Description
Over 5 Hours of Video Tuition
Lifetime Access
Instructional and Playalong Videos
Download and Stream Videos
Download: Tab Scores
Audio Playalongs
Chord & Scale Sheets + MORE..
14 Day Money Back Guarantee
Cost effective version of the main Course
Everything you need for 3-string GDG Tuning
The series starts at complete Newbie level,
finishing at competent, Intermediate standard
Section A Flatpick: 11 Technique Exercise Videos
Section B Fingerstyle: 9 Technique Exercise Videos
Take your Playing through the Gears with,
Blues, Rock & Country styles
Welcome to the Beginner Exercises & Techniques for 3-String Cigar Box Guitar
Cigar Box Guitar is the DIY musical revolution, but if you want to play songs by the Blues, Rock & Country greats, why not learn how to do it right?!
- This 5 hour video course is split into 2 sections, flatpick and fingerstyle playing. It starts with the complete basics, progressing to a competent, intermediate level and you can learn exercises in Blues, Rock & Country styles.
- This series provides essential techniques and info for you to start playing your favourite songs on 3-strings, giving you the perfect foundation to develop into a well-rounded player, start jamming with others or with classic recordings.
- You get lifetime access and can either download the entire course, or use online links to stream the videos.
- This course is taught by Sion Littledyke: I’m a teacher & musician with a wealth of experience who’s been producing YouTube, Cigar Box Guitar videos since 2018 on the Coda Tuition channel. If you’re interested to hear more about my experience & teaching approach, please scroll further down this page.
- The Beginner Exercises & Techniques series will provide the average learner with several months of high-quality tuition and musical development. This is a more specialised & cost effective version of The Complete Beginner Course; there are different course options available at different prices on the Video Courses page.
- 20% Discount offered on all future purchases in the Complete Beginner Course series. For example, you can try the Beginner Song Series in the future and purchase at a reduced price.
How to use the Complete Beginner Course
(Please note, this course covers fretted note playing – watch this space for future slide guitar lessons)
- This course uses GDG tuning throughout: the standard & most widely used 3-string Cigar Box Guitar tuning.
- Flatpick & Fingerstyle sections contain essential techniques & info presented in instructional & playalong videos.
- This series contains every Exercise & Technique lesson from the full Complete Beginner Course. As a cost effective option, it doesn’t include the final song lessons.
There are numerous Downloads to help aid your progress:
Welcome PDF, suggesting how you can use the course
TAB Scores (printable formats for US, Canada & everyone else)
Audio Playalongs & Tuning Notes (for most exercises)
Video Timing Points (to aid with repeat viewing)
Several Freebies (including chord & scale sheets, audio practice beats)
Section A – Flatpick Lessons
- Flatpick technique is generally easier for beginners, so it can be good to start here as a newbie. The first few instructional videos start with 101 basics and are accessible for all players, gradually building in complexity as you progress.
- Section A flatpick exercise videos include:
Picking & Fretting Technique & Posture
Tuning; Guitar Set-up (Action & Intonation)
Reading TAB & Simple Rhythms
Single Note Riffs & Scales
Power Chords & Open Chords with Strumming & Picking
Lead Techniques including Slides, Slurs & Bends
How to Improve Time Keeping, Fluency & Speed
Section B – Fingerstyle Lessons
- Section B Fingerstyle exercise videos include:
Fingerstyle Technique (Picking Patterns & Reading TAB)
Fingerstyle Riffs (Country Blues style licks)
Fingerstyle Chords (power & open chords in different styles)
Palm Muting (great for Blues, Rock & Country guitar)
Blues Shuffle / Swung Grooves (essential for many classic tracks)
How to Improve Time Keeping, Fluency & Speed
What students say about the course
I have been “sitting” in the CBG course for beginners for 2 weeks now. I would describe myself as an advanced beginner. What I was missing was a real, serious learning program for 3-string CBG.
Well, what can I say? I found exactly what I was looking for! Easy to understand instructional videos, with backing tracks AND TABs. I am absolutely thrilled and practise for 30 minutes a day. Every CBG player should know: an absolute must-have!
Uli Kuder, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
I wish I had this course from the beginning, it’s solved a lot of problems. I find good solutions to aspects of my playing, and I’m working my way through to get rid of some mistakes and bad habits.
I absolutely recommend this course. I haven’t seen such a profound introduction to CBG. Sion doesn’t take it for granted that you know where to place your fingers, so he gives you exact instruction on how to play most efficiently.
Margrethe Damkilde, Midtjylland, Denmark
I have now had a couple of months’ worth of lessons using videos and tab notation from Coda. It has made a massive difference, I feel I have progressed enormously and much more than I would have done on my own.
Sion’s tab notation is much easier to use than normal tab which doesn’t show timing, and the videos are extremely detailed and easy to follow.
Peter Kennerley, Cambridge, UK
Learning Paths
- Once you have access, the welcome video outlines the Complete Beginner Course content and suggests ways to use the resources; there are several learning routes you can take.
- If you’re a thorough learner, it’s fine to work through all the exercise videos in sequence. This is a great approach but it’s not for everyone..
- Many guitarists like start playing songs straight away. If this is you, then it’s a good idea to check the 101 basics first: picking & fretting; posture & reading TAB; playing riffs & power chords. You’ll then find it possible to start learning some of the easy 3-string Flatpick songs available online (check Coda Tution on Youtube!)
- It’s also fine to start learning fingerstyle first using Section B, if you’re attracted to this guitar style. However, the Section A flatpick videos cover the 101 basics in more detail so (as above), you may want to check the first few videos before starting the fingerstyle riffs & chords.
- Cigar Box Guitar song arrangements appear online, across a range of difficulty levels. You might want to learn a few easy tunes before returning to this course, where you can try the more challenging Flatpick & Fingerstyle exercises, further improving your playing before trying more challenging tracks.
About the Tutor
- I’ve been playing 6-string guitar for over 40 years, gigging for over 30 years and teaching for over 25 years, which I started before I completed my music degree back in 2000 (Leeds Uni – 1st Class).
- I’ve been a big fan of the blues since I was a kid in the 1980s but more recently, a student introduced me to the world of Cigar Box Guitar. After learning to play and teaching him for a while, I started releasing 3-string tuition videos on the Coda Tuition channel in 2018.
- I regularly teach face-to-face & online across a range of instruments & musical areas including:
Cigar Box Guitar (3 & 4-string, slide & fretted note styles)
6-String Guitar (electric, acoustic, classical & lap-steel)
Bass Guitar (fingerstyle, flatpick & slap technique)
Banjo (5-string Bluegrass & 4-string Tenor styles)
Mandolin & Mandola (standard & Irish tuning)
Ukulele (Tenor & Baritone tunings)
Music Theory, Production & Composition
- I teach 1-1 online Cigar Box Guitar lessons to students from various countries including:
UK; USA; Canada; Australia; Belgium; Denmark; Germany & Brazil. - I use my 1-1 teaching experience to help with creating video lessons, since there are certain learning methods which are particularly effective for beginners, and also common pitfalls which are good to both highlight & avoid.
- I’m also aware that it’s good to strike a balance between introducing useful musical info & technique, and keeping lessons fun & interesting so, I try to create this balance in the video lessons throughout the Complete Beginner Course.
I hope you have fun learning to play your 3-string Cigar Box Guitar and I hope this course helps you to complete several steps along your musical journey – happy picking! Sion Littledyke
