“Apache” is an instrumental piece written in 1960 by Jerry Lordan. Since it’s inception it has been recorded by numerous artists over the years, including; The incredible Bonjo Band, The Shadows and The Sugarhill Gang.
Continue reading ““Apache” by The Shadows – Tablature for Open GDG Cigar Box Guitars”
Category: Rock & Pop
Blister in the Sun by the Violent Femmes – 3-string Open G GDG – Chords & Tablature for Cigar Box Guitars
Ben “Gitty” Baker brings you a demo as well as Tablature for the Violent Femmes song “Blister in the Sun”
Continue reading “Blister in the Sun by the Violent Femmes – 3-string Open G GDG – Chords & Tablature for Cigar Box Guitars”
Build Me Up Buttercup – 3-string Open G GDG – Tablature for Cigar Box Guitars
This song is a feel-good rock and roll classic, first recorded by The Foundations in 1980 and covered a number of times since. This version of it has been arranged and tabbed by Glenn Watt. Glenn gives us two versions of the song – the basic melody line, and then the tabbed version with the chords. Continue reading “Build Me Up Buttercup – 3-string Open G GDG – Tablature for Cigar Box Guitars”
Call Me The Breeze by J. J. Cale (performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd) – 3-string Cigar Box Guitar Tablature
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the classic Southern Rock song Call Me The Breeze, written by J. J. Cale and famously performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd. This tablature is arranged for 3-string Open G “GDG” tuning. Continue reading “Call Me The Breeze by J. J. Cale (performed by Lynyrd Skynyrd) – 3-string Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
Carolina in my Mind by James Taylor – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature
The 3-string cigar box guitar tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the song Carolina in my Mind, written and performed by James Taylor. This is one of James’ greatest hits, instantly recognizable from just the first few notes. Like a lot of James Taylor’s songs, the melody line is fairly straightforward but the chord progression can be a little complex. Continue reading “Carolina in my Mind by James Taylor – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature
The tablature in the PDF link below shows you how to play the melody and chords for the song Hallelujah, written and performed by Leonard Cohen. This is one of the best known of Cohen’s songs, and has been covered many times. It is one of the most hauntingly beautiful modern songs, and like many of the most powerful songs it has a quite simple melody line that is pretty easy to play on a cigar box guitar. Continue reading “Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
Honky Tonk Women by The Rolling Stones – 3-string Open G GDG – Tablature for Cigar Box Guitars
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the song Honky Tonk Women, written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and recorded by The Rolling Stones. This is a classic rock and roll anthem through and through – from the starting cowbell solo to the unforgettable lyrics to every one of the instantly recognizable guitar licks throughout. Continue reading “Honky Tonk Women by The Rolling Stones – 3-string Open G GDG – Tablature for Cigar Box Guitars”
Kashmir by Led Zeppelin – Tabbed by Ben “Uke” Rouse – 3-string Open G “GDG” Cigar Box Guitar Tablature
Let it Be by The Beatles – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature
The 3-string cigar box guitar tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the song Let it Be, written by Paul McCartney and performed by The Beatles. This song was recorded and released right at the end of The Beatles’ time together as a band, and it is one of their most enduring and beloved songs. It also has a nice easy-to-play melody and chord structure.
The printable tablature sheet linked below contains both the simple melody-only version as well as a more advanced version that includes some chords.
All of the cigar box guitar tablature here on CigarBoxGuitar.com is presented by The Southbound String Company, the only strings specifically chosen and voiced for cigar box guitars. Be sure to check out our line of Open G GDG cigar box guitar string sets here!
We also have a video by Glenn Watt that shows you how to read and play this style of 3-string CBG tablature: click here to view it!
Click this link or the image below to view the printable PDF: Let it Be by The Beatles 3-string Cigar Box Guitar Tablature

Royals by Lorde – 3-string Open G “GDG” – Tablature and Chords for Cigar Box Guitar
The tablature in the PDF link below shows you how to play the melody and chords for the popular song Royals, written and performed by Lorde. This is the biggest hit the young performer has had, and it comes out surprisingly good on a 3-string cigar box guitar.
The printable tablature sheet linked below contains both the simple melody-only version as well as a more advanced version that includes some chords.
All of the cigar box guitar tablature here on CigarBoxGuitar.com is presented by The Southbound String Company, the only strings specifically chosen and voiced for cigar box guitars. Be sure to check out our line of Open G GDG cigar box guitar string sets here.
We also have a video by Glenn Watt that shows you how to read and play this style of 3-string CBG tablature: click here to view it.
Click this link or the image below to view the printable PDF:
Royals by Lorde – Tablature and Chords for 3-string Cigar Box Guitar

Smoke on the Water – How-to-Play the Opening Riff – Video with Tablature
If you only ever learn to play one song on you 3-string cigar box guitar, it might as well be this one…
Here’s the tablature…
This song is the property of its respective copyright owners and is presented here purely for personal and educational use.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow – 3-string Open G GDG – Tablature for Cigar Box Guitars
Somewhere Over the Rainbow is one of the most beautiful and best known American songs. It was made famous by Judy Garland singing it in the film The Wizard of Oz, as has been covered many times since. First published in 1939, the music was composed by Harold Arlen and the words were written by E. Y. Harburg.
It is usually played slowly and plaintively (the way Judy Garland sang it), but people have also done it faster over the years (Glenn does it both ways in the video below). More info about the history of the song can be found in the Wiki article here.
This version of it has been arranged and tabbed by Glenn Watt. Glenn provides two versions of the tablature, a simpler “melody only” version and then the full version with melody and chord accompaniment.
You can view the printable tablature sheets by clicking the images below. You can also watch the video below where Glenn shows you how he plays the song, starting with a slower version and then speeding up into a more jazzy version on his 3-string cigar box guitar tuned to Open G “GDG”.


Summer of 69 – Video and TAB lesson
Glenn Watt shows you how to play Bryan Adams’ “Summer of 69” on cigar box guitar using his one finger technique. He has also handwritten the song out in TAB format (posted below the video).
The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the classic folk rock song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”, written and performed by Gordon Lightfoot.
The Great Lakes freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Lake Superior with all hands lost on November 10, 1975 and 39 years later to the day we post the tab for you here. The melody line is nice and simple, but good luck memorizing all of those verses!
All of the cigar box guitar tablature here on CigarBoxGuitar.com is presented by The Southbound String Company, the only strings specifically chosen and voiced for cigar box guitars. Be sure to check out our line of Open G GDG cigar box guitar string sets here!
Click this link or the image below to view the printable PDF: The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald PDF
Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix – 3-string Open G GDG – Tablature for Cigar Box Guitars
Here is one of guitar god Jimi Hendrix’s best known recordings, Voodoo Child, as arranged and tabbed by Glenn Watt.
You can view the printable tablature sheet by clicking on the link or image below. You can also watch the video below where Glenn shows you how to play the song on his 3-string cigar box guitar tuned to Open G “GDG”.
Voodoo Child by Jimi Hendrix – Tablature for 3-string Cigar Box Guitars

Wagon Wheel – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the popular song Wagon Wheel, as performed by The Old Crow Medicine Show and Darius Rucker (and also by just about every cover band, karaoke and open mike performer to ever grab a microphone).
All of the cigar box guitar tablature here on CigarBoxGuitar.com is presented by The Southbound String Company, the only strings specifically chosen and voiced for cigar box guitars. Be sure to check out our line of Open G GDG cigar box guitar string sets here!
Click this link or the image below to view the printable PDF: Wagon Wheel Cigar Box Guitar Tablature PDF