Flipping the lid on D9

Helmut Gragger · From: Austria

Intrigued by this speedy tune (pun intended) I was looking if one of my guitars would accomodate this tuning, without the need to restring. I thought somebody might be interested how this worked out.

Unfortunately the F#9 tuning variant Mike Neer used in his superb video with the high pitched string on top was not compatible with anything I have yet.

G# E C# A# G# E C# A# - F#9 tuning Mike Neer
(high to low)

However, Mike somewhere mentioned that it can be played in D9 tuning. This is a D9 variant that is called "drop string C6" in John Ely´s list of tunings:

E C A F# E C A F# - Drop string C6 tuning (D9)
this is four halftone steps down from F#9.

The closest tuning I have on a 8 string guitar is B11 (J. Byrd):

E C# A F# D# C# A B - B11 (J. Byrd
0 -1 0 0 +1 -1 0 -1*

below are the halftone steps needed to change for D9 (the formatting does not work well). The string gauges can accomodate halftone changes like that. Note that the bottom string is not tuned to F#, being too much difference. It is tuned to an sub-octave A instead.

The seven string approach has the advantage that you don´t have to repeat the double string grip Mike mentions for the 6 string version.

I treated the video with some program to lower it to D9 pitch, which makes it much, much easier to work with.

This works exceptionally well, except Mike´s voice is lowered too, and this makes you sound, ahem, very masculine, Mike. Mr. Green

have fun,
-helmut
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Jeff Mead · From: London, England

I have been experimenting a bit with the D9 tuning too.

Luckily, my main tuning is A6 (E C# A F# E C# A F#) so I didn't need to do much retuning.

Helmut Gragger · From: Austria

I played with the tuning for a while, flipping my lid extensively Very Happy

Although the song comes out great, this tuning does not make much sense to me otherwise - very restriced.

I wonder if Speedy did the comping you can hear on the youtube video during the guitar solo in the same tuning or on another neck.

Would anybody know? As I said, I am not familiar with this tuning and its possibilities are hard to imagine for me.

-helmut
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feel at home at: http://me.aquataur.guru

Jeff Mead · From: London, England

Yes, I came to the same conclusion as you and would probably only use this tuning for the odd solo and with another neck for the main part of the song.

Speedy, of course was using a pedal steel (usually with 3 necks) from about 1948 so wouldn't have had this problem as he could slip in and out of this tuning at will.

The F#9 - 8 string tuning which is sometimes listed for him (G# E C# A# G# E D B)would have been used with a pedal to raise the A# to a B which would then give the far more common E13 tuning.

Jerome Hawkes · From: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA

i recall Buddy Emmons saying his Bigsby came with that tuning as he was a big Speedy fan as a teenager. but he said it never proved all that practical for him and he soon ditched it.

i havent messed with it myself, but enjoyed Mikes transcription.

i guess you have to look at it historically - back then, everyone was looking for a unique signature sound and Speedy certainly found it.
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'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Skiddle-Dee-Boo and many other great Speedy tunes use this tuning. Think of it as a specialty tuning: if you want to play one of these tunes and your tuning is C6 or E6 with the 3rd on top, simply retune the 2 strings. That's how I approach and that's how many players do as well.
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Helmut Gragger · From: Austria

Thanks for your opinions guys. Sometimes I think I should have trusted my initial impulse in the first place Cool

Yes you can twist it whichever way you want - you´re gonna need more necks or pedals (or both) to the point of becoming impractical.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

That Flippin' The Lid video was the first time I ever attempted to make any kind of instructional video. I had an old Super 8 camera and the quality is crap. The Slippery Elm one is there, too. Both suffer from drop-outs and general poor quality--not long after, I purchased 3 digital cameras.

The Speedy tune Wild and Woolly West is extremely fun (and a little difficult) to play--it has a similar vibe to Flippin' The Lid, but uses E9 tuning for the head and F#9 for the solo, so it's played on 2 necks.

Here's my version: http://soundcloud.com/ionahoopii/wildandwoollywest

I made a lesson for that one, but not too many have been inclined to go for it.
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Andy Henriksen · From: Michigan, USA

Helmut Gragger · From: Austria

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