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Over Two Continuous Hours of Cigar Box Guitar and Roots Music!
Of all possible ways to learn a musical instrument, I’ve found that the best method, by far, is to listen to (and watch) as much music as possible. You can learn so much by watching how a player holds the instrument; the posture, the picking and anchoring techniques, etc… So much can be gleaned by observing a musician as they are performing.
The best way to do this is in person, where you have a 3-dimensional view of the performance. But we live in an age where the internet allows you to access a 2-dimensional live concert experience just about anytime and place you choose! So sit back, relax, and learn from the music as it’s rolling by your screen… or just enjoy the show!
Thanks for keeping the Roots alive! Click “FOLLOW” on the right-hand side of this page to stay up-to-date with new lessons and articles.
~Justin Johnson
VISIT STORE for CDs, DVDs, Books, & More!: www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html
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Below is a playlist that will continue to play through over 40 Roots Music perfomances by Justin Johnson. If you would like to browse through the videos, click on the menu icon in the top left corner of the video screen.
How To Play Any Song on the 3-String Guitar with One Finger
This lesson is an excerpt from Justin Johnson’s Instructional Video Series
“Roots Music According to Justin Johnson: 3-String Guitar”
The Full-Length Instructional Video Series comes complete with Guitar Tablature and is available as DVD or Digital Download at:
http://www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html
3-String or 4-String? How to Decide Which is Right for You!
When you are in the market for a Roots Instrument like a 3-string or 4-string guitar, one of the most common questions is, “Which one is right for me?” I get this question on a daily basis, and it all depends on the goals, tastes, and experience level of the player.
Advice for Beginners:
If you are a total beginner, or planning on purchasing a 3- or 4-string guitar for a beginner, you really can’t go wrong. Both 3-string and 4-string are much easier to learn than conventional 6-string guitar… mainly because less strings require less muscle strength in your hands and less multi-tasking. Most 3-string and 4-string guitars are tuned to “open tunings,” meaning that the open strings are tuned to a chord, so it’s easy to play many chord changes with just one finger on your fretting hand, as opposed to learning and practicing complicated chords shapes on the 6-string for hours before playing your first song.
The main difference between the 3-string and 4-string when it comes to beginners is that the 3-string is just plain easier than the 4-string. The 3-string is really the perfect beginner instrument for anyone wanting to learn a stringed instrument, but wants to play music right away. It’s simple, easy to pick up and play, and still teaches you all of the fundamental techniques such as fretting, building muscle memory, strumming, fingerpicking, and more. It’s also perfect for children who have smaller hands with less muscle strength.
If you know that you will want more complex harmonies, tuning options, and a larger range between your lowest and highest notes on the guitar, then the 4-string will be a slightly better and more versatile option, as long as you don’t mind the challenge of an extra string. You can enjoy the best of both worlds by beginning with a 4-string, but only stringing it up with three strings at first.. once you get the hang of it, you can add the extra string and take your playing to the next level.
Advice for Players with Some Experience:
If you are already playing a stringed instrument, the 4-string might be a better option. It has more tuning options, a larger range, and can be tuned to mimic other stringed instruments like the ukulele, tenor guitar, mandolin, banjo, bouzouki, etc. It’s also great for players who are already familiar with stringed instruments, but want to add the look, tone, and feel of a roots instrument to their palette.
If you are experienced, and just want a simple instrument that is easy to play, and will inspire you to “do more with less,” the 3-String is a perfectly simple, rugged & rocking’ roots instrument. Just tune it up, crank it up, and have fun!
Check out the Videos Below:
Below are two videos that will give introductions to the 3-string and 4-string guitar.
Thanks for keeping the Roots alive, and don’t forget to click “FOLLOW” on the right-hand side of this page to stay up-to-date with new lessons and articles!
~Justin Johnson
VISIT STORE for CDs, DVDs, Books, & More!: www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: www.YouTube.com/justinjohnsonlive
This Video Features a Guitar by Algoma Acoustics: http://www.AlgomaAcoustics.com
This Video Features a Guitar by Algoma Acoustics: http://www.AlgomaAcoustics.com
How to Play “Sleepwalk” on the 3-String Guitar! Guitar TABs Included!
“Sleepwalk” by Santo and Johnny is one of the most recognizable instrumental melodies in Rock & Roll history. It’s one of those songs that, within the first few notes, recalls the absolute essence of an era. The distinctive melody was originally written and recorded for lap steel guitar, with rhythm section laying down a tasteful harmonic and rhythmic bed. This 3-String arrangement of the song is a chord/melody arrangement, meaning the melody is played on the higher strings, and the harmony (chord changes & bassline) are played on the lower strings. Essentially, you are playing the entire band’s music on 3 strings.
I’ve written out the tablature below to correspond to the video above. It’s in Open G tuning (G-D-G) using the A, D, & G string from a standard 6-string pack.
Thanks for keeping the Roots alive, and don’t forget to click “FOLLOW” on the right-hand side of this page to stay up-to-date with new lessons and articles!
~Justin Johnson
VISIT STORE for CDs, DVDs, Books, & More!: www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html
SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: www.YouTube.com/justinjohnsonlive
The 3-String Guitar used in this video lesson was crafted by:
Little Crow Guitars
Website: http://www.LittleCrowGuitars.com
How to Play Mississippi Hill Country Blues: Break it Down, and Build it Back Up!
If “Delta Blues” is the soul of modern Blues music, then “Mississippi Hill Country Blues” is the beating heart. This style of early Blues is was forged by pioneers like Mississippi Fred McDowell, R.L. Burnside, Junior Kimbrough, and more recently, bands like The North Mississippi Allstars. Both Delta and Hill Country Blues refer to the region the styles originated from, and both are similar in their emphasis on rhythmic syncopation, use of both fretted and slide guitar, and gospel-like inflections. Where they differ is that Mississippi Hill Country Blues generally has fewer chord changes than other Blues styles and puts more emphasis on conjuring a hypnotic repetition in the harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic aspects of the song. These qualities combine to create a magnetic groove that pulls you in and keeps your foot stomping.
In relation to guitar, Hill Country Blues musicians often take advantage of Open Tunings (tuning the open strings of the guitar to a chord). Then the thumb of the picking hand beats out a rhythm on the bass strings, while the melody (often doubling the vocal melody notes) is played on the high pitched strings. A talented Hill Country Blues musician can mimic the sound of an entire band (bass, drums, rhythm guitar, and lead guitar) at the same time.
The key to mastering these techniques is to break the separate parts down individually, learning the rhythm first with your thumb, and then the melody with your remaining fingers. Once the two separate parts can be played comfortably, the two parts must by brought together (sort of like band practice!).
The following video is an excerpt from my instructional DVD, “Roots Music According to Justin Johnson: Slide Technique for the 3-String Guitar.” It includes an overview of how to approach this style, break it down into it’s parts, and add slide guitar and rhythmic inflections. The techniques in this video apply just as much to 4-String and 6-String guitar players.
To learn this full lesson with TABS and similar lessons on 3-String Delta Blues Slide Guitar, Chord/Melody Slide Playing, Left & Right-Hand Slide Muting, and much more… check out out the full-length DVD, available at www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html.
Thanks for Keepin’ the Roots Alive, and don’t forget to click the “FOLLOW” button on the right column of this page to stay up-to-date with my newest lessons!
~Justin Johnson
VISIT STORE for CDs, DVDs, Books, & More!: www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html
SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: www.YouTube.com/justinjohnsonlive
Building Community… One Guitar at a Time: Interview with MRWS Instruments
While following my own passion for Roots Music and homemade Roots instruments around the world, I often run into other builders, players, and enthusiasts who are committed to offering their time and talents to expanding the limits of the Roots Music Revival and the Folk Art traditions that encircle it. During my last Australian tour, I met Mark Wilmot, a talented luthier and pioneer in the global Roots Instrument scene. Wilmot epitomizes the concept that the right combination of humility, talent, honesty, and community-minded work will resonate with a market of artists, crafters, and music lovers. What began as a hobby of building instruments at home for friends grew quickly into a full-time job, and gave rise to three separate companies.. MRWS Instruments, which offers an extensive array of guitar parts and accessories in support of the burgeoning global community of Roots Instrument builders, as well as sister companies Raven Box Guitars and Mortal Coil Pickups. Here’s what Mark has to say about how he got started and how he turned his love of music and woodworking into a business that serves as an oasis for those seeking quality parts, beautiful guitars, and some of the coolest looking electric guitar pickups available.
Check out www.MRWSinstruments.com
Q: What first inspired you to start building guitars?
A: You know what? I’m going to have to be honest about this: I haven’t a clue. At the very least, I don’t remember the catalyst. I do remember my first build, though: a paint can diddley-bow. And the only reason I built that was because I hadn’t built one. In general, I’ve always enjoyed building whatever I can build. From the first time that I picked up a guitar at thirteen years old, I knew I’d eventually build one. So I guess what inspired me to keep making them was the immediate interest from others to make them one as well.
Q: What defines your style of instrument building?
A: I love wood. Yeah, that’s right, you heard me. There are some amazingly beautiful timbers in Australia and I love to showcase them in my builds. All of my necks are between three and seven laminations and of at least two timber species. I also put a lot of emphasis on the shape of my heels.
Timber plays an integral role in guitar building, not only in sound but also in general aesthetics. I’m very specific about how things sound. I spend a lot of time on setting up my instruments to make sure I get the action and intonation as close to perfect as possible.
Q: Your instruments seem to be designed from a player’s point of view. Do you have a background in musical performance?
A: I was in a few bands when I was younger. I was never a professional, but I understood how the instrument I was playing worked and I knew from the first time I built a fretted 3 string guitar that the intonation was going to be an issue. The action was never a problem, but in my first few creations, I just couldn’t get the intonation right. So it was the bridge that was letting me down. To combat this problem I developed a multi-piece timber bridge that allowed me to move each section to get the right compensation for each string. This only worked for me up to a point as I tend to be heavy handed when I hit the strings, which gave the bridge a tendency to move. Then I had some electric guitar bridges manufactured for 3 and 4 string instruments. I do believe there are others who now stock this as well.
Q: What inspired you to make the leap from building guitars, to distributing parts and kits?
A: Australia is a long way away from anything. Depending on what and how you purchase parts from overseas, shipping can be exorbitant. I knew there were other builders in my part of the world, and if I was having this shipping dilemma, they were as well. This is the reason I chose to start MRWS. This way I could keep the prices on parts and shipping affordable. The first few items I stocked were kits, machine heads, and various guitar electronics. The kits were a natural progression from selling parts. There’s nothing better than having all the parts you’re after available in one place without going on a treasure hunt.
Q: I find that the guitar parts you sell through MRWS Instruments are affordable, but not “cheap” in quality. What process of quality control do you go through before offering your parts for sale?
A: I sample all of the parts that I stock before they’re available on my site, and I rigorously test them. If they don’t make the cut, I don’t order them. Simple.
Q: By distributing parts around the world to luthiers, you must see trends come and go. Where do you see the guitar building market going?
A: When I started MRWS, I was met with a fair amount of resistance from some already in the industry. Was this because the industry was too small, maybe only a trend itself? Luckily, no. It has grown quite a lot since I began. Certainly the needs of builders change, whether they are building cigar box guitars or 3, 4 or 6 string solid bodies, resonators, kalimbas or amplifiers. I do my best to add products as I see the industry evolve, as well as my own needs as a builder. I always try to keep the core parts for beginners as well as the more seasoned CBG builders. Regardless of where the market wanders, I hope to always be a part of it.
Q: You offer some amazing hand-wound custom pickups through your brand, “Mortal Coil.” Tell me a little bit about how this brand came to be, and what you offer through your line of pickups.
A: Like I stated before, I love making stuff. I made a conscious effort to build an entire guitar from scratch. This included the electronics. Unfortunately I don’t have the foundry to turn ore into metal, but I can make some of the components from already manufactured parts. I also have a lot of timber off-cuts and I tend to horde the nicer species. There’s only so much room in a person’s workshop, so I used the smaller of these off-
cuts to make the bobbins for the pickups. After winding a few for myself and finding that they were successful in making the sound I was after, I thought I’d make a few more and offer them to the public to see what happened. I’m glad I did. I’m only offering single coil pups at the moment, but I am developing both humbuckers and low-profile pickups.
And the brand name? Mortal Coil just sounds cool.
Q: What advice would you give to luthiers who are just starting out building their own stringed instruments?
A: Make it your own. Take time to evolve your techniques. Don’t rush. Focus on the sound, not the look. It should be an instrument first and art second. There’s nothing worse than spending time and money on the finished look of a guitar, only to end up with an unplayable wall hanging. Keep your first build. It will be a reminder. Both good and bad.
Thanks for reading, and for being part of keeping the Roots alive! If you like this blog, please SHARE.. and click FOLLOW at the top right of this page.
~Justin Johnson
VISIT STORE for CDs, DVDs, Books, & More!: www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html
SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: www.YouTube.com/justinjohnsonlive
Twelve-Bar Blues for the 3-String Guitar: Explanations, Chords Charts, Video, and More…
If you have ever heard of the term, “Twelve-bar Blues,” there is a good reason… it is not only the most popular chord progression in Blues music, but it is the most popular chord progression in popular music in general. The term “twelve-bar” refers to the length of chord progression; it is 12 bars (or measures) long.
Simple Twelve-Bar Blues
While there are many variations to this simple concept, all of the variations stem from a simple, three-chord progression that is 12 measures long. The three chords in this example in the key of G are: G, C, and D. On the 3-String guitar in Open G tuning, the G is played simply by strumming all three strings in the open position, the C is played by barring all three strings at the 5th fret, and the D is played by barring all three strings at the 7th fret.
In this example, there are 4 beats per measure, and I’ve broken the 12 bars into 3 sets of four measures. To hear a musical example of this progression, and play along, you can watch and refer to the accompanying video with this article.
“Stormy Monday” Progression
While the simple, three chord progression above is the backbone of countless classic songs like “Crossroads,” “Johnny B. Goode,” and “Dust My Broom,” there eventually comes a time when you want to add a little more harmonic complexity to the twelve-bar progression. To me, the best example of a more complex, and “Jazzy” arrangement of a twelve-bar Blues progression is the T-Bone Walker original, “Stormy Monday.” You can look closely at the chord changes in this song, and see close similarities to the simple twelve-bar progression… in fact, other than the addition of the “7th” voicing for the chords, the first 6 measures are exactly the same. The characteristic difference starts in measure 7, adding a very distinct and tasteful variation on the original chord progression.
Again, to hear musical examples of this progression on the 3-string guitar, just watch the accompanying video with this lesson. Below the chord progression for “Stormy Monday,” is a collection of chord voicings that will work well together in the context of this arrangement.
Once you learn the progressions on these charts, make sure you watch the accompanying video with this lesson. It will dive deeper into how you can add more complex rhythms, fingerpicking techniques, and balking bass lines to make the “Stormy Monday,” progression come to life. …and don’t stop there, look around RootsMusicSchool.org, and check out some of the other lessons, many of them are walkthroughs of other twelve-bar Blues songs like “Dust My Broom,” and a variation of the twelve-bar progression with “Hoochie Coochie Man.”
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Keep Pickin’!
~Justin Johnson
VISIT STORE for CDs, DVDs, Books, & More!: www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html
SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: www.YouTube.com/justinjohnsonlive
“Dust My Broom” 3-String & 4-String Lesson ~ Slide and Fretted Arrangements
In this lesson, I teach a beginner arrangement of Elmore James’s, “Dust My Broom,” for the 3-string and 4-string guitar. While this song was originally recorded by Robert Johnson on solo acoustic guitar, it was the Elmore James version on the electric guitar that really emblazoned it onto every Blues band’s set list till the end of time! The slide guitar riff that opens the song, and is repeated throughout James’ version, has become one of the most significant and influential slide guitar riffs in history, forever assuring his status as a true legend of the Blues.
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~Justin Johnson
VISIT STORE for CDs, DVDs, Books, & More!: www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html
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What is the Best Way to Learn Guitar?
One of the questions I get asked the most in my guitar workshops is, “What is the best way to learn how to play guitar?” It is such a simple question, but it is one that has so many possible answers, each one being just as true as the other. So.. how do I answer? I tell them that the best way to learn the 6-string guitar is by learning the 3-string guitar.
There are countless guitar legends that started out on homemade guitars, most of them only had a few strings and were built out of found objects, or pieces of old, broken instruments. Jimi Hendrix started out on a one-string Ukulele, Bo Diddley started out on a Cigar Box Guitar… so did Lightning Hopkins, B.B. King, Elmore James… the list goes on and on. Not only do you not have to learn guitar on a 6-string, but it can be liberating, inspiring, and more fun to start on a Roots Instrument like the 3-string guitar. Plus, it is a much more affordable investment for a beginner.
Learning to play 3-string guitar is just as valuable, whether you are a total beginner or have been playing for years. Let me tell you why…
Total Beginner?
1) It is easier to begin to learn guitar on 3 strings! I find that the #1 reason beginners stop playing is because is it hard to have fun on the 6-string guitar the first day you pick it up. The 3-string guitar, tuned to an open tuning, can make music without the guitarist even fretting a note. Every time I put a 3-string guitar in a kid’s hands, and they hit that first chord, it puts a smile on their face, because they have already made their first “music!”
2) The 3-string guitar teaches you the muscle memory that you need to play the 6-string. When a beginner learns to play on a 3-String, they are still learning the proper left and right hand technique they will need to play the 6-string. They still build callouses on their fretting fingers, they still develop proper strumming and picking techniques, and they still build the musculature in their fretting hand that will help them push the strings down. The benefit with a 3-string is that these challenges are less frustrating, and allow the player to have more fun and get more instant gratification than they would if they were trying to juggle 6 strings throughout this developmental stage.
3) You can still play all of the same songs on the 3-string, it’s just simpler. It is possible to play the same songs on the 3-string, but the arrangements are generally simpler and less intimidating. Most chord changes can be simplified and broken down into one-finger chords. These chords may not be as lush as a 6-note chord, but they will give the player the enjoyment of being able to strum their favorite chord changes, while building up their fretting hand muscles. Learning barre chords (chords where you lay your index finger down across multiple stings) can be the most frustrating stage in a beginner guitarist’s development… But the 3-string makes this process fun and much less painful!
4) You learn music, not patterns. This is the one I love the most! If you learn on an instrument like the 3-string guitar, you will be learning how to develop your own sound, style, voice, and patterns much more so than if you learn on a traditional 6-string. You will have to learn how to use the entire fretboard, not just the first 5 frets. You will have to learn open tunings, not just standard tuning. You will have to learn how to make your own arrangements of songs instead of learning songs and riffs note-by-note. In a sense, you will be learning how to play like yourself instead of learning to play like someone else. Moving on to play 6 strings will be a very easy transition from the 3-string. All you will have to do is learn some new patterns and chord shapes, but your fingers will be stronger, they will have more stamina, they will be know how to strum and pick, they will know how to run up and down the fretboard… and you will have had more fun along the way!
Already a Proficient Guitarist?
When I got my first guitar, I devoured every lesson book, tab book, DVD, concert video, and dexterity exercise I could find! I studied the classic riffs and tones that were accepted as traditional, acceptable, and cool. I learned the right bends for the right Rock song, the right pickup setting for the right Country twang, and the right vibrato for the right Blues moan… but I missed something else completely… I wasn’t listening to myself enough. I had learned so many traditional ways of playing that I wasn’t breaking outside of my comfort zone and creating sounds that had never been made before.
The day I picked up my first Cigar Box Guitar, I had no idea how to play it.. I didn’t know how it was tuned, it wasn’t properly intonated so it could only be played with a slide, and I had never heard anything with that kind of tone before. It ripped me out of my comfort zone and took me straight to the edge of my ability. It made be rethink the way I approached guitar and the fretboard patterns I was used to. It took away all of my safety nets, and made me have to become a musician, not just a guitarist… and it was the best lesson I ever got!
In Other Words…
From one guitar player to another, roots instruments such as the 1-string diddley bow and the 3-string or 4-string guitar are the best personal trainer I have ever found for 6-string guitar. If you try one, buy one, build one, or have one hanging on a wall, tune it up, and watch these videos. You’ll be happy you did!
Keep on Pickin’, and don’t forget to click “Follow” on this blog to catch future articles!
~Justin Johnson
VISIT STORE for CDs, DVDs, Books, & More!: www.JustinJohnsonLive.com/store.html
SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL: www.YouTube.com/justinjohnsonlive
