string fret less made with a Fuentes box. I added electronics a pezo and jack so I can plug my sons amp into it. It sounds ok the action is a little big I had to big of bridge and nut on it. Now it plays better since i fixed it but I am still frustrated. I can't seem to get the hang of playing it. I thought having only 3 strings would be easier. So here is my barge of questions if anyone wants to take pity on what might be a lost cause. What strings do you recommend to get the Mississippi delta blues sound? Steel or brass wound? What gauge? My neck is very sturdy so i can but a pretty heavy string on it. I have a glass slide, so you think a glass slide is a bad idea? Copper? How do you play with a slid? Pluck then slip? slide then pluck? I really would love to learn how to play this and building it my self is just the icing on the cake. I have looked on the net for videos but all I have found so far is open tuning and a lot of people playing beautiful music. Music I wish I could play, all I wish is to make a simple song.
Should I make one that has frets? what about having a pickup instead of pezo? would that make a difference? any ideas would be appreciated.
Woody
woody@jaj.com
P.S. I am sorry for the lengt
Replies
I already play some instruments, but I did start late in life. I had to learn to hear intervals, develop an ear (same thing really), and find the instruments that were right for me.
The whole reason I'm doing cigar box guitars is that I need strings spaced further apart than a regular guitar. Like maybe twice as far apart. Not because I've got big hands, but because I lack the proper dexterity in the right hand to pick (I'm left handed).
So, keep trying, maybe move the strings further apart if you think that might help, and keep building the neural pathways that will eventually lead to some music.
of you want to have a bit more of a lively feel to it play 2 or 3 notes with the slide then one or two open strings - this works best just on one string, but if you check out a guy called Hollowbelly on Cigar Box Nation or Youtube then you will be able to see how to use this for 2 or 3 strings at a time. Remember: the only rule is that there are no rules.
Have fun!!
I started learning with IVI tuning. One of my guitars is tuned EBE (low tone) and another DAD (middle tone)
Here's something that should be fairly easy to pick up playing the melody on one string, but strumming all 3.
http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/ashton-box-guitar
It might take you a little while to duplicate the strumming rhythm since it changes a bit, but the notes will reach you.
Ryan,
Just some quickie advice to get you started:
One of the things Keni will probably tell you (after recommending you buy his DVD lessons, which I highly recommend), and the whole basis behind the 1 string Diddley Bow, is to start playing slide only on your first string. Forget about the other two for a bit. Get the feel for playing, as others have suggested, at the 3, 5, 7 and 12 frets, on one string only. Do this for a while, until you can produce a decent tone. You have to pluck and slide almost simultaneously; what I mean is (having played slide on a 6-string guitar occasionally over the years), have your slide resting on the string, just back of the 3d fret, say, then pluck the string, then immediately slide the slide so that it is directly over the 3d fret marker. Behind it, you will be out of tune; right on it, you will get the true tone. You can put a little quaver or vibrato in it by moving the slide back and forth very quickly over the fret marker. Do this at the 3, 5, 7 and 12 for awhile, until you get comfortable producing the tones you wanna hear. Once you've done that for awhile, and it sounds good, bar the slide across all 3 strings, using the pluck / slide methodology described above, at the 3, 5, 7 and 12 frets; this will give you slide chords. Do this for awhile. Go slow. It takes awhile to get the tones correct at the 3, 5, 7 and 12 frets.
That said, realize that you will also have to learn to move your two hands somewhat independently of one another. This takes a fair amount of practice, and again, the key is to go slow until you get the proper tones. Once you can do the 3, 5, 7, 12 thing 10 times without a mistake, try speeding up. Realize that you will make mistakes; it is an integral part of the learning process, and there's nothing wrong with it. Virtually any and everyone who takes up slide for the very first time, including Duane Allman, Fred McDowell, Howlin' Wolf, Gatemouth Brown, Muddy Waters, B.B. King, and a slew of others, started out exactly where you are now: not knowin' how to play a lick! Yes, they have talent, but they still had to practice first to develop that talent, just like you will.
So you're in good company.
Good luck!
Oily
P.S. As others have stated, look for Shane and Keni's video lessons.
Oily - You nailed it for me! I am even more of a newbie than Ryan, and everything you wrote here (in simple details) is exactly what I needed. ANY CHANCE YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE US 'LESSON 2'?
kieta
Pete Darnell said:
When I was more confused than I am now I got valuable info on tunings from this bunch. The tuning of the 3 strings is critical to any success, more so than I had thought.
I got help from Shane, Kenny Lee Burgess and Diane in Chicago in particular. My playing still is lumpy but now I can hear where I want to head.
Any of the groups where they offer Tab usually comes with a note on tuning too.
Good luck,
PRH
You should check out Shane Speal's videos on the home page and also John Mcnair's DVD which is sold here by clicking on his advertisement "Cigar Box Music" on the right hand side of this page.
Good luck!