The How-To Repository for the Cigar Box Guitar Movement!
How to Build and Play Cigar Box Guitars and other Homemade Instruments
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody for the classic Christmas song Silver Bells, first recorded by Bing Crosby and Carol Richards in September, 1950. This tablature is arranged for 4-string cigar box guitars tuned to Open G “GDGB”.
The cajon (the Spanish word for box) has been part of Afro-Peruvian music since the 19th century. This wonderful percussion instrument originated in colonial Peru, when the African slave drums had been forbidden by their masters.
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the fun traditional Irish song “The Rattlin’ Bog”, also known as “Bog Down In the Valley-O”. This one is popular with kids and is a St. Patrick’s Day favorite. All of the cigar box guitar tablature … Continue reading “The Rattlin’ Bog (The Bog Down in the Valley)- 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
This tablature was created by Glenn Watt. 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! This tablature is … Continue reading “The Star Spangled Banner – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
Here’s the great old Irish pub/drinking song “The Wild Rover“, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day singalongs or any other gathering of Irish (or honorary Irish) folks all year round. The tablature sheet linked below will show you the melody, chord accompaniment and words and have you picking away and singing in a rich brogue in … Continue reading “The Wild Rover (as performed by The Dropkick Murphys) – 3-string Open G GDG – Chords & Tablature for 3-string Cigar Box Guitars”
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 … Continue reading “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald by Gordon Lightfoot – 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 This Land is Your Land, written and recorded by Woodie Guthrie. It has also been recorded by a number of other musicians over the years, including Peter, Paul and Mary, Pete … Continue reading “This Land is Your Land by Woodie Guthrie – 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 well-known spiritual This Train is Bound for Glory on your 3-string Cigar Box Guitar tuned to Open G GDG. This song was first written down in the 1920’s, and was popularized by John and Alan Lomax including … Continue reading “This Train is Bound for Glory – 3-string Open G GDG – Chords & Tablature for 3-string Cigar Box Guitars”
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the well-known spiritual This Train is Bound for Glory on your 4-string Cigar Box Guitar tuned to Open G GDGB. This song was first written down in the 1920’s, and was popularized by John and Alan Lomax including … Continue reading “This Train is Bound for Glory – 4-string Open G GDGB – Chords & Tablature for 4-string Cigar Box Guitars”
“Turkey in the Straw” is an American folk song that originated during the early 1800’s and is perhaps one of the most well-known tunes played on a fiddle. Here we present the well-known verse for Cigar Box Guitars tuned to Open GDG. It can also be adapted to other 1-5-1 tunings as well. Click on … Continue reading “Turkey in the Straw – Tablature for Open GDG Cigar Box Guitars”
This melody and rhythm combination is one of the basic building blocks of both the Blues and Rock and Roll. Hundreds of songs have been recorded using it or variations of it. It is a great progression for jam sessions and improvisation. All of the cigar box guitar tablature here on CigarBoxGuitar.com is presented by … Continue reading “Twelve Bar Blues in G – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature with Video Lesson”
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the well-known children’s song Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. 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. … Continue reading “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
Here’s one of the better known Christmas songs for children, which tells the story of Santa Claus’ nighttime arrival. We have included both the melody line and some strumming accompaniment, but you can skip that extra stuff by just focusing on the topmost line/number for each note. All of the cigar box guitar tablature here … Continue reading “Up On the Housetop – 3-string Open G GDG – Cigar Box Guitar Tablature”
A lot of new Cigar Box Guitar (CBG) builders (and more than a few veterans) tend to get a bit uneasy when the topic of piezo pickups comes up. Everyone seems to have a different idea of how to use them. Some folks say that they should be built into the bridge, others attach them … Continue reading “Using Piezos in Cigar Box Guitars: Part 1 – Piezo Basics”
This article is a continuation of the Piezo 101 Introduction to Piezo Basics. In this article we move from theory and general information to how-to info you can put to direct use in your builds. There are two main themes to this section: WHERE you should mount your piezo, and HOW you should mount it. … Continue reading “Using Piezos in Cigar Box Guitars: Part 2 – Placement & Mounting”
Glenn Watt recently created a great how-to video walking you through how to create a scarf joint on a cigar box guitar neck. A scarf joint is a special angled cut which, when glued back together, angles the headstock away from the fingerboard surface of the neck at a specified angle (usually about 15 degrees). Having … Continue reading “Video: How to Make a Scarf Joint for a Cigar Box Guitar Neck”