What is the best tunning and strings for country .?

Richard Lahr · From: Gulf Cove Florida, USA

I am new to all this so excuse my ignorance, I need opinions.

I have been pickin my dobro in open G so thats really all I know.

I have a 6 string lap steel just got it, with .35/42/69/90/1.15/1.40 strings on it. Not really sure what tuning those are for and what music style they fit.

What are the best strings and tuning for country music?

I read for C6 tuning > is that correct tuning?

Thankx for any input and advice for this newbe Smile

015/017/022/026/DY30/DY36 ?? is that correct?

sort of confusing but want to start on the correct track

Good on line lessons series with Troy Brenningmeyer I am going to give it a shot.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwOFQ7rGS44

Thanks for any input and advice for this newbe Smile

Bill McCloskey · From: Nanuet, NY

Richard,

I was where you are about 10 years ago. Played dobro, and bottle neck before that and then I got a steel. It took me a long time to make the adjustment: it is not a dobro, it is a completely different instrument: different sound, attack, everything. It took me a long time to adjust my finger style which was used to digging in.

If I've learned one thing: learn C6. So much stems off of that. But don't get frustrated. Your usual tricks won't work. You'll need to be open to a new playing experience.

Richard Lahr · From: Gulf Cove Florida, USA

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

You might want to drop into the jerrybyrd-fanclub.com site and go at once to the Jerry's Music page and listen to all of the many flavors of steel guitar other than Dobro.

Just a tho't.

Jack Aldrich · From: Washington, USA

One difference between Dobro and steel is blocking with the left hand. It's a no-no for steel guitar. I have to remind myself all the time not to lift my left hand, unless I'm going to hammer on for an old time Hawaiian song. Blocking is done with either the palm or a finger of the right hand. - Jack
_________________
Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8

Bill McCloskey · From: Nanuet, NY

" I have to remind myself all the time not to lift my left hand, "

Not sure I agree with that. Jerry Byrd talks about tipping the bar up and muting with the left hand to do single string work. For me, the difference is more in the right hand than the left.

Richard Lahr · From: Gulf Cove Florida, USA

GOOD POINTS... APPRECIATED THE FEED.. KEEP IT COMING

Stephen Baker · From: Lancashire, UK

Wayne D. Clark · From: Montello Wisconsin, USA

From the 50's & 60"s Lap Steel. Have you tried top to bottom. E9th [E, B, G#, F#, D, B, G#, E] OR E7th [E, B, G#, E, D, B, G#, E] or C#m 7th [E, B, G#, E, C# B, G# E] I call this E7th modified. I used E7th most of the time.

Richard Lahr · From: Gulf Cove Florida, USA

Wayne D. Clark · From: Montello Wisconsin, USA

I did also Richard at the time, from '45 to '52. in 53 I purchased D8 Stringmaster. But I played a lot of Hank Snow and Hank Williams, & Edie Arnold stuff at that time, and Used E7th on the 6 string National. I'll find the 6th string tuning I used back then, but heading to bed right now.

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · From: Quebec, Canada

C6 with high E, with a 6 strings C6 you can play almost any thing, you can find the strings on the forum store. C6 is hard at first but when you get it its powerfull.

David Mason · From: Cambridge, MD, USA

If you poke along the top of this site - - LINKS - you will find a mind-boggling set of interconnected everythingness that will require at least 3 or 4 lifetimes to ge... well, first off, on SGF's Founder (and minor deity) b0b's pages, a very handy string gauge chart:

http://www.b0b.com/infoedu/gauges.htm

there may be some adjustments made for scale length, usage and such, but you might as well cut 'n' paste it print up dozens, hang them everywhere, you will refer to it time and again over the years.

Richard Lahr · From: Gulf Cove Florida, USA

Tim Whitlock · From: Colorado, USA

b0b sells these properly gauged, six string C6 sets:

http://www.steelguitarshopper.com/JP-L6C/

George Rout · From: St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

Well Richard, I have to my two cents worth in for the old original tunings used by thousands of players in the 30's and 40's and 50's and still used by this ole guy today amd a few others!!!!

It's A Major Low Bass tuning; hi to lo, EC#AEAE

OR the High Bass tuning: E C# A E C# A This latter one is the same as your Dobro tuning, just two notes up.

You also have the option of A6, in which the 4th string is rased from the E to F#.

I still teach locally in these tunings (as well as E, E7th and your Dobro D.

Welcome to the lap steel. I've been playing since 1948 (and still learning) and having tons of fun.

Geo
_________________
http://georgerout.com

"I play in the A Major tuning. It's fun to learn and so easy to play. It's as old as the hills....like me"

Richard Lahr · From: Gulf Cove Florida, USA

I keep reading C6 is Hawaiian tining. Country "pedal " is E9.

I play the Dobro open G, some say that tuning and a volume pedal is a great place to start on the lap
DGBDGB ?

then there is D : DADF#AD or E: EDEG#BE

Seeing I am a beginner at this all but do like country, do ya'll have any opinion on this?

I am realllllly glad I found this site...the replys have been gr8...thank you all

Ron Landis · From: Arkansas, USA

I'm pretty new myself and find myself in the same situation going from dobro to 6 string lap steel and now to 8 string console. I'm struggling with the C6 tuning myself, but using the same strings, I retuned to A6 and everything seemed to come together rather naturally. It seems to work really well for Western Swing. I use E7 for my other neck and works well for country and blues.

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