Keni Lee Burgess's Blog (22)

A 3 string Cigar Box Guitar STRINGING & TUNING Guide

As a performer and teacher, my approach is to build upon knowledge through practice. There are certainly unlimited ways to string and tune, but the idea presented here is about notes used to build chords. This is commonly known as open tuning. The guitar plays the basic three note Triad that…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on January 26, 2016 at 1:00am — 2 Comments

Cigar Box Guitar Performance Information Part 1

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.…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on December 22, 2012 at 2:07am — No Comments

About the 3 String Rural Primative Banjo

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).…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on October 26, 2012 at 4:00am — No Comments

Considerations for Building Cigar Box Guitars from a Players/Musicians Perspective 3

Many builders are new to music, so here are some thoughts about what makes an instrument function better from a musical perspective.
 
Number of Strings and Tuning
There are endless possibilities to…
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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on October 18, 2012 at 11:34pm — 2 Comments

Considerations for Building Cigar Box Guitars from a Players/Musicians Perspective 2

Many builders are new to music, so here are some thoughts about what makes an instrument function better from a musical perspective.
 
String Height: The distance the strings run above the fingerboard is called string "Action".…
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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on October 13, 2012 at 12:57am — 2 Comments

Considerations for Building Cigar Box Guitars from a Players/Musicians Perspective 1

Many builders are new to music, so here are some thoughts about what makes an instrument function better from a musical perspective.
 
1. Scale Length: This is the string distance from nut to bridge. The longer the scale the…
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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on October 11, 2012 at 1:01am — 4 Comments

Guitar Open Tuning Correlations

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…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on October 6, 2012 at 10:57pm — No Comments

...a common Cigar Box Guitar question...

...a common Cigar Box Guitar question...
I want to play 3 string CBG in GDg tuning on my 4 string CBG, what should I do?…


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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on August 11, 2012 at 10:04am — 1 Comment

Considerations for Selecting a Resonator Guitar

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 due to vibration and the sound energy being absorbed by the cabinet…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on May 11, 2012 at 12:29am — No Comments

Considerations for Selecting a Bottleneck Slide for Guitar

Considerations for Selecting a Bottleneck Slide for Guitar

Materials

Glass - In my opinion, glass…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on May 3, 2012 at 10:22am — 8 Comments

Cross Note Tuning

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…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on March 26, 2012 at 11:03pm — 11 Comments

A Cigar Box Guitar Builder's Guide To Tuning

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…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on February 9, 2012 at 3:00am — 9 Comments

Variations of G5 Tuning (GDg)





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…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on October 4, 2011 at 11:30am — No Comments

How to Play 3 String CBG: Where Did You Sleep Last Night



How to Play 3 String Cigar Box Guitar

Where Did You Sleep Last Night

aka My Girl / Black Girl / In the Pines…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on July 29, 2011 at 6:00am — No Comments

Attention Banjo CBG builders. I have an idea.



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…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on June 25, 2011 at 6:30am — 4 Comments

The Versatility of Open Tuning: See New Morning Dew Video

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…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on April 26, 2011 at 2:09am — 5 Comments

Triads: Exploring the Basic Building Blocks of Open Tunings

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…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on November 13, 2010 at 3:30am — 3 Comments

Chord Chemistry 101 (Introduction) by Keni Lee Burgess (Page 1)



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…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on March 7, 2010 at 5:30am — 4 Comments

How To Get The Most Out Of My Instructional CD Lessons!

Ideas to unleash the potential of Open Tunings:

1) Watch the whole video through from beginning to end, like a TV show without your guitar. Doing this will help you see the "Big Picture" and you will have a clearer understanding of the approach to playing in open tunings. Mind over Matter. Get the directions first, then walk out the…

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Added by Keni Lee Burgess on February 27, 2010 at 10:30am — No Comments

A 3 Step Approach to Learning How to Play the CBG (Designed especially for Builders) Step 1

I have been playing Delta Style Bottleneck Blues Guitar in Open Tunings since 1984. Although I am far from an expert in the field, I have learned some very practical methods to understanding music.

I would like to help CBG builders who have no or limited knowledge of music, but are interested in building learn how to play their creations.

So, I have a plan.

Step 1:

Begin by building one string (diddley-bow) CBGs. Initially, this instrument does not need frets, but I would… Continue

Added by Keni Lee Burgess on December 8, 2009 at 1:53pm — 3 Comments

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