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Topic: Creation of string 2 (D#) |
Tom Campbell
From:
Houston, Texas, USA
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Posted 17 Jun 2011 6:17 am |
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What I find interesting is that string 2 (D#) is actually the same octave as string 5 (B), only tuned to a D# (or in some preferences tuned to C#).
I'm speculating this occurred early in the development of the "pedal" concept because early changers didn't offer enough raises to accommodate the need...so another string was added.
By adding the second string (D#) the natural progression (pitch) of the ascending strings is disrupted...making the top four strings confusing for beginning players.
Opinions? |
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Sherman Willden
From:
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
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Posted 17 Jun 2011 6:55 am
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I'm not musically educated and probably stepping on it and for that I apologize. I guess I'm confused. One of the first things I was shown was the major seventh and lower string 2 to a flatted seventh. Are you contending that string 6 could be raised to a D or D#?
_________________
Sherman L. Willden
It is easy to play the steel guitar. Playing so that the audience finds it pleasing is the difficult act. |
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Tom Campbell
From:
Houston, Texas, USA
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Posted 17 Jun 2011 8:03 am
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String 5 (B) not string 6.
Yes, you already raise 5 to C# with your A pedal. Problem is/was, you don't have enough raises in your changer to do it (D, D#). Exp. If you tune string 2 to C# and place it next to string 5 (A pedal down) the result is that the C#'s are both the same.
My observation is that string 2 originated because the early changers didn't have enough raises to do it all...but why place 2 out of sequence? |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 17 Jun 2011 8:34 am
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i believe the origin of the added strings to the 8 string tuning is in the archives here
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=31909&highlight=
Quoted from Buddy's post :
" Carl has pretty much of the history nailed except that I added the F# and D# at the same time, which was after Jimmy Day added an E to the middle of the tuning and Ralph added the high G#.
As for the Herb Remington story, my 1954 triple neck Bigsby came with the same inverted tuning that Joaquin, Speedy West and Herb all used, so I too had the tuning before I ever played a Sho~Bud. It was somewhat limited in its use so I removed it after a year or so and used the third neck to experiment with.
It makes a good story to say that I got the idea from someone else or from the inverted tuning itself, but the thought behind the F# and D# notes was to fill the gap between the G# and C# pedal note of the E9th tuning. The old West/Murphey/ Remington inverted tuning was structured around an F#9th chord or Bb m7 b5 chord and never came close to serving that purpose, with or without pedals.
The reason behind the F# and D# ending up as 9th and 10th strings of the Sho~Bud is because I was touring with Ray Price and played a Sho~Bud permanent model that was impossible to change without a blowtorch. I felt that the E9th diatonic theory was a good idea and putting it on as soon as it hit me would give me time to test it on the road and either scrap it or keep exploring. The only logical place to keep it apart from the rest of the tuning was on strings 9 and 10, so that's where they went until I got off the road and could take the guitar to Shot to change.
As it turned out, I liked the sound but a recording session with Ray was scheduled before I could get to Shot, so I recorded "You Took Her Off My Hands" with the strings in the 9th and 10th positions. Had I been playing a road guitar with a changeable mechanism, I would have originally structured the tuning as it is today and the bottom string controversy would have never existed."
cans of worms :
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=163322
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=163104
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=141901&highlight=origin
Last edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 17 Jun 2011 9:59 am; edited 1 time in total |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 17 Jun 2011 8:37 am
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Last edited by CrowBear Schmitt on 17 Jun 2011 9:57 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Tom Campbell
From:
Houston, Texas, USA
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Posted 17 Jun 2011 9:50 am
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Thanks for the information CrowBear!  |
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Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
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Posted 17 Jun 2011 9:50 am
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| Straight from the Boss's mouth. |
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Sherman Willden
From:
Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
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Posted 17 Jun 2011 9:57 am
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My apologies about string 6 vs string 5, Tom. I get dislexic at times
_________________
Sherman L. Willden
It is easy to play the steel guitar. Playing so that the audience finds it pleasing is the difficult act. |
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Joe Miraglia
From:
Jamestown N.Y.
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Posted 17 Jun 2011 10:13 am
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 Why not first string tuned D# and 2nd. string F# You could rake 8,7 ,6, 5, 4,3,2. not having the D# in the way. Joe |
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John Billings
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 17 Jun 2011 3:12 pm
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"making the top four strings confusing for beginning players. "
Oh! No kidding TC! I put my Shobud in the back of the closet twice,,, for months at a time. I finally found a teacher who told me, "Forget about those first two strings for a few minutes, JB." He handed me a 6-string and said, "Barre an E chord at the 4th fret. That's the tuning of strings 3 through 6. First pedal gives you the first relative minor. The first two pedals give you the 4 chord, A." Light bulbs went off like crazy! He didn't teach me anything but "Orange Blossom." His version, probably Jimmy Days version, as he was a huge fan, used every pedal and both levers on the E neck. He taught me the guitar, more than he taught me the song. In three weeks I could play "OBS", and on that 3rd lesson he said, "I'm done with you. I've got you a gig."
He taught me the guitar. I can't tell you how much his approach has influenced me! And, yeah, he taught me how to use those two darn strings in the second lesson. |
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