C6 sounds on E9 Neck

Fred Eddie-Quartey · Post by **Fred Eddie-Quartey** » 4 Mar 2008 10:46 am

I play an SD-10 and I am interested in getting C6 sounds on the E9 neck. I know that by lowering the E strings, it changes the tuning to B6. Also, placing the bar at the first fret would give me a C6 tuning.

What I want to know is, with the guitar in B6/C6 mode by dropping the Es, which strings are comparable to those on an actual C6 neck and what string grips do I use?

Thanks,

Fred.

Parr Bryan · Post by **Parr Bryan** » 4 Mar 2008 10:55 am

Welcome to color chord world. Run a search on this and you will get lots of info.
Also, I pick 4 strings at a time to give the full C6 sound, 3 fingers, 1 thumb.
Good Luck!

Fred Eddie-Quartey · Post by **Fred Eddie-Quartey** » 4 Mar 2008 11:06 am

Hi Paar,

Thanks for your post. Are there any strings to skip?

Fred.

Jerry Hayes · Post by **Jerry Hayes** » 4 Mar 2008 11:09 am

Hey Fred, if you had your E's lowered at the first fret and in a C6th chord the strings that'd be the same are..........

1st string F# same as 1st string on C6th unless it had a D on top, then the 2nd string on E9 lowered to C# would be the same as that.

Skip strings 2 & 3 (unless as noted before)

String 4 would be the same as string 2 on C6.

String 5 would be the same as string 3 on C6.

String 6 would be the same as string 4 on C6.

String 7 would be the same as string 5 on C6.

String 8 would be the same as string 6 on C6.

The 9th E9 string D would be skipped.

String 10 would be the same as string 8 on C6.

You could put a lower on string 9 to C# which would make it usable in 6th things as it'd be a II in the scale which would be used the same as the open F# in an E9 tuning.....JH in Va.

Fred Eddie-Quartey · Post by **Fred Eddie-Quartey** » 4 Mar 2008 11:16 am

Thanks, Jerry. This is exactly what I've been looking for. Are there any particular string grips that I would use? (i.e. 5,6,7,8 etc) Do any other pedals or knee levers come into play?

Thanks,

Fred.

Jim Eaton · Post by **Jim Eaton** » 4 Mar 2008 1:10 pm

Get Herb Steiner's "Swinging on E9th" & "Swinging on E9th Vol II" and you will find ALL the C6th sounds on your E9th guitar!!!
I recently got those 2 fine courses from the Herbster and just a few sessons in the woodshed have provided me with new idea's and lot's of cool sounds that are RIGHT THERE in the E9th tuning.
I can even play a fair rendition of "Night Life" now!
JE:-)>

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 4 Mar 2008 1:13 pm

The thing I do to find those chords is only play the 3rds and 7ths of each chord. Once you find the tri tone or 4th in one place find it somewhere else on the neck and look around and see what notes are available.

For example play strings 6 (Bb) and 8(E) on the first fret with pedal B and your 4/8 lower lever in for a C7. Now on the 2nd fret play strings 9 (E) and 6 (Bb) with no pedals. Same basic chord. Now play that C7 on the 2nd fret adding string 5 with the A pedal. Slide thing down a half step to the 1st fret and you have a C7 flat9 to an F7. On the 3rd fret its a G7.

Use the same chord shape:
(strings 9,6 and 5 with the A pedal)

on frets 8 for a C7
fret 9 for a G7
fret 7 for an F7

Fun stuff.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 4 Mar 2008 1:14 pm

butter finger

Rusty Walker · Post by **Rusty Walker** » 4 Mar 2008 2:29 pm

If you can find it in your heart to lower the E's on two different K levers,and lower the top E(string 4)plus the 9th on one lever,you will be amazed at what is available.If you go a step further and go to an extended E9,(i.e.) 12 string,you'll be even further amazed. Set up with a little imagination,E9 is an amazing tuning.P.S. sorry for over doing AMAZE

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 4 Mar 2008 3:20 pm

Many people approach 6th tuning style playing by simple using the A and B pedals. This gives an A6 tuning, with roots on 3 and 5, and the 6th on 1 and 7.

Stu Schulman · Post by **Stu Schulman** » 4 Mar 2008 5:53 pm

What Dave said also fan with a thumbpick strings 8-4 also with A+B pedals down...release pedals and lower both E-s for a minor.

Scott Swartz · Post by **Scott Swartz** » 5 Mar 2008 8:05 am

I use the 9-6-5 grip Bob H is talking about quite a bit works great.

In his example on frets 789, the inversion on frets 7 and 9 have the flat 9 on string 5. If that note doesn't fit (too dissonant), use the B-Bb lever to make it a 1, so then you 3rd - 7th - root on strings 9-6-5 respectively.

Fred Eddie-Quartey · Post by **Fred Eddie-Quartey** » 5 Mar 2008 8:35 am

Many thanks to all who have replied so far!! What is a typical chord progression when playing C6-type chords? Are C6-type chord progressions similar to E9 in that they can be played on the same string grip? Do the grips change for each chord?

Scott Swartz · Post by **Scott Swartz** » 5 Mar 2008 12:04 pm

You can go to songtrellis.com and download the changes for a lot of tunes that are played on C6 and get a sense of what chords are typically used.

Say Cherokee or In A Mellow Tone or lots of others..

Then you have to find them on steel. Here are some things I found from different SGF searches in the past and put in one document, much of it was posted by Bengt Erlandsen

-----------------------------

C6 Type Chords on E9

[tab]

(Dm7) (C9) (G6)
G7 Fmaj7 F7 F6 Fm6 Em7b5 G13 G7b13 Fdim Em7 E7 Cadd9 Eaug
1-----------------------------------------------------------------------
2-----------------------------------------------------------------------
3-----------------------------------------------------------------------
4-----------------------------------------------------------------------
5--3-----3A---3a--3----3-----2a----3A----3a-----3----3---3---3-----3A---
6--3-----3B---3B--3B---3B----2-----3-----3------3----3---3---3B----3B---
7--------3----3---3-----------------------------------------------------
8--3-------------------3R----2R----3-----3------3R---3---3R--3-----3R---
9--3-----3----3---3----3-----2-----3-----3------3----3L--3L--3L----3L---
10-----------------------------------------------------------------------
[/tab]

The small "a" on string 5 is halfpedal or split w B-Bb

Having an extE9 it makes even more sense since there is a:
dom9th on strings 12 11 10 9 7
And a major 9 on strings 8 6 5 2 1
And a major interval on top on strings 4 3

These variations on the same set of strings is also nice to know.

[tab]
D7 Dm7 G9 Ddim G6
F#-------------------------------
Eb----3----3L---3L---3L---3LL----
G#-------------------------------
E-----3C---3C---3C---3R---3------
B--------------------------------
G#----3B---3B---3----3----3------
F#-------------------------------
E--------------------------------
D--------------------------------
B-----3----3----3----3----3------

[/tab]

Using the 9th string as a starting point opens up for a lot of nice 4voiced chords, some already mentioned.
Strings 9 7 6 5 w A+B = Dmaj7 = D F# A C#
Strings 9 7 6 5 w 1/2A+B = D7 = D F# A C
Strings 9 7 6 5 w B = D6 = D F# A B
Strings 9 8 6 5 w 1/2A+B+F = Dm7 = D F A C
Strings 9 8 6 5 w B+F = Dm6 = D F A B (Bm7b5)
Strings 9 8 6 5 w 1/2A+F = Dm7b5 = D F G# C
Strings 9 8 6 5 w F = Ddim = D F G# B
Strings 9 8 6 5 w (9D-C#)+B = Aadd9 = C# E A B
Up 1 fret and
Strings 9 8 6 5 w (9D-C#) = Dm7
Strings 9 8 6 5 w (9D-C#)+A+B = Daug = D F# A# D

Paul Redmond · Post by **Paul Redmond** » 6 Mar 2008 11:01 pm

Get rid of the 9th string D, move the low B into the 9th spot, add a low G# in the 10th-string slot and raise it with 3 and 6 on your 2nd pedal. You can now use all your E9th levers to get all the 6th stuff you want playing pedals-down. Add a rod to pull #9 from B to D. This can be added to the same KL that drops your 2nd string if you want. Tune your B to Bb KL so that it splits your C# raises back to an accurate C. That gives you a IV chord right on position pedals-down. You'll find all the rest of the stuff easily.
PRR

Nick Reed · Post by **Nick Reed** » 7 Mar 2008 12:59 am

Fred Justice is the ABSOLUTE best at this!

Ernest Cawby · Post by **Ernest Cawby** » 7 Mar 2008 6:26 am

just hold down the b and c pedal you can play c6 all day. With B & C down go to the 12th fret play strings 3 4 5 3 times then 4 5 6 rock back and forth then go to 7 fret do same thing hit 2 times slide down to 5 you just played Little Coquet verse in C6. I did this at the Mansota club show to show C6 on E 9th. leave pedals down and play the chorus at the 12 fret., fun stuff.
Holding down A & b Pedal you can play Song Of the Island in F on 8 fret with A major tunning.
E 9th is very Versatal ttunning.
You can get several tunnings on the E9th neck and have as many strings to use as you would if you sold your guitar and bought a 6 stringer. Yes Herb Steiner book C6 on E 9th is a great place to start.

ernie

Larry Hamilton · Post by **Larry Hamilton** » 7 Mar 2008 11:56 am

Don't forget Randy Beavers. He too is a master of C6th sound on E9th. I have also heard him play the C6th neck, WOW! Hard to tell apart even when watching him up close and seeing what he is doing.

Yeah, watching Fred is also a treat. He just amazes me also. My eyes see one thing and the ears hear another.

These guys are in a league of their own.

Just my observations.