Why so many tunings?

[Alexander Stepanenko]

A lot of tunings for the steel guitar(non pedal)

A Major
E A C# E A C# E
A Major
A C# E A C# E
A Major
E A E A C# E
D Major
D A D F# A D
D Major
D D F# A D F#
E Major
E G# B E G# B E
E Major
E B E G# B E
G Major
G B D G B D
g Major
D G D G B D
C Minor 6th
A Eb G A C Eb G
C# Minor
E G# C# E G# C# E
C# Minor
E B E G# C# E
C# Minor 7
B D E G# C# E
F#min9
G# C# F# A E G# C# E
A6th
E A C# E F# A C# E
A6th
C# E F# A C# E
A6th
A A C# E F# A C# E
A6th
A C# E F# A C# E F#
A6th
F# A C# E F# A C# E
Bb6th
Bb D F G Bb D F G
Bb6th
G Bb D F G Bb D F
B6th
B D# F# G# B D# F# G#
B6th
G# B D# F# G# B D# F#
C6th
C E G A C E
C6th
A C E G A C E G
C6th
F A C E G A C E G D
C6th
G A C E G A C E
D6th
A B D F# A B D F#
D6th
F# A B D F# A B D
Eb6th
Bb C Eb G Bb C Eb G
E6th
B C# E G# B C# E G#
E6th
G# B C# E G# B C# E
E6th
A C# E G# B C# E G#
G6th
B D E G B D E G
G6th
G B D E G B D E
G6th
G B E G B D
A7th
E G A C# E A C# E
A7th
A C# E G A C# E G
A7th
G C# E A C# E
E7th
E B D E G# B E G#
E7th
G# B D E G# B E G#
E7th
E G# B D E G# B E
E7th
E D E G# B E
E7th
B D E G# B E
D9th
F# A C D F# A C E
D9th
D E F# A C E
D9th
F# A C E F# A C E
D9th
C E F# A C E
D9th
D A C E F# A C E
E9th
G# B D E F# G# B E
E9th
E G# B D F# G# B E
E9th
D E F# G# B E
E9th
E B D E F# G# B E
F#9th
F# A# E G# C# E
C13th
G Bb C E G A C E
C6th
Bb E G A C E
C6th
Bb E G A C E G
C6th
C Bb C E G A C E
C6th
Bb C E G A C E G
D13th
C F# A B D F#
D13th
C D F# A B D
E13th
E G# B D E G# C# E
E13th
D E F# G# C# E
E13th
E B D E F# G# C# E
E13th
D E F# G# B C# E G#
E13th
D F# G# B C# E
E13th
D E G# B C# E
E13th
E B D F# G# B C# E
E13th
E D E G# B C# E G#
E13th
E B D E G# B C# E
E13th
E G# B D F# G# C# E
E13th
B D E G# B C# E G#
E13th
E G# D F# G# B C# E
E13th
G# B D E G# B C# E
F#13th
F# D# F# A# E G# C# E
A6+F#7
A# C# E F# A C# E
C6th+A7
C# E G A C E
C6th+A7
A C C# E G A C E
C6th+A7
B A C# E G A C E
C6th+D9th
F# A C E G A C E
C9+A7
C# E G Bb C D
D Major 7+E9
G# B D F# A C# E G#
G Maj 7+C
C G E G B D E F#
A Diatonic
D F F# G# A B C# E
C Diatonic
E F G A B C E
E Harp
C# E F F# G G# A B C# E

and only a few thousand Steel Guitarists
------------------------
Only one tuning for guitar
E A D G B E
and hundreds of millions of guitarists.

Why?

[Ben Rubright]

The bar is straight and does not have fingers.

[Franklin]

No pedals to change the tuning.

[Paul Graupp]

Maybe it's just a matter of personal tastes...like hamburgers...

[Daniel Haymore]

There are many alternate tunings for guitar as well.

Maybe not as many as there are for our beloved steel, but I continue to be surprised by new tunings I hear of people using for guitar.

[Rick Collins]

A steel guitar tuned to any chord or combination of chords can be called a tuning;
only about eight are practical for playing, without the use of devices for raising and lowering the pitch of individual strings.

[Ray Thomas]

Alexander, over here there's many bars to play in, sometimes the tuning will change several times before midnight and then you go to the next bar, new tuning

[David Mason]

Why so many musicians? Can't we just find the one best one, and we'll all imitate him?

Why so many different kinds of food?

What's the best chord ever...

Folks are just squirmy, that's all.

[Roger Rettig]

"Why so many musicians? Can't we just find the one best one, and we'll all imitate him? "

No thanks, David!!!! I couldn't stand the pressure!!

[Jay Fagerlie]

Because we want them.

Is any more discussion needed?

[Mike Neer]

Because we can!

[Bill McCloskey]

Because otherwise we'd actually have to really learn one.

[Alexander Stepanenko]

Mike and Jay, thanks for the positive, it unlike tunings, so little
But all the same I think, sooner or later ,there will be one or two tuning .. And this is confirmed by the sellers strings-are mostly sold C6 and E9. And it will be good. In the music stores will notes for the steel guitar. Self-help. Fender release of a new Stringmaster. There will be many new famous steel guitarists and one of them may even come with a concert in Moscow

[Jay Fagerlie]

Alexander, do you play steel guitar?
If yes, you should know why there are so many- it's about being able to play the song.

If you want to ask a question about tunings, ask "why" someone used this or that tuning, or what song they used the tuning on.

That question just may get you better answers from us in the peanut gallery

[Ray Montee]

In days of olde, those tunings were as much an identifier for the individual players 'sound' as were the types of songs he/she chose to play.

One could always tell Jerry Byrd Billy Robinson, Don Helms, Roy Wiggins, Herb Remington, etc., by 'the sound' comprised of the specific tuning and the manner in which it was played.

After Jeff Newmans' success at teaching thousands of would-be players "HIS STYLE"......., it wasn't long before everyone in the country was playing Jeff's speed picking riffs in virtually every song of the night. It got tiresome hearing this same stuff in virtually every musical setting you might care to visit. One can still hear some of those familiar riffs if you pay attention.

I surely miss the different/distinctive sounds of Hal Rugg, John Hughey, Jerry Byrd, Roy Wiggins, Curley Chalker, etc.

[Michael Weaver]

Александр,Он уверен, это здорово видеть кого-то из России на форуме. Моя жена является русский язык. Она жила в Краснодарском крае. Мы обычно идут в Россию ежегодно навестить родственников в Воронеже. Я часто спрашивал себя, ли кто играет на гитаре стали в России.

[Alexander Stepanenko]

Alexander, do you play steel guitar?
If yes, you should know why there are so many- it's about being able to play the song.

If you want to ask a question about tunings, ask "why" someone used this or that tuning, or what song they used the tuning on.

That question just may get you better answers from us in the peanut gallery

Sorry,I don't know what is the "peanut gallery".. You work there?
I study to play on steel guitar,and therefore ask different questions.

In days of olde, those tunings were as much an identifier for the individual players 'sound' as were the types of songs he/she chose to play.

Ray,I'm learning to play ,by copying the different masters of the steel guitar. And of course I want to repeat as accurately as possible what they played.Fingering,touchs. On your great jerrybyrd-fanclub.com, I downloaded a wonderful Jerry Byrd Sweet Corn. But unfortunately,the originals in the C6 is very low.
I like Sol Hoopii,but he was in A.Leon McAuliffe but he is in E, etc.. Have to transpose, and this is already not the same. This is why I asked this question-joke. Imagine,comes on the first classes in the music school of the young Steel guitarist,and his teacher asked me what tune you prefer and lists all of the 50 tunings. Disciple with horror runs out of class and goes to the next ,where the teaching of simple guitar. Of course I'm joking.
And I understand you when you speak of" the individual players 'sound' ",because this is true now.

[Alexander Stepanenko]

Александр,Он уверен, это здорово видеть кого-то из России на форуме. Моя жена является русский язык. Она жила в Краснодарском крае. Мы обычно идут в Россию ежегодно навестить родственников в Воронеже. Я часто спрашивал себя, ли кто играет на гитаре стали в России.

Thank you,Michael! But on this wonderful forum, I was probably the only one from Russia.


Michael, did you write this with the machine translator?

[Michael Weaver]

Sasha,
Yes, I did. I used Bing translator. It seems to be very accurate, as far as I have been told. While I can speak enough Russian to "get by", I am certainly far from fluent. I am hoping to go again this summer, which will be my 6th time there.

[Alexander Stepanenko]

Michael, I'm terrified of how the translator. I also use Bing. If my English is the same as your Russian translation,then I'd better yet not write anything

[Michael Weaver]

If you are using the Bing translator for all your posts here, everything is fine, I can assure you.

[Niels Andrews]

A C6 tuning will last you the rest of your life, and when you master that, you won't need to ask such questions.

[Niels Andrews]

A C6 tuning will last you the rest of your life, and when you master that, you won't need to ask such questions.

[Alexander Stepanenko]

Yes! C6 forever!

[Tony Prior]

because we can...plus in the OLDEN days when three necks were common, the value of having 3 different tunings was excellent, it allowed the timbre of the Instrument to ring thru without choking the tuning hi up on the neck and additionally the player was able to play in several OPEN positions on the same Instrument.. Now all we need is a 3 neck Dobro !