Set Aside 20 Minutes Each Day To Do This

Want to learn how to play chords on your 3-string cigar box guitar? Use flashcards 20 minutes a day.

That’s right. Those things you used to learn your multiplication tables and other grade school lessons.

As you're about to see, they're not just for kiddos.

With a handful of flashcards and a short amount of time devoted each day to use them, you can master 3-string cigar box guitar chords.

Master 3-String Chord Shapes in a Few Minutes Each Day

Start by writing chord names on the blank sides of the index cards.

An indispensable resource for this step is this chord poster. On it are images of all the most popular 3-string cigar box guitar chord shapes.

So using, let’s say, D7 as an example, write D7 on the blank side of an index card.

Flip the card over to the side with lines. Using a straight-edge, such as another index card, draw your own lines that mimic the fretboard in the chord chart.

Then mark the dots seen in the chord chart on your newly drawn mini-fretboard.

Before long, you’ll have a small pile of chord shape flashcards ready to memorize.

Flashcards Make Learning Easy

After creating a stack of the chord shapes you want to learn, flip through them like you used to do in school, and drill the shapes for 15 or 20 minutes a day.

In no time, you’ll have 3-string cigar box guitar chord shapes mastered.

No expensive classes or DVDs required - just the good old DIY spirit you’ve already got as a cigar box guitar enthusiast.

Why Are They Effective?

Flashcards foster something termed active recall, which in this case, is when you call to mind information pictured on your flashcards.

Practicing active recall with your chord-shapes creates stronger neural connections in your brain, making it an essential method for improving memory.

Plus, the time between seeing the same card of a particular chord shape helps burn the image of it into your mind.

And with just 20 minutes a day of practice, you will undeniably build confidence in your cigar box guitar playing.

Bonus! 2 Shapes, 1 Chord

Perhaps you’ll want to create more flashcards for this bonus opportunity.

Due to how chord shapes look on a cigar box guitar tuned G-D-G (or any such 1-5-1 tuning), each can be flipped to look like a mirror image of the original shape and yet still has all the same notes.

So if you are playing a G chord on a cigar box guitar tuned G-D-G, one shape to play that chord looks like this.

You can also flip the chord shape to look like this,

and it still has the exact same three notes as the original shape.

That right there is a great way to expand your inventory of memorized chords!

Read more about mirrored chord shapes in this article.

It’s Learning Time

All you need to start learning is:

• a C. B. Gitty chord poster
• a stack of index cards
• something to write with
• and a burning desire to learn the most used 3-string cigar box guitar chord shapes

So get that poster, steal your spouse's or neighbor's stack of blank recipe cards (or wherever you can grab a handful of index cards), and start drawing.

After you're done, you're set to master 3-string cigar box guitar chord shapes in just a few minutes every day.

Must-Reads...

Continue down the road to cigar box guitar mastery with the following must-read articles...

3-String Cigar Box Guitar Chord Forms Made Easy: The Ultimate Guide

Want to learn new chords for your 3-string cigar box guitar?

Interested in playing your cigar box guitar with more than just one finger?

In this article, you'll learn...

• How to play the most valuable chords on a cigar box guitar tuned G-D-G
• What a chord form is
• How to play a chord, so it sounds good
• How to read a chord chart
• How to play the most popular chord progression
• How to mirror, or flip chord forms
• Where to learn more chords to become a well-rounded player

Gain access to the ultimate 3-string cigar box guitar chord guide here.

What Is Scale Length & Why Does It Matter?

What is cigar box guitar scale length, and why should you care?

Given the “no rules” mantra in the cigar box guitar community, the term scale length looks an awful lot like a rule. Doesn’t it?

And if there are no rules to building cigar box guitars – a big reason why they’re so much fun – then why do you need to learn about scale length?

Rather than bog you down with confusing terminology and theory, what you'll find here is a simple definition of scale length. Plus, you'll discover the two big reasons why it should matter to you.

Keep reading to learn how scale length affects your cigar box guitars tone and feel, and how it affects how you can play chords.