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Re: Tune is Key of G.. How do I know which Box.. C box or G box.. Is there a way to tell ???

I’m sure that more experienced players will identify certain playing patterns, etc. But here are a few points based on the instrument itself. This assumes that you are talking about a single-row Cajun box.

First, G boxes are not very common in Cajun music. C is by far the most common key, I think followed by D. So most of the time that you hear a tune in G it’s going to be on a C box.

You can listen to the bass notes and chords from the left hand side of the box. A C box will have a C bass note and chord and a G bass note and chord. A G box will have a G bass note and chord and a D bass note and chord. So if you hear C and G bass notes and chords, it is a C box. If you hear G and D bass notes and chords, it is a G box.

You can also listen to the notes from the right hand side of the box. A C box has the notes of the C major scale. A G box has the notes of the G major scale. The difference between those two scales is the F note. On a C box the F is natural. On a G box the F is sharp. So if you hear an F natural out of the right hand side, it’s a C box. If you hear an F sharp out of the right hand side, it’s a G box.

Re: Tune is Key of G.. How do I know which Box.. C box or G box.. Is there a way to tell ???

If it's a Cajun tune, it's most likely payed in G (2nd position, or pull song) on a C box. If you can sort out the 7th (F, in this case) and it is one tone flat, it's a C box, otherwise the 7th is natural (one semitone flat), thus a G box (playing push).

Bet your money on C box playing a pull song.

Re: Tune is Key of G.. How do I know which Box.. C box or G box.. Is there a way to tell ???

Or, if the last note you play of the tune on the treble side is a G or any combination with a G then its in G, like an octave G chord. If its octave C or C/E then that's C you are playing in.

Re: Tune is Key of G.. How do I know which Box.. C box or G box.. Is there a way to tell ???

Hi Folks

Thanks for the info.. Much appreciated..



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