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Day one
Let the build begin
This is a basic tutorial on reading tabs made by me for 3 string instruments. For a guitarist, tabs are a simple way to learn songs without having to read musical notes, and tabs can also show many of the same things as musical notation such as timing and special effects like hammer-ons and vibrato, but rather than generically telling you what note to play, it tells you which string and fret. After learning the basics, most guitarists find tabs more intuitive than musical notation, and many go no further than learning to read tabs. OK, on to the tutorial!
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This is a basic example of how I write out tabs. There is a lot of information in this little bit, and I hope that this tutorial will help you to understand it.
You will see that under the song title, I tell you the tuning. While 6 string guitars have a standard tuning:
E A D G B E (yes, there are exceptions), CBG's are tuned in a number of different ways, so I always specify what type of tuning in Roman numerals, though rarely in which key. This example is of a popular tuning for slide guitar, the open power chord, and is featured in Keni Lee Burgess' video CD#4 "How To Play 3 String Cigar Box Guitar- 1930 Depression Era Bottleneck Slide Guitar". I typically tune to the key of G, which would be G-D-G, in A it would be A-E-A and so forth; what is important is the string pitch relationship and not the exact note name.
Once you have determined the tuning, look at the tab grid. The lines represent the 3 strings of your guitar. From top to bottom on the grid are strings 1, 2 and 3. On your guitar it is opposite: string 1 is the one towards the floor (usually the highest pitched), string 2 is in the middle, and string 3 is at the top towards the sky. This is illustrated below:
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Next, look at the numbers on the tab grid. These are the fret number where you need to press down the string with your finger or slide. The first measure (measures will be described with time signature) would be read like this: 3rd string open, 1st string open, 3rd string open, 2nd string open. The second measure would be: 3rd string open, 2nd string open, 1st string pressed at the 4th fret, and then strumming the 3rd string open, 2nd string open and 1st string pressed at the 4th fret, all together..
Next, let's look at the right hand fingerings. These tell you which string to pluck with, and in this particular fingerstyle playing I use 3 fingers: T for thumb, I for index and M for middle. I don't always include fingerings in song tabs, but I often do in exercises.
The time signature tells you how many beats per measure in the top number, and the bottom number tells which note is a beat. This example is 4/4, also called common time, and means there are 4 beats to a measure and each beat is represented by a quarter note. Try tapping your foot to a regular beat: "one-two-three-four"; these would be your quarter notes and at four, you've arrived at the length of a measure. Now try: "one-and-two-and-three-and-four-and"; these are eighth notes, your foot taps on the number and the upbeat is represented by the "and". "four-and" marks the end of the measure.
Tab can also show much more, just like musical notation, but these are the basics to reading the tabs that I write out. Once you understand these basics, you should be able to learn new songs using this common system, as well as writing out your own tabs.
This is a commission instrument for John Campbell. It's name is Newgrange, inspired by the prehistoric monument in County Meath, Ireland.
Stay tuned...
Here's a pic of the progress so far - a Las Cabrillas box, and some maple
I decided to put a strip of rosewood between the maple ears on the neck. I glued it to the ears first.
Then glued the ears to the neck
Viola!
I cut the neck hole in the box and made a fingerboard. I'm trying to get the fingerboard color close to the sides of the box.
Took a hard look at surface planeres and planer/joiners this morning at Lowe's and decided that I have no real justification for spending money on either. I could buy a lot of 1/4" and 3/4" dimensional lumber for $500. Maybe I can pickup a bargain at an auction this summer.
Well I have made some progress and got me a dod o' wood. Its a left over piece of my kids bunk bed. Its softwood but should be ok for a fretless guitar.
Still unsure if I should go down the hardcore route of building my own pickups or be a big jessie and buy one?
Has any one tried making these coin picks. I dont know the benifits over nylon but they look cool. people are asking $10 a pop on ebay for a quarter. Thought I 'd give it a try today .Fairly easy to do. Start out with a bench grinder , then over the my worksharp to polish them up. I prefer something a little larger so I'll try a dollar coin next. Nickle is a golf ball marker.
First off, I'm not a teacher. I'm happy to help as I can, but I DO NOT TEACH CBG! People ask lots of questions about my theory and tab posts, and I want to help, but the truth is, I AM NOT A TEACHER!
So, you built you a CBG and now you want to figure out how to play it. You're in the right place! Check out the free lessons under "How To Play".
If you have no clue or experience playing guitar, start with CBG 101 and Knot Lenny's videos, they'll get you off on the right foot. Once you get past strumming and putting a slide on your finger, click here for a bunch of easy songs to play.
When you're ready to add a bit of pizzaz to your playing, check out Shane Speal's video lessons. He'll teach you some cool licks and riffs, but you have to have a small amount of skill that you learned from the previously mentioned lessons.
If you're sold on playing CBG's, and are comfortable with CBG101, Knot Lenny and Shane's lessons, you're ready for Keni Lee. I have found no better lessons, free or paid, than Keni's, and you get much more than your money's worth buying his CD's. He walks you through basic music theory, not that annoying classical opera crap, but just enough to understand the fretboard and how songs are constructed, and in a way that an ignorant screwball like me can understand. Start with CD4, which gets you going with a slide and finger picking, and walks you through a handfull of cool songs. You'll also unlock the mysteries of the notes on fretboard and learn just enough music theory to understand how songs are constructed. If you have questions or need encouragement, Keni is very available here on CBNation and Facebook, and I also see him a bit on Google+. When you're ready for more, just ask his advice on the next step.
My tabs and reference materials are based on my interpretation of Keni's lessons and the techniques they teach, and by using them, I assume you're following his lessons, though they are not officially approved of by Keni. Much of the theory stuff I post is useless without his CD's, and are only personal references and practice schemes based on his CD's that I share freely with his other students. If you ask me a question that is covered in Keni's lessons, I will point you to buy them.
Jan 27 2013: Another friend here, Redbelly, just recommended another site teaching CBG: www.learncigarboxguitar.com . I've given it a little look-see, and it's got some good stuff on it. While there's a paid lesson plan, there's also lots of free tabs that are well done for starting out or intermediate players like myself. Check it out, and get in touch with Redbelly if you need more info on the lessons. Thanks, RB!
Enjoy!
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Keni Lee's video lessons are great, and I'm having fun learning with them. I play fretless 3 string, both with a slide and fingering, using finger picks. I've worked out these exercises for myself to accompany Kenni's CD4 in I-V-I tuning. Each line of 4 bars is an exercise I repeat for about 2-5 minutes (some exercises are only 2 bars, with 2 left blank). The right hand fingerings are indicated over the tab, and left hand is either slide or fingering notes, I do both. The goals of these exercises are to improve my knowledge of the fretboard and various fingerpicking patterns. I'm no teacher, and I'm not really available to answer questions about these exercises, please refer to Kenni's instructional video CD4. These are not songs, they are exercises only.
Click here to download Major Scale And Fingerpicking Exercises
bars 1-4: 1st string major scale with alternating bass line
bars 5-8: 1st string rolling major scale with alternating bass line
bars 9-12: cross-neck major scale
bars 13-16: rolling cross-neck major scale
bars 17-20: 2nd string major scale with 1st string major III harmony and also "galloping" picking pattern
A diagram for a tele body
Picked up 13 great boxes for $3 each at Royal Tobacco, 4700 Cemetery Rd., Hilliard, OH. They had a ton of them and it's the best variety I've found since I began building CBGs.
Les Cigar Box Guitar que nous connaissons et liées à la musique blues ou folk sont indéniablement des réalisations américaines. Celles d'esclaves qui ont adaptés sur le sol américain des instruments qu'ils construisaient et pratiquaient en Afrique. Du Diddley Bow unicorde à la CBG de 2, 3, ou 4 cordes à l'imitation de produits plus luxueux qu'ils ne pouvaient se payer comme la contrebasse, le violon, la guitare à 6 cordes, on peut dire que tous les instruments sont passés par leurs mains expertes pour arriver dans les nôtres aujourd’hui.
Mais ce type d'instruments et leurs constructions n'est pas un phénomène isolé mais bien un processus global, tous les pays, toutes les civilisations ayant un jour ou l'autre fabriquées ce type d'instrument.
Plus prés de nous, ce sont les poilus de 14-18 qui ont durant le peu de temps libre que leur laissait la guerre, revenait à l’artisanat qu'ils pratiquaient dans le civil pour produire, des bijoux, des meubles, des sculptures, des briquets, etc, et des instruments de musique dont ils jouaient aussi.
C'est l'art et l'artisanat insolite des tranchées, ou pour échapper aux horreurs qui les entouraient ces hommes créaient des objets de toutes beauté avec les moyen du bord et en récupérant tout ce qui pouvait leur tomber sous la main. A noter que les soldats allemands en face en faisaient autant ainsi que tous les autres soldats des autres pays impliqués dans ce conflit.
Voici pour inspiration quelques instruments de poilus fait dans des casque, des gourdes voir des masques à gaz!...
English version
The Cigar Box Guitars we know and related to blues or folk music are undeniably American achievements. Those of slaves who have adapted on American soil the musical instruments they used to built and practiced in Africa. From one string Diddley Bow, 2, 3, or 4 strings CBG to copy of the most luxurious products they could not afford as bass, violin, 6 strings, guitar, we can say that all instruments have passed through their expert hands to be nours today.
But such instruments and their construction is not an isolated phenomenon but a global process, all countries, all cultures have at one time or another , made this type of instrument.
Closer to us, are the "Poilus" of 1914-18 (*nickname of french sodiers during WWI we can traduce by "hairy") who during the little free time that they the war left them, returned to the craft they practiced in the civilian life to produce, jewelry, furniture, sculpture , lighters, etc. and musical instruments they played as well.
It is the unusual art and crafts of the trenches, to escape to the horrors that surrounded them, these men have created beautiful objects with all the things and means they could . Please note that the German soldiers did the same thing and with them all other soldiers of countries involved in this conflict.
Here's for inspiration some instruments made from helmets, gourds and even gas masks! ...
Et voici une photo des soldats (Allemands) avec leurs réalisations (et deux "cigar box")
English version
And here is a picture of soldiers (Germans) with their instruments (and two "cigar box")
Et ici un Diddley Bow d'un soldat Canadien.
English version
And here a Diddley Bow of a Canadian soldier.
On pourra aller jeter un œil sur les sites ci-dessous ou il y pas mal d'instruments référencés et de superbes photos:
- l'artisanat de tranchées
- les objets de tranchées plus général mais on y trouve des instruments de musique
- le superbe site de Claude Ribouillaud, sur les instruments de musique de facture amateur, et qui en retrace l'histoire. On lira en particulier la section: La lutherie sauvage : art des solutions et message latent trés intéressante sur les instruments des soldats de 14-18.
- Soldier's orchestra montre des photos de ces orchestres avec des instruments improvisés.(ci-dessous)
English version
You can have a look at the sites below where there are a lot of beautiful instruments referenced with pictures:
- l'artisanat de tranchées (the craft of the trenches In French)
- les objets de tranchées (The objects of the trenches in French) more general but there are musical instruments
- The superb site of Claude Ribouillaud (In French), on musical instruments imade by amateur, and which tells their story. We recommend to read in particular the section: La lutherie sauvage : art des solutions et message laten (The wild lutherie : art solutions and latent message - In French) very interesting and about soldiers instruments in 1914-18.
- Soldier's orchestra shows pictures of these bands with improvised instruments. (here below)
Yesterday was busy but I didn't get a lot done on builds.
Went to Lowes to get supplies. They were completely out of the sink strainers I like to use for sound holes. Crap! I did get some new carbide bits, more wood stock, a thin blade for my miter saw and various bits.
Took apart and cut up an ancient tin circus clown toy drum that is going to become a resonator plate for a guitar. Sure, I could have just cut a hole for a neck and Bob's your uncle, but the sides were dented to high heaven so I went this route. The tin was flimsy when cut but I hammered the cut edge under making a lip around the piece and it added strength. If I keep enough tension on the tin when I attach it to the box I think it'll work out fine.
Made 24 finish nail frets for my boat paddle bass. Cut and ground them with a dremel cut of wheel. Took maybe 30 minutes - a lot less time than I thought it was going to.
Laminated some oak strips to the back of MY guitar's neck to strengthen it and create a heel. I ripped down the area that goes under the license plate, so the added strength will help and since I'm using a super thick Undercrown box I won't have to brace it as much now.
I'm sick of finding a cigar box that looks nice but it's a little small and the shop owner wants seven or eight dollars for it. Often times I walk in to a shop and find nothing at all in the size range, so I just decided to not play any more. I have a nice little stash of boxes for when I want to revisit that method but making my own boxes I can have exactly the size box I want and my soundboards don't wind up being masonite. I have two of my smaller sized boxes ready to install the necks and I'm looking forward to seeing what they are going to sound like.
This weekend I fretted a 25" scale, 22 fret aspen fingerboard and three 12 fret soprano uke oak fingerboards.
Cut a hole and dry mounted my 1942 PA License Plate in an Undergrown Gordito box for MY guitar! I say MY but I thought my latest uke was mine, but I'm donating THAT to an raffle for a fundraiser for a local artist who is in a bad spot financially.
1940's PA plates are 12" long & really wide - it takes up nearly the entire Gordito box and it's going to sound great! I think I might just put a mag pickup under the plate.
Picked up a BOAT PADDLE!!!! at a yard sale. Going to make a bass. Since the handle part is beveled I think I'm going to use finish nails for frets. Wired an old bass pickup I had lying around and ordered a tuning machine from Ben. This is going to be a sweet build!
Got two Moto Ukes to build for (and I can't believe this) paying customers. People saw the moto uke I built and it clicked I guess. so here we go. A couple buck here and there - why not?
Made a website: http://mayhembox.com
Busy.
I'm working on a songbook of traditional American songs, with simple but pleasant arrangements for 3 string Cigar Box Guitar tuned I-V-I and harmonica in 1st position. I'm avoiding deciding what key to use, and will simply post them using the Roman numeral system, so they will be less confusing for people who tune in a different key from me. These songs and arrangements are great for singing with the whole family, and are tunes that are so ingrained in many of our heads, making them a bit easier to learn. The arrangements are melody-oriented finger picking, mostly using a slide, and the harmonica in the same key that your git is tuned, also called first position. If you need help learning how to fingerpick and use a slide, check out the beginner lesson videos on this site, and I highly recommend Keni Lee Burgess' videos. As well, I have various posts with basic music theory reference charts, like explaining the Roman numeral system.
I'll keep adding songs over time, and they'll be stored on Google Drive in pdf format, so I can make sure everything's updated.
Click here for the latest version of Back Porch Jamboree Songbook
I tried switching up things and went to lighter gauge strings. CB GITTY acoustic/med 13p. 17p.26w. I tune GDG. I use a scale lenght of 25 and 25.5. The 13 gauge cant get to G without breaking. I normally use 22,30 48 all wound.I 've never had luck with the lighter gauges.I usually buy an extra/light acoustic set and use the 3rd,4th and 5th string. I tried to go light to get a different sound but it doesnt seem to work.
