Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Clay Wright on December 28, 2009 at 6:12pm

Thanks! That will help!

Permalink Reply by Habanera Hal on June 22, 2011 at 11:36am

Hello Diane!

I just joined this group and I've been reading the old posts.

I've built about a dozen CBGs so far, and was looking for something a little different.  A "Blues-cimer" looks like fun and would probably help my novice playing.  My question for you is this:  Based on the above, would the three-chord progression fingering you describe work on a blues fretted fingerboard, i.e, do the different fret positions "make" the blues sound or is a different fingering required?  I know it's probably a stupid question, but I am a total newbie (hooked on building, gotta learn to play or the wife throws 'em out.)

 

Thanks!

Permalink Reply by Diane in Chicago on June 22, 2011 at 2:27pm

Oh, I wish I had a blues-stick here handy.  As I recall the layout helped you pickout melodies in the blues scale, and the other strings you weren't fretting always make a cool chord.

 

And you can barre chord on those frets and get a blues progression.  

 

At the top of the page is a "lessons" button.  On that page are vids by Shane, showing the blues scale on a fretless.  That was what inspired me to make a blues scale dulcimer in the first place.  (however, I discovered I was far from the first - and I thought I was  such a genius - har!)  I put the frets where Shane tells you to put the slide.

 

The wife might like a blues stick!  Makes you sound so groovy without knowing beans about music!

 

 

Hal "PairsNPaint" Spalter said:

Hello Diane!

I just joined this group and I've been reading the old posts.

I've built about a dozen CBGs so far, and was looking for something a little different.  A "Blues-cimer" looks like fun and would probably help my novice playing.  My question for you is this:  Based on the above, would the three-chord progression fingering you describe work on a blues fretted fingerboard, i.e, do the different fret positions "make" the blues sound or is a different fingering required?  I know it's probably a stupid question, but I am a total newbie (hooked on building, gotta learn to play or the wife throws 'em out.)

 

Thanks!

Permalink Reply by Habanera Hal on June 22, 2011 at 3:37pm

LOL!  Thanks Diane. I'll take that as a "yes" that the chord progreesion will be the same.  I'll check out Shane's vids.  I've got 4 projects in the works right now, and I hate making any two alike, so I may have to do both a "regular" dulcimer/strummer and a blues-cimer.  Hey, maybe even a double neck with both!

Diane in Chicago said:

Oh, I wish I had a blues-stick here handy.  As I recall the layout helped you pickout melodies in the blues scale, and the other strings you weren't fretting always make a cool chord.

 

And you can barre chord on those frets and get a blues progression.  

 

At the top of the page is a "lessons" button.  On that page are vids by Shane, showing the blues scale on a fretless.  That was what inspired me to make a blues scale dulcimer in the first place.  (however, I discovered I was far from the first - and I thought I was  such a genius - har!)  I put the frets where Shane tells you to put the slide.

 

The wife might like a blues stick!  Makes you sound so groovy without knowing beans about music!

 

Permalink Reply by Brian Reagor on July 17, 2011 at 11:25pm

Thanks Diane, that bit of wisdom is helpful, especially when I know what sound I like but cant always figure out how to make it. I believe that is my problem with 6 strings, figuring out the mechanics to make the sound, all the chords books I have don't teach enough in my opinion or maybe I just don't get it. Hopefully the 3 and 4 string cbg's will help simplify this.

Oh, you can also play some Beatles and Chuck Berry tunes and some Jerry Lee Lewis tunes with that 3 chord progression theory too. Thanks for the help.