Classical music on a 3-string cigar box guitar is likely not the first thing you would think to play, but I have to say it works pretty well! Of course, there are limitations with only 3 strings, but that is why it works. You can’t add more than the melody and the bass note with the odd harmony note to fill in the gaps. 

 If you have played regular 6-string classical guitar, this music should be a breeze. Before tackling a few classical pieces (see below for audio and sheet music), here are some suggestions to consider. 

Have a look at my book Cigar Box Guitar Classical Collection for 45 classical pieces arranged for the 3-string cigar box guitar tuned G-D-G with tablature and notes. 

If you are a complete newbie to the cigar box guitar (CBG), check out this article for beginners:  “how to play cigar box guitar” 

7 Tips to Play Classical Music on the 3-String Cigar Box Guitar

1) Try to stick with a logical right and left hand fingering. By that, I mean keep your fingers in position, ready to play and stretched out. One of the trade-offs with only 3-strings is you will have to stretch up to five frets. 

2) Practice the right-hand exercises paying strict attention to the fingering until you are comfortable alternating and playing fingers together. Also, use a metronome to train your fingers to play evenly.

3) Look at the notation line for fingerings and barre markings. The small number beside the notes are suggested left-hand fingerings. The roman numeral with a line indicates a barre. Just in case you don’t know your Roman Numerals: 

I = 1, II = 2, III = 3, IV = 4, V = 5, VI = 6, VII = 7, VII = 8, IX = 9, X = 10, XI = 11, XII = 12

4) Classical music is very expressive but can also be quite disciplined with the rhythm, especially a dance. For example, a minuet is played in 3/4 time, and participants would follow a particular dance step, so playing too slow or too fast could trip them up. Regardless, you are playing the music, so play at a speed that suits you. Look at the tempo and terms page for suggested beats per minute (b.p.m.).

5)  You will see many dynamic markings, but they are usually added once you learn the piece you are working on. Again, look at the terms page to familiarize yourself with dynamic markings. 

6) Articulations are how a note is to be played. For example, a small dot above a note means staccato. Have a look at the articulations used in the book on the tempos and terms page. 

7) Listen to the audio tracks to aid in learning the pieces. Often, listening is like a picture that is worth a thousand words. 

Ok, let’s try a few classical pieces on your 3-stringer!

Spanish Romance on Cigar Box Guitar

Ok, so our first classical piece is arguably one of the most famous 6-string classical guitar pieces called “Spanish Romance,” or sometimes called Spanish Ballad or Romanza. We are just going to learn the first part today, but the full version is available from my book Cigar Box Guitar Classical Collection 

You will notice there is a triplet-picking pattern right from the getgo. If this is your first shot at playing with your fingers, I’d suggest this little exercise to get started:

Now let’s look at the piece. It’s in the key of G minor. You will need a barre in several places, and it covers a wide range of notes. I could explain it all, but honestly, just listen to the piece to get its gist. You will learn a lot even if you only play the first two lines. 

There are at least 3 challenging fingerings so take note of the highlighted fingerings in the notation line. Start slow, memorize some of the chord shapes and gradually build your speed.

Cigar Box Guitar Tab – Midnight by John Dowland

Here’s a nice little tune composed by John Dowland almost 500 years ago! We will play this one in the key of G minor.

To start off, you will notice that you are often playing 3 strings at once. This is usually done with your fingers, not as a strum. Keep the melody top of mind and louder than the bass and harmony notes. Also, study any chords before you begin to get them firmly in your grasp. 

As stated in the 7 tips above, you will see barre markings using roman numerals. When you make a barre, press hard enough, so the notes keep ringing and have no buzzing.

There are quite a few stretches you will need to do, so lots of work for the 4th finger. There is also quite a bit of hand movement required, especially in measures 13 and 14. 

Cigar Box Guitar Classical? Yes!  

So, as you can now see, playing classical music on your cigar box guitar is very possible and quite enjoyable.   If you would like to learn more about classical music, check out my blog posts:  How to play classical guitar lessons one and two.

Check back often for more free cigar box guitar lessons, and leave suggestions for future posts below.

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