Cma11 Tuning

[Michael James]

Stephan are you using slant chords? I see you don't have any of those listed on your site? At least I can't find them.

[Michael James]

Stephan, I see you asked a question that I didn't answer. How many chords/voicings are in your tuning? Advantages/Disadvantages?

Watching my videos is the best way to get an answer of Advantages/Disadvantages.

For your chord voicings question.

20 Straight Bar
7 Forward Slant
6 Back slant
11 Dominant 7th Color Tone Slants
5 Dominant 7th Color Tone Straight bar

Total of 49 chords on six strings.

[Stefan Robertson]

If you look on the chords chart. All chords listed are done mostly in straight bar position but many are also found with slants.

To achieve all chords listed you must use a technique of string pulling. Like that of Billy Robinson.

For a complete chord list straight bar, slants and open you can look at the fretboard map or I will be publishing an ebook and PDF soon with examples also videos.

[Stefan Robertson]

Voicing a are the same number as chords listed as you can check out my post on drop 2 & drop 3 voicing a and how you can apply it to any chord.

[Stefan Robertson]

If you understand my principles you should be able to easily spot the chords like. Cm7b9 and Cm7b5 or Cdim7#5

Happy hunting.

[Michael James]

Naming this tuning has been pain. I have had a year to think about it.
Doug had the answer early on "Cma11".
What I like about this term is it implies 6 strings. 1 3 5 7 9 11.
In one of my jazz theory book an author explains that if you have an 11 then the 9 is assumed. And if you have the 13th, then the 11 and 9 are assumed.
At first I didn't like this name because a Cma11 isn't a chord that you would use in the real world. That way of thinking was wrong. The purpose of the term is to describe the tuning. Nothing more. And it does that very simply.
Sorry about all the confusion. I'm going to stick with this one. As it makes sense and is easy to say and remember.
Thanks

[Doug Beaumier]

Michael, I'm glad you came over to my way of thinking! Just kidding. Yes, a tuning is usually named for the open chord it produces or in the case of diatonic tunings, for a scale. But there have been a lot of misnomers in the steel guitar world. Jerry Byrd's C diatonic outlines a C scale, but there is no D string in the tuning. E9 pedal steel players incorrectly called the tuning "chromatic" for years. Jerry's C6/A7 nomenclature probably causes some confusion to musicians who are not steel players. And some versions of B11 lap steel tuning have no B string!

[Lee Cecil]

I'm late to this thread, because I've been immersed in bluegrass dobro for 3 years, but Cma11 makes a lot of sense to me, for the just reason you and Doug suggest, an 11th chord implies the 7 and the 9, and the "major" designation gives you the character of the 7th. I had to learn that sort of thing when I played jazz piano years ago using nothing but fakebook chord sheets. It also meshes well with the "normal" B11 tuning, B D# F# A C# E, which doesn't use the "major" abbreviation because the 7th tone is A, the flat seventh.

Doug notes that some B11 tunings don't even include a B, which is the root. In one-hand jazz piano voicings, the root is probably the most commonly omitted note. I was taught if I had only two notes, to play the third and the seventh, and that is usually enough to imply the chord.

Great tuning, by the way. I'm over a year late, but enjoying it nonetheless.

[Michael James]

Hey Doug,
I may be an old dog, but I can learn new tricks. As long as I keep it to one trick every year or two.
Thanks for the encouragement!
mj

[Michael James]

Hi Lee,
Glad you like the tuning. I also have studied jazz. I find it helps me a lot with lap steel. Especially chord substitutions.
mj

[Michael James]

Here's an updated version of all the Cma11 tuning stuff I have discovered.
I cleaned up a lot of the scale patterns. And reorganized some stuff.

mj

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4pX2a ... sp=sharing

[Stefan Robertson]

Hey Michael did you find those Chords you were after. In straight/slant bar positions.

[Stefan Robertson]

Had a quick glance James. Good PDF. Missing quite a few chords with full chord where possible.

Example your Dim7 could be:

A - 4
Gb - 4
Eb - 4
C - 5 Pull string a 1/2 step while bar is in a straight bar position on the 4th Fret.

Enjoy. So many more to discover. My Theory Tuning enables all FULL chords played and not just voicings. You are halfway there. Just 6 more strings to go and then you'll have any chord they throw at you.

Feel free to ask any queries as I am more than happy to share the knowledge. Or wait for the book.

[Stefan Robertson]

Its always been weird to me that Lap Steel Guitar only use 6 strings. This is great for accompany playing like the legendary Jerry Byrd or stacy phillips, However why not have enough strings to choose to either play solo.accompanied. Just makes sense.

I wish manufacturers were players and understood this so the prices and availability of 12 string models became cheaper and easily accessible to all. then the evolution/revolution of the instrument will take place.

Until then my goal is to Keep Steel alive as best as I can with the help of the Steelguitar forum and amazing roster of players and creative minds.

Maurice Anderson understood this but Bill Hatcher is that very next innovator. One to watch. Bill thanks for the Lap Steel Guitar I can't wait until it arrives. I may be emailing you with a few pre-copies of my book and I may need your expert advice on changes.

If you guys remember my Eureka post tuning was essentially based around the Treble clef: E, G, B, D, F, A, C, E, G, A, C, E

BUT Bill and I realised we couldn't get strings light enough to reach that high C or E so that is why I changed it up to C, E, G, B, D, F, A, C, D, E, G, A.

I wanted the E to be the centre point and work around that like a guitar. And I will post some recordings once I get tucked into my new Lap Steel Guitar. Right now its in transit.

Peace and stay tuned.

[Michael James]

Hi Folks
Here's my first attempt at a lap steel split screen recording. I learned that I really need to smile more. oops I meant

I apologize for some of sloppy note on the lap. I'm still a newbie.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=roIe3DozRqw

[Stefan Robertson]

Great Job. Smile indeed.

[Michael James]

Hi Folks
I made a website to put all of the Cma11 tuning study material I've made in one easy to access place.

The website needs a lot of work. If anyone is still using this tuning other than me I hope they find the website useful.

Thanks

http://www.cma11steel.com

[Randy Reeves]

very cool Mike.

[Michael James]

Thanks Randy.

[Michael James]

I added some Tabs to the website.

http://www.cma11steel.com

All Blues
Sleepwalk
Song For My Father
Work Song

[Michael James]

I made a "Satin Doll" tab for the Cma11 tuning.

http://www.cma11steel.com/tabs/satin-doll

[Doug Beaumier]

Nice work, Michael. Coincidentally, I just taught this song to a couple of my guitar students earlier today! great tune.

[Michael James]

Thanks Doug, It's a very fun tune to improvise on.

[Don Drummer]

We can give many names for this tuning. In the end we have a clever, well thought out, digita-pedent that covers a lot ground. It is the toolbox. The tools are our hands, our minds, our moods, our search for knowledge and a sweet tone bar.

[Michael James]

Hi Folks
I updated the "Sleepwalk" tab. Used a IV minor chord in the turn around. It sounds more vintage to my ear. Plus I added in some other stuff and fix many errors.

http://www.cma11steel.com/tabs/sleepwalk