Keni Lee Burgess's Blog (24)

Information Part 1 (Playing Come On In My Kitchen)

I play this song in Spanish Tuning. Sometimes I play this in the key of G (DGDgbd) or I will tune down a whole step to the key of F (CFCfac). I can also tune up a whole step to the key of A (EAEac#e) or using Open G tuning, capo fret 2. To get the tone similar to the old 78 RPM Robert Johnson's recording, I capo to the key of Bb (capo fret 3). It is essential that you tune the guitar to match the singer's vocal range.…

A standard 5 string banjo is often tuned to Open G (gDgbd). Disregarding the high drone g string, using a 4 string CBG, I usually use Dgbd tuning (CD 5). This is also the highest strings of the full 6 string tuning on guitar for Open G - DGDgbd (CD 2).…

There are 12 keys of music. Using numbers to represent the 8 notes that makes up their respective major scales, it is easier to understand the tunings. These three are the most common open tunings mainly because they can be achieved using a standard guitar string configuration (EADGBE) They are called "open" because they produce a major chord when strummed. A major chord requires 3 notes (1,3,5) from the major scale.



Vestapol Tuning: 151351 aka Open D (DADf#ad)

Spanish…

Considerations for Selecting a Resonator Guitar

Material

The body of a resonator guitar functions like the cabinet used to house an audio speaker. Cabinets are usually heavy and their construction is very sturdy. This forces the sound out of the speaker cone, instead of losing signal…

Considerations for Selecting a Bottleneck Slide for Guitar

Materials…

Old time Blues masters like Muddy Waters and Bukka White usually referred to Vestapol tuning (151351) with the major third tuned down a half step to the minor third as Cross Note Tuning (151b351)

Actually this is the same as Open Minor tuning. Although, they did not play a minor blues. Instead by fretting the third string, they…

Due to the fact, there is no standard for CBG construction regarding the number of strings or the tuning, I am writing this information to help builders who are new to music, and offer suggestions that will make their builds function better from a musical stand point.

Guitar Tuners

The easiest way to tune your CBG is by using a headstock "clip-on" electronic tuner. They are very inexpensive. They come in two different models. A standard model that only…

This is what I refer to as "Old School" bottleneck slide guitar. All the notes are fretted using the slide. From an educational point of view, compare this arrangement with the 6…

In this arrangement, I am using the same "Moveable Chord Method" that I teach on CD 6 for 3 string CBG.

Just like in the previous 6 string arrangement, I utilize single notes, doublestops, and the three basic chords (D,G, A) with the addition of the bottleneck slide technique.…

Variations of G5 Tuning (GDg)

On my instructional video CD 4, I teach songs and how to explore GDg tuning on a 3 string CBG. On CD 6, using the same strings, we retune to ADf# and explore a "Moveable Chord Method" very similar to the approach used on a standard 6 string guitar.

Once you get this information under your…

How to Play 3 String Cigar Box Guitar

Where Did You Sleep Last Night

aka My Girl / Black Girl / In the Pines…

As you might know, I recently released CD 6 for 3 string CBG.

In it I teach a method of movable chords that functions very similar to the way you play a guitar or banjo.

Using standard strings ADg, you tune ADf# (Open D Tuning).

It occured to me the other day, if you use a high e string for a drone and tune…

In the Part 2 lessons for 3 string CBG, I retune the GDg tuning to ADf# tuning.

This is Open D Tuning because it contains the 3 tone (1,3,5) from the Major D scale (1-D  2-E  3-F#  4-G  5-A  6-B  7-C#  8-D) needed to form a Major D chord.

From low to high the notes are stacked 5-A  1-D  3-F# 

In the lessons, I explain a system of movable chords…

I have been playing in open tunings since the 1980s. At first having no understanding of music theory, they appeared to be a vast wasteland that did not yield much bounty. Of course, this is far from the truth. It is all there, but I could not see it.

Currently, I am fasinated by the reduction of the traditional 6 string tunings down to the essential 3 notes that make up a major chord. (A Major Triad contains the 1,3,5 tones from the Major Scale). The very heart of open…

Chord Chemistry 101

Introduction

by Keni Lee Burgess

Note: These lectures are intended to clarify and suppliment my instructional videos CDs. Series 5 (4 string Cigar…