If you haven’t already seen Part 1, then follow this link to go here
By the end of this lesson you will have learned 4 chords ( including one from part 1) and a couple of tips for strumming these chords.
The Next Group Of 3 Chords for Cigar Box Guitar: D G A
For our next group of 3 chords that will allow you to play loads of songs in the key of D, we just need to learn one more chord- the A chord.
This is played 2 2 2 with your first finger used to barre the 2nd fret for the A chord ( remember that this means you place your pointer finger across all the strings just behind the fret wire.):
You will see that our alternative way of playing the D chord makes it very easy to swap between the D and A chord. However I have an even easier way that I like to use to toggle between D and A.
I like to play this using my 3 fingers in a line for the A chord and then lifting off the middle finger for the D chord,
Strumming On The Cigar Box Guitar
Now that we have learned 4 chord shapes, it’s time to start thinking a bit more about our strumming hand. This is usually the right hand ( but see this post if you are left handed)
Once you can strum automatically, you will not need to think that much about it unless you are learning a new rhythm. It’s a bit like when you learn to drive and you can’t imagine how you will have get the gear changes smooth, but then it becomes second nature.
It’s useful to watch other guitarists to see how they strum, but sometimes it’s hard to decipher what they are actually doing, so I will try to give some hints here that you can refer back to.
How To Get A Steady Rhythm Whilst Strumming On The Cigar Box Guitar
It’s important that you learn to play with a steady rhythm and it’s hard to know if that rhythm is steady when you are playing on your own.
You can use a metronome, which is something that makes steady clicking noises for you to follow. You will be able to find metronome apps for your phone, including ones that are built in within guitar tuning apps.
Although this is useful, it can get a bit boring playing along to clicks. A more interesting way is to play along to some music track. It doesn’t even matter if you play the right chords to start off with. Just use the steady beat that the track provides to help you to keep a steady beat.
If it annoys you that the chords are wrong, try muting the strings. This involves placing one or more fingers of your fretting hand across all the strings, pressing lightly to dampen the sound of the strings. (There are several other ways to mute strings which we will find out about as you progress.)
Chord Shapes For G D G Tuned Cigar Box Guitars: G,C and D In A Handy Chart
In open G tuning where the strings are tuned G D G, remember that G is played 0 0 0, C is 5 5 5 and D is 7 7 7 or 2 0 2:
We also have an alternative fingering for D that saves us moving up the fretboard to the 7th fret. This is sometimes really useful if we are playing lots of chords further down the neck.
You can play loads of songs in the key of G using just these 3 chords. e.g 12 bar blues, many cowboy songs, 3 Little Birds by Bob Marley, Everyday by Buddy Holly, Hallelujah and simplified versions of many rock songs. I will be helping you to learn some songs in further posts and on my YouTube channel.
Chord Shapes For D,G and A On A 3-Stringed Cigar Box Guitar
Use these 3 easy chord shapes to play simple songs in the key of D:
You will see that I have given you 3 alternatives for playing this group of 3 chords ( there are even more ways than this available , but let’s start here)
Try using the green chord shapes as you very first start out. The yellow chord shapes are a little trickier and the red chord shapes require even more finger dexterity, but once you have learned them, they are a quick way to move between the 3 chords.
Songs that you can play with these chords include: 12 bar blues, many simplified rock songs and old favorites like Camptown Races and other campfire songs. The main thing you want to do when starting out is to keep practicing the chord shapes on songs you enjoy playing as this will help you to learn the shapes in a fun way.
Very Easy Strumming Patterns For the Cigar Box Guitar
I have written a guide with tips on how to start learning a strumming pattern here
The easiest pattern is to just strum down on every main beat that you hear:
- strum down with your finger or pick
- start with the lowest sounding note
- don’t play any sound as your hand travels back up
- move your hand back to the bottom string to play the next down stroke
For the next pattern, introduce upstrokes:
- strum down with your finger or pick
- start with the lowest sounding note
- strum the strings as your hand travels back up
- play the next down stroke
Don’t try this last pattern in the list until you can play the first two steadily:
- strum down with your finger or pick
- start with the lowest sounding note
- don’t strum the strings as your hand travels back up
- play the next down stroke
- strum the strings as your hand travels back up
- repeat this pattern- it is called down down up down down up or D D U D D U
- this pattern can be played with every stroke at the same speed or can be played with a bit of a lilt
I intend to make a You Tube video with this information shown very slowly to help you see what I mean.