How to Play a Cigar Box Guitar
Cigar box guitars --- funky instruments that use the thin wood sides of an old cigar box as a resonator --- are typically played with a slide. Not only are these guitars frequently fretless, but they often have only three strings, so fingering chords on them requires learning an entirely new technique. However, cigar box guitars are pretty easy to play with a slide, and with a little practice you should be able to play chords and melodies with the earthy, hard-edged sound for which these instruments are famous.
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Instructions
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1
Tune the guitar to an open tuning; this means that when you strum the three strings without touching them with the slide they play a chord. One typical tuning for a cigar box guitar is an open A (A, E, A).
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Hold the guitar so that the box is in your lap and the neck is pointing to your left. Place the slide over the pinky finger of your left hand.
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3
Play a note by touching one string (usually the highest string) with the slide and plucking the string with the pick. Hold the slide firmly against the string so it doesn't buzz, but not so firmly that you're actually pressing the string against the fret board. Practice playing the string at various places on the neck to find notes that sound pleasing with the open chord you're tuned to.
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4
Play a chord by placing the slide across all three strings and strumming them. Be sure to have the slide at a right angle to the strings; if it's slanting, the chord will sound out of tune. Practice sliding the slide up and down the neck until you can find the principal chords for the key you're tuned to. For instance, if you're tuned to an open A, try to find the D and the E chords. These are the three chords you'll need to play the blues in A.
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5
Practice slide technique by sliding the slide up to each note or chord, rather than simply placing the slide on the strings.
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Tips & Warnings
If your cigar box guitar does have frets, you'll need to place the slide directly over the fret to get the proper intonation for the note or chord.
If your guitar is fretless, you might want to place a pencil mark on the upper side of the neck to remind you of where to find important chords and scale notes.
If you don't have a glass or chrome slide, you can use a knife blade or a glass bottle neck.
Be careful not to touch the strings too lightly with the slide; this causes the strings to buzz against the slide.
Although they look rough-and-ready, cigar box guitars are actually delicate instruments. Treat them carefully to avoid damaging them. In particular, do not put too much pressure on the neck or try to bend notes by pulling the neck backward from the body.
