Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Wichita Sam on April 13, 2014 at 5:07am

Good to see you here...  Performance anxiety... a big, big barrier.  It was rumored that Wilt Chamberlain threwup before every game.  Some find enough value in what they get from performing to push through, some don't.

If folks want to see some nice pickin', they need to look up the Blind Doughboy on Youtube or one the marrsguitars.com website.

Ron,  I can't find any of the video's from the early day's with you out in nature, speed pickin'.  They were so of the best and I'd love to have them....  the best,  Sam

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 13, 2014 at 6:57am

I wasn't here in the early days. The Ron referred to is not Oily, and I don't do anything Natural anymore. But you can see some speed picking on a few of my vids...well, actually, it's just steady alternate picking. The Left hand is faster than the right hand.

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Permalink Reply by robert jones on April 13, 2014 at 11:48pm

O_o....reaches for Mason jar of 160 proof brain bleach.... X_X

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Sprague (Knotlenny) on April 13, 2014 at 2:22am

Oh my! I just logged back on to check and see if ANYONE might have any thoughts on my little angst-ridden musing . . . . fully expecting that it might have completely slid under the radar.

I'm going to have to go back through and read the comments in more depth.

I'm not sure if the original intent of my post got lost, but I really didnt mean anything necessarily "critical" of the nation. The nation is awesome, for all of us in the "CBG culture" it's "Inside Baseball"

My favorite thing about Cigar Box Guitars? Whether I'm selling my humble little cbgs at a festival, or playing one of our silly little Makeshift Hobo Rock shows . . . you know what it is? it's that look of astonishment that people give and then watch that "dumbfounded" look turn into a smile. That's why I do this. It's to spread the quirky fun to people. People that couldnt give a rats ass about the angle of a scarf joint.

When I engage them in conversation and explain what the CBG is all about - I will often mention the Nation. But for most of those people it's enough to just know that there is an entire internet community of this out here. They are not necessarily going to want to delve into the nation - I'm talking about an "audience".

. . . . it just sets me to thinking . . . hmmmm - wouldnt it be nice if there was a public site where, "if you liked our music, you might also like to go hear THIS other guy 100 miles away"
I dunno - maybe we're not at that point yet.

By the way, Cousin Oily and I will be releasing our duet of "Copacabana" soon.

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Permalink Reply by Ron "Oily" Sprague on April 13, 2014 at 3:48am

Working on it now, Cuz...

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Permalink Reply by Uncle John on April 13, 2014 at 8:01am

rabble rouser.

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Permalink Reply by Jim Morris on April 13, 2014 at 2:29am

Oh yeah, Knotlenny! You got it all stirred up - in a good way.

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Permalink Reply by 14 buck bass (aka antonio) on April 14, 2014 at 2:02am

Im really loving this thread.  I started diggin on cbg's when I heard a cat playing one in old town alb. N.M.  I wanted to buy one.  he said build your first. I did. And started playing it. Ive never played before. I had a couple acustic 6 strings and had a couple chords down , but really not a guitar player.  Have always wanted to learn to just ( make music )  melodies and the such . always loved the old blues . lightning hopkins , RL  those sounds.  So I start building and playing. and lo and behold. I can actually play this thing. guess who tought me my first lesson. You mr Knot lenny.  Still play maybelline. cbg's opened up a wonderful world for me. A way to create , and also a way to express with music ive always wanted to make but never could understand on a 6 string. Now i actually have learned more on playing my 6 string from my cbg, and the guys here on the nation.  Will I ever post a video ?  might, might not. but im good with that . I love the way my  builds sound. and love the simple music I can make . it sounds good to me. and my dogs .

 I have two friends that are wonderful musicians acomplished .  one is a serious lap steel and slide player.   I built him a three string. he came over played all my gittys i had laying around and got the smile you are talking about . Couldnt believe the tone blew his mind.    But it never fails . he started talking about strings and 7ths and how you need a x amount of this and that  bla bla bla .  he spent about an hour trying to tune the thing to what he was trying ???  finally i got frustrated and said just put it back how it was and play the dang thing . do ray me ,   and he wailed on it.  My point is this ,  sometimes its the " performers "  who discourage the small fry in the pond.  with all the techicalitys. Ive noticed most of this comes from the performers not the casual players.  I get it if someone wants to find 7ths.  but some are just happy as oily might say to play the same ol thing in open g.  remember some of us havent been playing for years , but are playing never the less.  just not really wanting to post up videos.

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Permalink Reply by Patrick Curley on April 14, 2014 at 10:59am

I get what you're saying about keeping it simple and I've also seen plenty of players carry on about 7ths and such and can see that it's never going to be helpful. I guess for me as a player, and a teacher, I try to keep it relevant but there's a point where you need to start talking the language.

I get a few comments on my youtube channel from people complaining about the language - "I just want to play the song". The trouble is that there comes a point where you can't play the song without knowing what you're doing and that needs the language. Even if I say that a particular lesson is not for beginners people complain that they don't get it because they're a beginner - and that's my fault?

I don't get a lot of the technicalities of the building: joints, angles, tools, woods, blaah blaah but I don't care, and I certainly don't feel like I'm being discouraged from building.

If people are going to talk about the different aspects of playing then eventually it's going to get complicated. Some will get it, others won't. Some are happy to keep it simple and others will want to extend themselves.

It's a simple instrument sure but the music doesn't have to be and so a musician will naturally look to take it as far as possible musically. Some will use their (usually limited) knowledge to try and show off but sometimes we're just talking tha language.

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Permalink Reply by Better Trees on April 14, 2014 at 5:33pm

Still no rules. Someone mentioned how much more intricate the builds are than the early ones and how it's not a bad thing. I would be disappointed if the more technical musicians weren't stretching both to make themselves make the most of these instruments and to show others how to be more technical musicians. (I have never found a word on CBN that I couldn't Google and the context to understand btw.)   That expansion on theory and ultimately the huge pool of resources for intermediate to advanced players and builders is what will ensure the revolution eventually grows into whatever successful revolutions grow up to be.

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Permalink Reply by Cause the Blue rat on April 14, 2014 at 11:58am

In defense of technical players. I've played for a wile. Even did jazz. My first build is a four string. I've tried over and over to use alternate tunings. I get frustrated and go back to standard. Been playing around with only three strings. Even took the first, second and fifth strings off of one guitar. Still standard tuning. I can understand the frustration a 6 string player has with a guitar with less strings and tuned differently. Because of physical remembrance you automatically move your fingers to where the notes should be. I may eventually warm up to the idea of alternant tuning. For me it'll take some work.

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Permalink Reply by Marc Brode on April 15, 2014 at 3:03am

I've been playing 6-string for about ten years. I think the problem you are having in 'switching over' May be caused by that fourth string. A three sting tuned to GDg (or DAd) is so much easier! It's really just a power chord... And the top two strings (Dg) can be played similar to the top 2 on a 6-string (the intervals are the same). In fact, if you ignore (or remove) strings 3, 4, 5 from your six string, you are left with the same intervals as a 3 string. - i.e. 1-5-1 (except the lower string is one octave lower. (I hope this makes sense). Anyway, a three stringer is much easier than a four.

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