The cajon (the Spanish word for box) has been part of Afro-Peruvian music since the 19th century. This wonderful percussion instrument originated in colonial Peru, when the African slave drums had been forbidden by their masters.
The cajon (the Spanish word for box) has been part of Afro-Peruvian music since the 19th century. This wonderful percussion instrument originated in colonial Peru, when the African slave drums had been forbidden by their masters. Undeterred and driven by the power of music they began using wooden boxes intended to hold fruits or overturned drawers to play their rhythms upon. Later the cajon was officially added to the instrumentation of the vals criollo, or “creole waltz.” It has now become a national emblem for Peruvians, and is an indispensable part of any ensemble that performs the traditional folk music of Peru.
Many stories can also be found in Cuba about how cajons can be used as musical instruments by the marginalized masses. In the early 1960’s, Fidel Castro began getting nervous about the anti-Communist rallies forming in the streets, where masses were being drawn to the beat of drums and the sound of music. As most paranoid dictators do, Fidel “forbid” the playing of music in the streets in order to control the possibility of rebellion. The clever Cubans began to make drums from fruit boxes and other crude materials that one might find on any street. When the police arrived they would only find well behaved citizens sitting atop their fruit boxes and looking for work. Continue reading “The Cajon – A short history”
This is one of the best known of the classic country songs, and now you can play it on your cigar box guitar! Don Schlitz wrote this song and Kenny Rogers made it famous with his cover of it in 1978. This version of it has been arranged and tabbed by Glenn Watt. Glenn gives us two versions of the song – the basic melody line, and then the tabbed version with the chords.
You can view the printable tablature sheets by clicking on the link or images below. Glenn presents 3 versions of this song – a simple melody-only version, melody with chords, and finally just the chords with lyrics. You can also watch the video below where Glenn shows you how he plays the song on his 3-string cigar box guitar tuned to Open G “GDG”.
Click the image above to view the Melody-only version.
Click the image above to view the melody and chords version.
Click the image above to view the chords & lyrics version.
We hope you are able to make great music with this tab! Be sure to check out all of the other tablature and how-to-play articles for cigar box guitars posted here on CigarBoxGuitar.com.
The Parting Glass is a well known Traditional Irish song that is often sung at the end of of the night at Irish sessions and at gatherings.
Below is version of the tab of the basic melody, arranged for One String Canjos.
5 4 3 1 1 0 1 3 5 4
O-f all the money, that e’er I had
3 4 5 5 5 4 3 4 5 1 0
I have spent it i--n good comp-any
5 4 3 1 1 0 1 3 5 4
O-f all the harm, that e’er I’ve done
3 4 5 9 8 5 4 1 0 1
A-l-as it was to none but me
8 8 5 9 8 8 8 5 9 8
And a-ll I’ve done, for want of wit
5 6 5 4 3 4 5 1 0
To memory now I can’t recall
5 4 3 1 1 0 1 3 5 4
S-o fill to me, a-- parting glass
3 4 5 9 8 5 4 3 1 0 1
Good Night and joy b-e with you all
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the fun traditional Irish song “The Rattlin’ Bog”, also known as “Bog Down In the Valley-O”. This one is popular with kids and is a St. Patrick’s Day favorite.
All of the cigar box guitar tablature here on CigarBoxGuitar.com is presented by The Southbound String Company, the only strings specifically chosen and voiced for cigar box guitars. Be sure to check out our line of Open G GDG cigar box guitar string sets here!
Click this link or the image below to view the printable PDF: The Rattlin Bog
All of the cigar box guitar tablature here on CigarBoxGuitar.com is presented by The Southbound String Company, the only strings specifically chosen and voiced for cigar box guitars. Be sure to check out our line of Open G GDG cigar box guitar string sets here!
This tablature is meant for playing on a 3-string cigar box guitar (or other instrument) tuned to GDG (though any open chord 1-5-1 tuning like DAD or EBE would work as well). The first version presents just the melody line from the song, and the second version shows you how to add some chords as well. The first version is well suited for an unfretted (slide) instrument, but to hit the chords shown in the second version a fretted instrument would be needed.
“The Wearing of the Green” is an old street ballad that originated in Ireland during the Irish Rebellion of 1796.
The melody has been used in many different songs and ballads over the years, and can be adapted as easily as swapping out the lyrics, making this a versatile song to have in your songbook.
Examples include: “The Rising of the Moon” and “The Orange and the Green” but there are many others.
0 1 2 2 2 1 2 4 4 2 2 1 1 2 1
O - Paddy dear, and did you hear the news that's going round?
4 5 3 8 7 5 4 2 0 2 0 0 1 0
The Shamrock is forbid, by laws, to grow on I-rish ground!
0 1 2 2 2 1 2 4 4 2 2 1 1 2 1
N-o more St. Patrick's day we'll keep his co-lor last be seen;
4 5 3 8 7 5 4 2 0 2 0 0 1 0
For, there's a bloody law a-gainst the Wearing of the Green!
Here’s the great old Irish pub/drinking song “The Wild Rover“, perfect for St. Patrick’s Day singalongs or any other gathering of Irish (or honorary Irish) folks all year round. The tablature sheet linked below will show you the melody, chord accompaniment and words and have you picking away and singing in a rich brogue in no time.
The exact origins and meaning of this song are contested (it may even have been an anti-drinking song of the temperance movement), but these days it is considered to be THE quintessential Irish drinking song. It has been recorded by pretty much every Irish band and performer ever… including The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem, The Dubliners, The Irish Rover, The Pogues, The Dropkick Murphys and many more. Just a note – to play this in the style of the Dropkick Murphys, you’ll need a lot of distortion and at least a fifth of Jameson’s Irish Whiskey.
All of the cigar box guitar tablature here on CigarBoxGuitar.com is presented by The Southbound String Company, the only strings specifically chosen and voiced for cigar box guitars. Be sure to check out our line of Open G GDG cigar box guitar string sets here!
The tablature in the PDF link below will show you exactly how to play the melody and chords for the classic folk rock song “The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald”, written and performed by Gordon Lightfoot.
The Great Lakes freighter SS Edmund Fitzgerald sank on Lake Superior with all hands lost on November 10, 1975 and 39 years later to the day we post the tab for you here. The melody line is nice and simple, but good luck memorizing all of those verses!
All of the cigar box guitar tablature here on CigarBoxGuitar.com is presented by The Southbound String Company, the only strings specifically chosen and voiced for cigar box guitars. Be sure to check out our line of Open G GDG cigar box guitar string sets here!
The cajon (the Spanish word for box) has been part of Afro-Peruvian music since the 19th century. This wonderful percussion instrument originated in colonial Peru, when the African slave drums had been forbidden by their masters. Undeterred and driven by the power of music they began using wooden boxes intended to hold fruits or overturned drawers to play their rhythms upon. Later the cajon was officially added to the instrumentation of the vals criollo, or “creole waltz.” It has now become a national emblem for Peruvians, and is an indispensable part of any ensemble that performs the traditional folk music of Peru.
