How To Play The 3-String

Cigar Box Guitar

With Rick McKeon

Right and Left Hand Techniques

The Steady Bass
Using The Slide
The Ten Mile Stomp
Playing Blues Licks And Creating A 12-Bar Solo
Applying All This In A
12-Bar Jam Session

© Rick McKeon 2014

 Table of Contents

Welcome

Lesson 1: Tuning The 3-String CBG

Figure 1: Tuning The 3-String Guitar . . . . . . . . . . page 3

Lesson 2: How To Read The Tab

Figure 2: Steady Bass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 5

Lesson 3: Steady Bass

Figure 2: Steady Bass . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 5

Lesson 4: Licks For The 3-String

Figure 3: Licks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 7

Lesson 5: Ten Mile Stomp

Tab: Ten Mile Stomp . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 9

Lesson 6: 12-Bar Blues Introduction

12-Bar Blues Chord Progression . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 11
Stranger Blues Lyrics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 12
Figure 4: I IV and V Chords . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 13
Figure 5: 12-Bar Licks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 14

Lesson 7: Blues Licks

Figure 6: The Major Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 15
Figure 7: The Blues Scale . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 16
Figure 8: Blues Licks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 17

Lesson 8: 12-Bar Solo

Figure 9: 12-Bar Solo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . page 18

Lesson 9: 12-Bar Jam

Closing Comments

2
 Figure 1: Tuning The 3-String Guitar (1 5 1)

Standard Tuning For The 6-String Guitar

6 5 4 3 2 1
E A D G B E

1 5 1 Tunings for the 3-String CBG

Using Different Strings From a Standard Set

E Tuning G Tuning
Using Strings Using Strings
654 543

3 2 1 3 2 1
E B E G D G
E Major Scale G Major Scale
E F# G# A B C# D# E G A B C D E F# G

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1

Notes:

1. Guitar strings are designed to have a certain amount of tension in standard tuning.
2. Too loose and they will be sloppy. They will buzz and not project well.
3. Too tight and they will break or put too much tension on the neck.
4. Therefore, we choose the strings and tuning somewhere near standard tuning. You can tune them up or
down a whole step without problems.

3
This page left blank to avoid page turning on the Figures

4
 Figure 2: Steady Bass

Lick #1 Steady Bass

E
B 4
4
E 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Lick #2 Pinch On One

3
0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Lick #3 Add A Syncopated Note

5
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 2 & 3 4 1 2 & 3 4

Lick #4 Rag Lick

7
0 0 0 0
0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 & 2 & 3 4 1 & 2 & 3 4

Lick #5 Hammer On Lick

9
0 0 0 0
0 2 0 0 2 0
0 [H] 0 0 0 0 [H] 0 0 0
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 1 & 2 & 3 & 4

5
 Figure 2: Steady Bass (cont.)
Lick #6 Banjo Roll
-
11
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 1 & 2 & 3 & 4

Lick 7: Ten Mile Stomp Lick

13
4 5 5 5 7 7
4 [S] 5 5 5 [S] 7 7
4 5 5 5 5 7 7 7
1 2 & 3 & 4 1 2 & 3 & 4

15
0 0 0 0
0 0
0 0 0 0 0 0 0
1 & 2 & 3 4 1 & 2 3 (4)

6
 Figure 3: Licks

Lick #1

E 0 2 3 0 0
B 4 0 2 [S] 2
4
E [H]
1 & 2 3 (4) 1 2 3 (4)

Lick #2

3
0 2 3 0
0 2 [S] 2 0
[H]
1 & 2 3 (4) 1 2 3 (4)

Lick #3
2 2 2
5
0 0
0 0
2 2 2 0 0
4 & 1 & 2 & 3 4

7
0 0 0
0
0 0 0 0 0
1 & 2 & 3 4 1

7
 Figure 3: Licks (cont.)

Lick #4 -
9
[H] 0 2 3
0 2 [S]
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

11
0 0 [H] 0 2 3
2 0 2 [S]
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

13
0 [H] 0 2 3
2 0 0 2 [S]
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

15
0 0 0
2 0 0 0
0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0

17
0 0 0
0
0 0 0 0 0

8
 Ten Mile Stomp

Part 1

E [H] 0 2 4
B 4 0 2 [S]
4
E 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2
0 0 [H] 0 2 4
2 0 2 [S]
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

4
0 [H] 0 2 4
2 0 0 2 [S]
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

6
0 0
2 0
0 0 0 2 2 2 0 0

Part 2

8 1 0 0 4 5 5
0 4 [S] 5 5
0 0 0 0 4 5 5 5

9
 Ten Mile Stomp (cont.)

10
5 7 7 0 0
5 [S] 7 7 0
5 7 7 7 0 0 0 0

12
0 0 4 5 5
0 4 [S] 5 5
0 0 0 4 5 5 5

1.
14
5 7 7 0 0
5 [S] 7 7 0
5 7 7 7 0 0 0 0

2.
16
0 0
0 2 0
0 0 0 0 2

18
12
12
0 12

10
 12-Bar Blues Chord Progression

The 12-bar blues is 12 measures arranged in three sets of four measures each. The
following is a typical 12-bar progression (keep in mind there are plenty of variations on
this theme):

I IV I I E A E E
IV IV I I A A E E
V IV I V B A E B

E major scale = E F# G# A B C# D# E
1 2 3 4 56 7 1

The following example is in the “call-response” format where the lyrics call out in the
first two measures and the guitar responds in the next two measures. The second line
is a repeat of the first. The first two bars of the third line are the conclusion, and the
last two bars are the turnaround.

Stranger Blues (Elmore James)

E A E E
I’m a stranger here, just blowed into your town.
. . . . . . . . . . Verse = “call” . . . . . . . . . . . Response = fill

A A E E
I’m a stranger here, just blowed into your town.
. . . . . . Repeat verse = “call” . . . . . . . . . Response = fill

B A E B
If I ask you for a favor, please don’t turn me down.
. . . . . . . . . . . Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Turnaround

11
 Stranger Blues
(Elmore James)

E A E
1. I’m a stranger here, I just blowed into your town.
2. Well, I wrote to my mama, send me some railroad fare.
3. Does my good gal know, does she know I'm here?
4. Well I wonder, why people treat a stranger so.

A E
1. I’m a stranger here, I just blowed into your town.
2. I wrote to my mama, send me some railroad fare.
3. Does my good gal know, does she know I'm here?
4. Yes I wonder, why people treat a stranger so.

B A E B
1. If I ask you for a favor, please don’t turn me down.
2. But if my mama don’t send it, I don’t mind walking there.
3. Well, if she does, She sure don't seem to care.
4. They’re gonna’ find out, You reap just what you sew.

12
 Figure 4: I IV and V Chords

I = Open Guitar

5 IV = Bar at 5th Fret

7 V = Bar at 7th Fret

12 I = Bar at 12th Fret

15

17

19

21

13
 Figure 5: 12-Bar Licks

Lick #1

E ¼
B 4
4
E 2 [B] 0
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Lick #2

3
0 0
0 0 0 0
4 3 2 0 0 0
1 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 & 2 & 3 4

Lick #3

5
7 6 5 4
9 8 7 5

1 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 4

Lick #4

7
12 12 12 12 12 12 12
12 11 10 9

1 2 & 3 & 4 & 1 2 3 4

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 Figure 6: The Major Scale
12345671
Tuning = E B E (1 5 1)

5
= Root

2 6 2

3 7 3

5 4 4

7 5 2 5

9 6 3 6

7 7

12 5

2 6 2

15
3 7 3

17 4 4

19 5 2 5

21 6 3 6

15
 Figure 7: The Blues Scale
1 b3 4 (b5) 5 b7 1
Tuning = E B E (1 5 1)

5
= Root

b5 = Blue Note

3 b3 b7 b3

5 4 4

b5 b5

7 5 5

b3

b7 4 b7

b5

12 5

15 b3 b7 b3

17 4 4

b5 b5

19 5 5

b3

21

16
 Figure 8: Blues Licks

Lick #1 Major Sound

E
B 4
0
2 0 2
0
2 0 0
4
E 4 2 0
1 6 5 6 1 5 5 3 2 1

Lick #2 Minor Sound

4
0 0 2
3 0 3 0 0
3 0 0
1 b7 5 b7 1 5 5 b3 1 1

Lick #3 (Lick # 2 an octave higher)

7
12 12 1
15 12 15 11 12 12
[S] 15 12 12
1 b7 5 b7 1 5 5 b3 1 1

Lick #4

10
14 14 11 12
12 12 14 14 12
[S] 15 12
2 2 7 5 6 1 6 5 b3 1

17
 Figure 9: 12-Bar Solo

E (I) A (IV)

E 12 12 1
B 4 15 12 15 11 12 12
4
E [P] [S] 15 12

E (I) E (I)

3
¼
12. 2 0
[B]

A (IV) A (IV)

5
12 12 1
15 12 15 11 12 12
[P] [S] 15 12

E (I) E (I)

7
¼
12. 2 0

B (V) A (IV)

9
14 14 11 12
12 12 14 14 12
[S] [P] 15

E (I) E (I)

11
7 6 5 4
9 8 7 5
12

18