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Getting more out of your fretted three string CBG.

You can make 19 different chord sounds between open and the fifth fret. All of them by fingering one or two notes wile leaving the low string open. Even more if you start fretting the low string. But that's for another time. Instead of laying out all nineteen sounds let's start by playing some chord sounding riffs.

This first progression is a major sounding chord riff.

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on July 7, 2019 at 5:44pm

By changing some fingering and a few notes you can end up with a more minor sounding chord riff.

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on July 7, 2019 at 5:47pm

Keep the above change. Add yet another finger and note change. Now the chord sounding riff is a complete minor.

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on July 7, 2019 at 5:48pm

If this is your first time playing like this you’ve just learned nine new chords sounds. Played ten when you count all strings open.

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Permalink Reply by Timothy Hunter on July 8, 2019 at 4:02am

there are a few other fingerings i use. they are movable too like bar chords...

and here is a trick. play open strings. GDg. then press the 5th fret of the middle string you get GGg . chuck a few in and it just adds something a bit different..lol

on a GDg if you fret first string 2nd fret, second string 3rd fret and the 3rd string 5th fret you have an F. this is movable up and down the fret board . if you drop the first string back to the 1st fret it is now an Fm . also a different "F"is 5th fret on first string, 3rd fret on second string and 5th fret on 3rd string. depending on the song sometimes a different fingering sounds better than another.. part of the fun of these "simple"instruments..lol

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on July 8, 2019 at 4:09am

Thanks Timothy. There's lots of chord sounds you can get on a CBG. Even jazz sounding chords. I've been exploring the 158 tuning for a wile now. Having fun with it.

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on July 8, 2019 at 4:10am

A seventh sounding chord progression. All chords covered in previous examples are colored in gray.

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chordpro04.jpg, 455 KB

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on July 8, 2019 at 4:18am

A two chord riff.

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chordpro05.jpg, 127 KB

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on July 8, 2019 at 4:43am

And finally the last chord progression. This is another one in minor.

With this example I've given all nineteen chords that can be played on the first two strings between the nut and fifth fret.

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chordpro06.jpg, 458 KB

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on July 8, 2019 at 4:58am

Now for the fun part. You can play all of these upside down. Play them all on your low and middle string. Leaving your high string open. Some of the chord sounds wont translate well. Because the low string will become the bass. But that's all in the ear and what's being played. Your song. Your way. It's all good.