3 String Guitar Lessons
3 string guitars are fun and easy to play. It is much easier to learn to how play a cigar box guitar than it is to learn how to play a regular 6 string guitar.
Delta Blues and early American Folk music that was played on these homemade guitars was created by people who most often did not know music theory or what chords and keys were. Many of them could not even read the written word!
If the people who played old time Blues music in the 1880's did not know music theory or complicated math, than neither do you. You do not need to learn, chords, or complicated music structure to play the Blues.
On this DVD I will explain how to to play old school blues by ear. You will learn how to play the sounds of old time music from the past and you will know how to play it on 3 string guitar. These lessons will teach you how to create and play old time Blues without using complicated math.
I have broken these lessons down into small easy to learn step by step building blocks that we will then put together to achieve that realistic and vintage Old-Time Delta Blues sound.
Watch this video, you will see that vintage Blues and slide guitar is easy to learn and play. It's basically just one finger guitar with a few plucks or frets here and there.
Watch my fingers in the video, there is not much happening, no matter what your age or how well you can or can't use your hands or fingers, I want to tell you, you too can play this exact type of music.
If you can use a computer keyboard you can play cool music on 3 string guitar.
In order to watch this video on ebay, the video will open up in a new window, give it time to load and play.
When I was in my teens, I was totally fascinated with playing the guitar. I tried to learn from many teachers. I remember that I had this one "pro level" Blues teacher. When he spoke it sounded like he had a mouthful of marbles. He spoke clearly, but it was all just a bunch of babble to my ears.
I was not the type of person who could grasp, "it's a G chord with this note as the root....or it's with a minor 7th,...or it's an open F#...and so on.
I remember thinking to myself, "How am I ever going to learn?"
I found it too hard and frustrating to learn by looking at confusing maps or dots or watching fret board layouts using math that I didn't understand.
I just wanted to play guitar. So, I ended up spending my entire 20's and 30's studying and learning simpler forms of guitar playing such as slide and blues guitar. I learned how to play by ear. I can now teach you how to play old school blues in a simple and easy manner and you will be able to pickup your own guitar and play riffs and music that sounds like its from the past.
As for me, I just love that old time delta blues sound! I instantly feel like I get transported back to the 1880's when I hear slide guitar. I have been playing guitar for more than 25 years. I have spent many years studying vintage slide and blues guitar. I also build and sell cigar box guitars under the name "Red Dog Guitars."
This DVD is not like the other standard "hard to learn" guitar courses out there.
On this DVD,
NO math is involved
NO scientific music theory
NO folding and unfolding fretboard maps and wall charts
NO confusing books to balance on your knee as you try to play your guitar
This DVD is different. I will explain how to play guitar to get a truly authentic and vintage sound, and on your part, you will only need patience and practice.
I will also show you on this DVD how to set up your guitar. This is just as important for your success.
In order to properly learn, you don't want to fight the guitar while also at the same time you are trying learning to play the guitar.
Watch this video and let's take a step back in time and listen to something vintage, then I can explain more below.
Here is something to think about,
Imagine a time long ago and a farmer sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch after a long days work in the fields. He's holding his old homemade guitar that he's made out of a used cigar box and some scraps of wood.
He's just sitting there relaxing, not thinking too hard about what he's doing. He's just playing guitar on a breezy afternoon without a care in the world. He's having fun and entertaining himself playing sounds that his ears can enjoy. If he can do it you can too. It's just that simple.
3 string guitars are fun to play. When you learn how to play a 3 string guitar you can create music that sounds so vintage you will think it's from the 1890's.....How cool is that!
What is a cigar box guitar?
Cigar box guitars are an old American tradition. This form of antique guitar construction spans back well over 150 years in the United States. Since the mid 1860's up to the early 1950's and before musical instrument mass production brought the cost down, it was common for people to make their own guitar or stringed instrument out of old cigar boxes and scavenged or found wood.
In small towns in the South, it's common to hear stories of those old school Bluesmen of the past such as Lightnin' Hopkins, Scrapper Blackwell, Little Freddie King and many others who got their start in music by building their own cigar box guitar.
Not many people who follow Blues and Country music are aware of that fact. One reason most Blues and early Americana music has such a distinctive sound is because it was derived off of music made on these simple instruments.
The precursor to the cigar box guitar as an instrument was a primitive one string guitar known as the "Diddly-bow." It was a one stringed instrument where the player would take a glass bottle neck and run it up and down a string while plucking the opposite end of the string to achieve the tone they were after. Because those basic and crude "guitars" did not have frets, it is what evolved into the form of slide guitar we are familiar with today. That is what is thought to be one of the foundational parts in the creation of Delta Blues and slide guitar from the "Southern Delta."
From Muddy Waters to Elmore James, they were all influenced in some way by these early homemade instruments. Many of them following along in their career as slide guitar players. That's where the Blues and slide guitar truly started at. On those plantations and cotton fields, homemade guitars and 'field hollerin' went hand in hand. Blues players didn't play Gibsons or Martins, they couldn't afford them. If you grew up in poverty and wanted to play guitar, you had to build a guitar yourself.
Those humble beginnings of the cigar box guitar are what eventually gave this little known guitar a home in music history. This tradition of making and playing a homemade guitar continued from the 1880's and for many decades up until the 1950's, but this form of guitar construction never really went away. Many Blues musicians from the 60's, 70's and 80's kept this long forgotten art form alive. Even though homemade guitars have faded into obscurity, some Blues and Rock musicians still enjoy playing them today.
Many of today's guitar players are looking for a truly "primitive and authentic sound" and the cigar box guitar naturally makes and records vintage style music. Cigar Box Guitars can be channeled into a creativity that many musicians desire for in their playing, giving them a more authentic sound. Blues guitarist, in particular, really enjoy playing cigar box guitars in the search of hearing "Delta Blues" in its purest form. Today you can still find guitar players who are looking for that raw and authentic sound from the past and they chose to play cigar box guitars.
Watch this video of Billy Gibbons of ZZ-Top - it will take you back in time.
This sound recording of Ry Cooder's song "Billy The Kid" is performed by Billy Gibbons of ZZ-Top and is an excerpt from a Mark Maron interview. I have presented it here for educational and commentary purposes only in relation to the brief discussion about of the history of the cigar box guitar as a long forgotten instrument in American history. (Copyright Law 107-Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use section; 40) All Copyrights for this material are the property of their respective owners.
If you are interested in the hobby of Cigar Box Guitars. I have 4 different disc available on the subject.
Here is the list,
1. Understanding 3 string Guitar - How To play lessons DVD
2. How To Build - 3 & 4 String Cigar Box Guitars DVD
3. Dust Bowl Blues - 3 string Cigar Box Guitar Music CD
4. Cigar Box Americana - 3 & 4 string Cigar Box Guitar Music CD
The 3 string Lessons DVD is called "Understanding 3 string guitar." It covers all the playing styles heard in Blues guitar playing, both slide and finger style to help you get that old time vintage sound. Even if you've never played guitar before, it's never to late to learn how to play cigar box guitar, even if you are 70!
Slide guitar is basically just one finger guitar. You can learn to play theses guitars, It is not hard at all.
The How to Build DVD covers in-depth how to build 3 & 4 string cigar box guitars and Homemade Resonator guitars. These guitars are just as much fun to build as they are to play. Anyone can build a great guitar, even on you first time if you have correct instruction and explanation, you only need a few common hand tool that most people already have.
I also have 2 different Cigar Box Guitar music CD's, ( also in download form )
The best way to learn how to play great cigar box guitar, is to listen to cigar box guitar music.
One is called "Dust Bowl Blues." This is an all Delta Blues an all cigar box guitar CD recorded mostly with 3 sting cigar box guitar, it's all cigar box guitar and Blues music.
The other music CD is called "Cigar Box Americana." This is old time Delta Blues and Southern Bottleneck cigar box guitar that has been recorded on both 3 & 4 string cigar box guitars and also using vintage amps and Retro Radios turned into amplifiers.
All of the music and videos I have recorded are only on the topic of Cigar Box Guitar, no regular guitars are used.
You can see the DVDs and Cigar Box Music CDs - Click Here
Email me if you have any questions
