How to Build and Play Cigar Box Guitars and other Homemade Instruments
Installing a magnetic pickup into your Cigar Box Guitar can really help builders sell their guitars, as well as open up the instrument to a world of new and interesting sounds and styles.
In this how-to article, Glenn Watt shows you how you can take C. B. Gitty’s Pre-wired 4-pole Single Coil Pickup harness, and install it into your guitar.
The installation guide can even be used for other styles of Single-Coil pickups as well, making it a great guide to save into your favorites for your next build.
“Home on the Range” started out as a poem in 1872, penned by Dr. Brewster. M. Higley.
It wasn’t until 1933 when Bing Crosby recorded a new version of the American West’s unofficial anthem, that the song’s popularity was rejuvenated and it was cemented in the American Songbook.
Below you can find the free PDF tablature for the song’s fairly straightforward melody.
It is a great one to break out when picking alone on the porch or fireside sessions!
Click here for the permanent knowledge base entry
Want to see a particular song tabbed out? Let us know in the comments!
One of the most well-known fiddle songs sounds great on an Open GDG Cigar Box Guitar.
The melody of this song is fairly fun to play, and can be a great exercise in moving around the fretboard.
Click here to jump to the knowledge base entry for the Free Downloadable PDF file!
One-hand Dan Russell plays a mean Ukulele, and in this video he shows you how to play classic Folk song “In the Pines” on your Cigar Box Ukulele.
This song has been covered by many different bands and artists over the years, some from vastly different genres of music ranging from Country legend Dolly Parton to grunge Superstars Nirvana.
Check out the video how-to play lesson below.
Click here for the knowledge base entry that contains the video and an attached chord chart!
The following article was penned by the King of Cigar Box Guitars himself, Shane Speal any Creole Fiddle legend, Canray Fontenot.
This article serves as a mini biography of Canray, delving into how he built his first fiddle and giving a fond overview of his career as a musician.
Today’s FREE PDF download is a steady walk up and down a scale that has formed the basis for a large number of blues songs over the years.
Originally tabbed out for Cigar Box Guitars tuned to Open G, this riff will also work for any of the other 1-5-1 tunings!
The best part about scales like these is that you won’t need to go past the 5th fret to play an entire song!
Click here for the permanent knowledge base entry as well as a how-to play video!
Is there a song or riff that you want to see tabbed out? Let us know in the comments below!
Our newest entry into our library of free tablature is the melody for the song Carrickfergus, recorded as “The Kerry Boatman” by Dominic Behan in 1965, though the origins go back even further to the 18th century.
Click the image below for the Knowledge Base entry and the FREE PDF download!
Want to see a song tabbed out? Let us know in the comments below!
Iko Iko was first released in 1953 by Sugar Boy and his Cane Cutters, under the title “Jock-A-Mo”. It wasn’t until 1965, when the Dixie Cups covered it as “Iko Iko” that it made the charts.
The subject of the song is based on the traditional confrontations disagreements between two Mardi Gras Indian tribes.
Click here for the link to the knowledge base entry and the FREE printable PDF Download!
More info about the subject on the Wikipedia article.
Want to see a song tabbed out for Canjo or Cigar Box Guitar? Let us know in the comments below?
“Apache” is the newest addition to our expanding tab-list for Cigar Box Guitars tuned to Open G – GDG. As an instrumental piece, this tab will also work beautifully for other 1-5-1 tunings.
This was arranged by Nick Lanciano at the request of a member of the Cigar Box Guitar community.
Are there any songs that you would like to see tabbed out? Let us know in the comments!
Recently we brought you a versio of “The Ballad of the Green Berets” for Open G Cigar Box Guitars. Today we bring you a simple tab version meant for one-string Canjos.
The tab includes the basic melody, as well as the first verse of the song. The melody can be used for the remaining verses of the song as well.
Click here for the FREE tab for this song!
Are there any other songs that you would like to see tabbed out? Have a tab you would like to share with the community? Leave us a message in the comments!
Today’s free tab offering is a One-string Canjo arrangement of “The Parting Glass”, a traditional Irish song of farewell and remembrance that is often heard at the end of Irish sessions and gatherings.
Click here for the free tablature!
Are there any songs that you would like to see a tab for? Let us know in the comments below!
“I’ll Tell Me Ma” is a classic children’s song that originated in England around the 19th century.
It has since become somewhat of a staple in the Irish Session crowd, with a large number of well-known Irish bands such as the Tommy Makem, The Clancy Brothers and the Dubliners.
Here we have a knowledge base entry featuring tablature for Diatonically fretted One-String Canjos!