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How to Play Hawaiian Music on a Three String Cigar Box Guitar - the new G6 tuning

Years ago, Shane Speal created a video on cigar box guitar tunings that mentioned a G6 Hawaiian tuning. Well, he's back with a much improved G6 tuning (GBE, low to high) for three-string slide CBG. This "implied Hawaiian" tuning gives the lush sounds associated with traditional slack-key playing.

The video shows the basics for the tuning and a riff to get you started. Have fun with it and "try it a million ways," as Speal says. Hula hula!

We said it before and we'll say it again... thanks C. B. Gitty for providing this fantastic new video camera with all the super close-ups.

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Permalink Reply by Ben "C. B. Gitty" Baker on March 20, 2017 at 2:10pm

That hula skirt graphic is nightmare-grade material.

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Permalink Reply by Wade on March 24, 2017 at 3:15pm

What? No swaying Shane Speal Hula guy figurine for the dashboard of my hot rod? lol

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on March 27, 2017 at 3:01am

And for those of you with 6-stringers, realize that the top 3 strings, GBE, are already there! Yes, you can play this, with a slide, on a standard tuned guitar!

Looking at 6 strings as a series of two and three string tunings all crammed together has changed my 6-string playing (hopefully for the better). And I'd never have thought about it without starting to play 3- and 4-stringers a few years ago.

Thanks for these targeted free lessons, Shane!

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Permalink Reply by Cigar Box Nation on March 28, 2017 at 12:26am

More to come!

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Permalink Reply by Derek Rose on March 27, 2017 at 2:47pm

Cool Shane! I have been using this tuning with the all wound strings too and also lowered to F A D, but playing chords on a fretted 3 string and it is very versatile.

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Permalink Reply by Cigar Box Nation on March 28, 2017 at 12:26am

What styles of music are you playing with this tuning? Any videos? I'd love to see this lesson expanded. Besides, as a songwriter, I'm curious!

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Permalink Reply by Derek Rose on March 28, 2017 at 2:00am

Hi Shane, not sure what style, folk-rock-country-ish maybe? But here is a couple originals in GBE and FAD.

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/obsession-an-original-song

http://www.cigarboxnation.com/video/superficial-reasons-original-song

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Permalink Reply by Ice Bob on August 8, 2018 at 5:26am

Cool

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Permalink Reply by Taffy Evans on August 8, 2018 at 11:14am

Hi Shane, thanks for that. I just started using the C6 tuning on one of my lap slide guitars and love the easy flowing sounds, you can play for hours without knowing any chords, just making sweet music.

I had to change the strings to get the C6 tuning, but the three stringer version makes it easier.

Taff