8 string major tuning pros & cons

[Dusty Lee Elmer]

I’m getting into 8 string lap steel coming from a dobro and banjo background. I picked an 8 string so that I can do 6th tunings and that sort of stuff, but the band I’ll be playing it with is more in the old-time country/bluegrass/Americana style, so I’m wondering about G tuning for an 8 string. Something like (low to high) DGBDGBDG, or Open D, like ADAF#DAF#D. I don’t hear many people using straight major tuning on an 8, and I assume it’s for good reason. Just wondering if these would be practical choices or if I’m better off put it in C6 or something similar and working out if that tuning. Thanks in advance!

[Dom Franco]

Even Bluegrass and old time country uses minor chords quite often, so you won't be able to play a complete minor triad if all your 3rds are major... you can get by with partial minor chords by leaving out one note and just playing the root and minor 3rd.

And of course you can always slant the bar for different intervals.

[Allan Revich]

Lots to choose from here.
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database

If you’re used to Dobro, you might like a G6/Em7 tuning.

EGBDEGBD
or
EGBDGBDE (not a common tuning, but puts the 6 on either end of standard Dobro tuning.)

And if you really want to stay major, the easiest tuning would be Open G,
DGBDGBDG

[Joe A. Roberts]

I agree with Allan in that you should try G6th (hi to low)
DBGEDBGE
or as most often done on electric, the same tuning up a step to A.
EC#AF#EC#AF#

You still have the entirety of your dobro tuning, with the added power of the 6th interval that can be used,
not only for Hawaiian sounds, but as Dom Franco said, for otherwise absent minor chords (and 9th chords) as well.

You can play all your dobro stuff, but also sound like this when you want to:
Herb Remington - Remington Ride (A6th tuning?)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLu-NuZ9W8U
(check out the chords beginning from 1:27)

To answer your question, you do not see straight major 8 string tunings often because 8 stringers were developed to help players expand their chordal possibilities.
Theres no reason to think the genres you play can't be played with A6th tuning, or even E13th in the right hands!

A great tuning you might like as it will instantly give you those genres' "sounds" IMHO is a basic E7th tuning:

E B G# E D B G# E

pitched in D:
D A F# D C A F# D

[Dusty Lee Elmer]

I see! That makes perfect sense. I’m going to go with G6 I think. Thanks for putting it in a way I can understand, guys.

[David Knutson]

I use that G6 tuning (l-h EGBDEGBD) almost all the time. I play a lot of swing, a bit of straight, older country, and with that minor seventh chord in there, the "blues scale" is right there for blues and rocky stuff. Really versatile tuning.

[Dusty Lee Elmer]

Thanks again, guys. Adding the 6th really makes a lot of sense, especially after 16 years of having to approximate minor chords on dobro. My 8 string is coming in a few days and I’m going to order some strings. What sets/gauges are you guys using for G6 tuning? The suggested tuning for the guitar I bought is F6, which seems like a decent tuning choice too.

[Dusty Lee Elmer]

Thanks again, guys. Adding the 6th really makes a lot of sense, especially after 16 years of having to approximate minor chords on dobro. My 8 string is coming in a few days and I’m going to order some strings. What sets/gauges are you guys using for G6 tuning? The suggested tuning for the guitar I bought is F6, which seems like a decent tuning choice too.

[David Knutson]

I use Scotty's Non Pedal A6 8-string set from SIT Strings for my 23" scale steel, tuned to G6. String tension is fine for me, though some players like a tighter feel. The wound strings are "semi-flat", so not much bar noise. They sound good and last long.

I just checked the Forum shop, but it is down for repair at the moment. Just Strings dot com carries them.

[Michael Johnstone]

I had this on the inside neck of a Stringmaster. It's a straight dobro G tuning on the first 6 strings with E and C re-intrant strings on the bottom that by pitch, would be in the center of the tuning but I like to keep em down there out of the way. I call it G11. By catching the extra strings with your thumb you can get a 6 minor, 6 major, 4 chord, maj7ths and other voicings not common on other popular lap steel or straight dobro tunings. It's a great blues and americana platform but the stock double triad dobro layout is intact and uninterrupted. When played on an electric steel, it doesn't necessarily sound dobro-ish however. It can be a very ballsy blues tuning along the lines of David Lindley. I loaned it to Cindy Cashdollar once for a session here in LA and she loved it. Dobro players who want to play 8 string Lap steel will get it immediately.

1. D .015p
2. B .017p
3. G .022p
4. D .032w
5. B .036w
6. G .046w
7. E .028w
8. C .034w

[Mike Christensen]

I buy a pedal steel 10 string c6 set and use the bottom 8 strings. Happy Trails

[Andrew Frost]

the stock double triad dobro layout is intact and uninterrupted

That's a very cool approach having the re-entrant 4&6 out of the way.

[Allan Revich]

I had this on the inside neck of a Stringmaster. It's a straight dobro G tuning on the first 6 strings with E and C re-intrant strings on the bottom that by pitch, would be in the center of the tuning but I like to keep em down there out of the way. I call it G11. By catching the extra strings with your thumb you can get a 6 minor, 6 major, 4 chord, maj7ths and other voicings not common on other popular lap steel or straight dobro tunings. It's a great blues and americana platform but the stock double triad dobro layout is intact and uninterrupted. When played on an electric steel, it doesn't necessarily sound dobro-ish however. It can be a very ballsy blues tuning along the lines of David Lindley. I loaned it to Cindy Cashdollar once for a session here in LA and she loved it. Dobro players who want to play 8 string Lap steel will get it immediately.

1. D .015p
2. B .017p
3. G .022p
4. D .032w
5. B .036w
6. G .046w
7. E .028w
8. C .034w

I used almost the same tuning on my 7-strings for a while. Reentrant E, no C. A great way to get 6ths and minor 7ths.

[Allan Revich]

BTW, if you feel like grooving back into your comfort zone, here’s a simple “Dobro” open G for 8 strings. (L to H)

D G B D G B D G

You could use a 6 string dobro string set and add a 60 on the bottom and a 13 on top.