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Diatonic 4 String??

Hi all,

I've just signed up here today so I shall start by saying a big HELLO to everyone and that I look forward to being involved in the Cigar Box following.

My first question for you is this, I have been playing with a friends CBG and I am now keen to get building, I want start by building one with a diatonic scale and was wondering if it is possible to have a 4 string arrangement with it? I am aware that Dulcimers can have four strings (two very close together) but I am thinking 4 independent strings like your average 4 string CBG?

And secondly I have been wondering what it would be like having 4 strings but using 1 as a bass string, has anyone done this and does it work?

Thanks for taking the time to read, I must apologise if any of my future questions seem a bit silly, but I am new to the world of Cigar box building and I have a very over active imagination, so some of my ideas may be very strange and absurd.

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Permalink Reply by BenBob on June 8, 2012 at 6:55pm

Sik, regarding your first question, tuning a 4-string diatonic (with a 6.5 fret) to D,F#,A,D has some interesting properties. You get a low b5 useful for blues turnarounds, and you also get a nice easy blues scale pattern. The third string fills in the gaps and gives you all the chromatic notes.It also offers the minor VI as used in "Desperado" and "Dixieland Delight."

I think some duclimer players use this tuning. It would take some practice to learn to avoid fretting the third string unless it is very intentional!