Name: An Absolute Beginner’s Guide To Cigar Box Guitar | Beginner Cigar Box Guitar
Brand: beginnercbg.com
SKU: beginnercbg-com-1
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An Absolute Beginner’s Guide To Cigar Box Guitar | Beginner Cigar Box Guitar

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Skip to contentI’d never even heard of cigar box guitars until I walked into a local folk music shop and saw these 3 stringed box instruments. I was intrigued and asked to have a look at one.You may seen a video on YouTube or a documentary on the TV or perhaps you have seen one in a shop or online.It’s possible to buy a beginner cigar box guitar for under £100. You can build one for even less. Get your hands on one: either buy it or build it. Then start playing. You can learn 3 or 4 chords much more easily on a 3 or 4 string than on a 6 string guitar.So for you, maybe a music shop specializing in folk instruments is a good place to look. There is a list on the resource page of places to buy, but you may be able to find one built locally to you. I also want to encourage you to have a go at building one yourself which is great fun.Building a guitar was a huge learning curve for me as I knew very little about woodworking but I watched tons of videos and had a go. We had a few DIY tools at home so I started with just those.You can either play a standard cigar box guitar, holding the neck in your left hand or play a left-handed guitar.If you are making your own cigar box guitar, make sure that you put the lowest, thickest string on the right-hand side of the neck with the neck pointing up. The thinnest, highest string should go on the left.If you have a bought a right- handed cigar box guitar and want to convert it to left handed, you can do this yourself: You do not need to cut the strings as you will hopefully be able to re-use them if they are long enough. Unfortunately this might not be possible, depending on the position of the machine heads(or tuning pegs) so be prepared with a spare set of strings.There is more information in this article: Tips For Left-Handed Players Of A Cigar Box GuitarIf you don’t want to start with a 1 stringed diddley bow, I suggest a 3 string guitar for your first. Chord shapes are easier and there is less pressure on your wrist and fretting finger.It’s useful to know what the parts of a cigar box guitar are before you buy or make your own, especially as some parts have alternative names. Try to learn the names.It’s especially important to try and remember which is the bridge and which is the nut as they are often used to describe where you need to put your hands.I kept getting confused between which is the saddle and which is the bridge so I now try to remember that the saddle is on top , just like the saddle sits on top of the horses back.You’ve got your guitar or diddley bow ready and tuned and are eager to get started.I’ve played six string guitar for many years, starting on a classical instrument at school. Then I played acoustic and electric for a bit. I even ended up teaching beginner guitar. However, the transition from nylon strings on my classical guitar to metal strings was much harder than I anticipated and I was always pretty disappointed in my ability.Years later, I first found out about cigar box guitars when I went to my local folk music shop and saw these weird looking box instruments with 3 or 4 strings . I wondered what they would sound like and the guy in the shop gave me a quick demo. He was pretty amazing, playing blues and then great-sounding riffs. He then invited me have a go and that was it. My cigar box guitar journey had started.I was even more excited when I realised that I could make my own instruments. I started with a diddley bow and then made 3 stringed guitars with hand-made boxes or tins for the box.I wasn’t someone who was great at wood work but we did have a few hand tools and I did loads of research to find out how to start. I’ve written beginner guides on this site to help you.Now that I’ve discovered cigar box guitars I really enjoy playing them and teaching others. I’ve started the site I wish I could have found for myself as an absolute beginner.I recommend you read these articles next:Choosing a pickAll about fret markersIf you prefer your guitar to be tuned to E B E and want a handy pdf download for playing any chord based on the 1-finger power chords, I have this handy chart and diagram which you can download for...Continue ReadingIt’s well worth experimenting using the slide on different fingers but you will probably settle on one that suits you and becomes your favourite. Mine is my ring finger and I will explain why....Continue ReadingHi I'm Kim and I have played guitar for several years and taught beginner six string guitar.Now that I have discovered the Cigar Box Guitar I'd like share with you what I have learned.When I started, I found it difficult to find information suitable for absolute beginners.I have set up this blog and a YouTube channel to help you.This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site.

Skip to contentI’d never even heard of cigar box guitars until I walked into a local folk music shop and saw these 3 stringed box instruments. I was intrigued and asked to have a look at one.You may seen a video on YouTube or a documentary on the TV or perhaps you have seen one in a shop or online.It’s possible to buy a beginner cigar box guitar for under £100. You can build one for even less. Get your hands on one: either buy it or build it. Then start playing. You can learn 3 or 4 chords much more easily on a 3 or 4 string than on a 6 string guitar.So for you, maybe a music shop...

An Absolute Beginner’s Guide To Cigar Box Guitar | Beginner Cigar Box Guitar

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