Non c+w /Hawaiian tuning for lap steel? (6 string)

Teddy Ray Bullard II · Post by **Teddy Ray Bullard II** » 4 May 2018 8:20 pm

I play mostly what could be considered "post rock" (think Wilco, Tom waits, Jim O Rourke, Daniel lanois, etc) and need a versatile tuning that doesn't have that swing/Hawaiian sound. I know it is mostly in technique,in the fingers, but I'd still like some input. Heres a beautiful example of the sound I strive for https://youtu.be/krfyMOG4MIE

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 4 May 2018 8:57 pm

Hmmm, well....the sound of a heavily delay-effected 10-string pedal steel and a bass-tuned 8-string lap steel playing together is probably not going to come out of a 6-string lap steel no matter what tuning you have.

C6 and A6 are extremely versatile tunings for 6- and 8-string lap steel. It wonâ€™t sound Hawaiian or country if you donâ€™t play it like you would for country or Hawaiian music.

Brad Bechtelâ€™s excellent website is chock full of tunings. You might get some ideas there:
https://people.well.com/user/wellvis/tuning.html

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 5 May 2018 4:36 am

Hawaiian sound don't come from a tuning it come from the way you play.

C6 is very good for "post rock" to me because you have a little more color than straight major tuning.

You can see C6 as Am7 tuning!

The important is to learn the tuning and find the sound your looking for in it.

The proof is that Daniel Lanois really don't sound country on a Lloyd Green Sho-Bud guitar that is really associated to country music!

James Kerr · Post by **James Kerr** » 5 May 2018 12:07 pm

Try this for size "The Lang road Hame" my own composition played on a 6 string through a 1972 Hacker Transistor Radio.

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

James.

Fred Treece · Post by **Fred Treece** » 5 May 2018 9:45 pm

Well done, James.
Bitchen amp too

J Fletcher · Post by **J Fletcher** » 6 May 2018 12:15 pm

James , that sounds great. You've got your own slant on things. Thanks for sharing.

rodger_mcbride · Post by **rodger_mcbride** » 11 Jun 2018 5:50 am

First you need a cigarette. Iâ€™d try tunings with tonal appropriate b3, 2nd, 11th and b7 or 7th scale tones instead of 6th scale tones.

Gregory Horne · Post by **Gregory Horne** » 11 Jun 2018 8:55 am

Before I got 8 strings (and then pedal) I used this tuning quite a bit (low to high):

G B D F# A D

Technically it would be Gmaj9 chord, but it is also a D6 with a 4th on the bottom. It has three triads built in, plus you can get some suspensions with string pulls. The major triad in the middle facilitates a forward bar slant to get from D major to G major. The thing that really helps for more rock or ambient sounding stuff is all the 5ths and 4ths built in, including a nice set of stacked 5ths (G, D, A). Finally, you can retune just two strings to get to dobro high-G tuning (G B D G B D).

Jerry Wagner · Post by **Jerry Wagner** » 11 Jun 2018 6:53 pm

Gregory Horne wrote:
"The thing that really helps for more rock or ambient sounding stuff is all the 5ths and 4ths built in, including a nice set of stacked 5ths (G, D, A)."

I'd never considered this, but I don't play much "post rock" music. I do play a similar, though higher pitch, GM6th/ C7th combination tuning loaded with 4th's & 5th's. More so if you have 7 strings, where Low to Hi is: Bb,C,E,G,B,D,G. This 3b,4,6,1,3,5,1 interval set seems to fit Rodger's Rx too.

I'd played Dobro, and when I started playing lap steel on 6 strings, I decided adding the Hi G was more useful than the Low G. Then I tuned the low D up to E. Finally, with a 7 string Ric, I tuned the bottom 2 strings to C & Bb. I mostly play Hawaiian & Hapa Haole for Hula dancers, and some Tin Pan Alley & Western Swing tunes. For "post rock" on 6 strings, maybe Gregory's lower pitch tuning is better. But I agree with Fred's observations. You should probably get an 8-string guitar and try this tuning, Lo to Hi: G,Bb,E,C,G,B,D,G. Buy a "SIT" brand C6th 8-string set to get all the strings you need except the .013 Hi G string. But get a few of those, 'cause that's the one that might break. Most gage charts show .012 for Hi G, but I prefer .013.
Jerry

Jerry Wagner · Post by **Jerry Wagner** » 11 Jun 2018 7:01 pm

!#%#@##!!!! I made an error on my 8-string tuning recommendation. It should be Lo to Hi: G,Bb,C,E,G,B,D,G.
Jerry

Gregory Horne · Post by **Gregory Horne** » 11 Jun 2018 10:34 pm

Jerry Wagner wrote: Lo to Hi: G,Bb,C,E,G,B,D,G.
Jerry

My current 8 string tuning is very similar, Jerry! Except I moved the C down to the bottom (with a .070 gauge). It's been pretty fun to have that low rumbling C every now and then, but your version would be more accomodating to melodic stuff on the low strings. I'll have to try it.

Mine is: C, G, D, E, G, B, D, G

Frank James Pracher · Post by **Frank James Pracher** » 12 Jun 2018 4:04 am

I'll put in another vote for C6.. It's a very versatile tuning.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 12 Jun 2018 5:12 am

"(think Wilco, Tom waits, Jim O Rourke, Daniel lanois, etc)"

This is right up my alley. When I really started getting into playing, this is where my head was at. I also really like Richard Buckner and he had good steel on some of his early records.

I would opt for an easy tuning, such as E or D and then move forward from there. Get the sound and physical technique together, and then make alterations to your tuning as needed. Each time you do that you steepen the learning curve, but ultimately you end up getting deeper into the instrument and maybe a little closer to your own sound.

I am reacquainting myself with two tunings I knew very well: C#min7 (Sol Hoopii) and E9 (a six string version of an early Bigsby pedal steel tuning with the pedals off). But I have been pretty much one-track C13 for the past 3 or 4 years.

But be prepared to take detours and enjoy the winding roads of playing steel guitar, wherever they may take you. Also, never say never.