8 String Lap Steel.book for Learning A6?? and tuning q.
Moderator: Brad Bechtel
- Teddy Ray Bullard II
- Posts: 214
- Joined: 31 Jul 2005 12:01 am
- Location: Pocatello, Idaho
8 String Lap Steel.book for Learning A6?? and tuning q.
would love a chord chart, any resource really. im as rookie as they come. (although ive been playing guitar, bass , synths, vocals, sax) all my life.
i like this tuning chiefly because of the major triad at the top. cant find any books on it(most are c6 iirc)
im not great with video learning. would rather have a book/chord chart in front of me i reckon!!
i know this is a dumb premise... but I do a whole lot of "post rock" "indie" "folk", lanois like stuff too. is there a tuning that would perhaps be better suited for this type stuff...that didnt sound as western swingy, hawaiian, etc?? i do play country as well, but just curious!
again im a rookie, sorry for the dumb question.
//thanks Mr. Robert Allen @Melbert Steel Guitars, for making me my first hand built instrument!! Great, great guy, him. //
i like this tuning chiefly because of the major triad at the top. cant find any books on it(most are c6 iirc)
im not great with video learning. would rather have a book/chord chart in front of me i reckon!!
i know this is a dumb premise... but I do a whole lot of "post rock" "indie" "folk", lanois like stuff too. is there a tuning that would perhaps be better suited for this type stuff...that didnt sound as western swingy, hawaiian, etc?? i do play country as well, but just curious!
again im a rookie, sorry for the dumb question.
//thanks Mr. Robert Allen @Melbert Steel Guitars, for making me my first hand built instrument!! Great, great guy, him. //
- Paul Seager
- Posts: 424
- Joined: 20 Aug 2010 7:41 am
- Location: Augsburg, Germany
Given that almost all lap steel material focuses on either open G ("dobro") or C6 lap steel, I don't think what you want exists. Closest would be the two videos from Cindy Cashdollar, her Western Swing units.
These use the same intervals you ask for but at C6. Most C6 material use the 3rd (E) on top so Cindy teaching with the major triad on top is quite unusual.
They come with booklets which have charts and good tips (you may even be able to get these independently) but most of the education is in the videos.
Each video is about an hour long and there is enough in there to get started. Although the focus is on Western Swing, the material is applicable to any style. I think you'll get value for money with those and with your musical experience, applying what you learn to A6 is not a huge leap (I took exactly this route).
The "6" tuning is very bright and yes, Western Swing is its home base but don't write it off as unsuitable just yet. You need to learn how to play steel before applying it to a musical style.
Consider that transition from A6 to B11 is quite easy (top 4 strings are the same) and with B11 you have more moody chords that may suit your tastes. I use my B11 neck with G# and E on strings 7 & 8. This gives you a nice ii-V-I at every position (and a whole lot more incl. Diminished).
"Open" tunings like E or D are definitely more "rocky" but minor chords can be awkward. I believe there is limited educational material outside of YouTube available for those tunings.
These use the same intervals you ask for but at C6. Most C6 material use the 3rd (E) on top so Cindy teaching with the major triad on top is quite unusual.
They come with booklets which have charts and good tips (you may even be able to get these independently) but most of the education is in the videos.
Each video is about an hour long and there is enough in there to get started. Although the focus is on Western Swing, the material is applicable to any style. I think you'll get value for money with those and with your musical experience, applying what you learn to A6 is not a huge leap (I took exactly this route).
The "6" tuning is very bright and yes, Western Swing is its home base but don't write it off as unsuitable just yet. You need to learn how to play steel before applying it to a musical style.
Consider that transition from A6 to B11 is quite easy (top 4 strings are the same) and with B11 you have more moody chords that may suit your tastes. I use my B11 neck with G# and E on strings 7 & 8. This gives you a nice ii-V-I at every position (and a whole lot more incl. Diminished).
"Open" tunings like E or D are definitely more "rocky" but minor chords can be awkward. I believe there is limited educational material outside of YouTube available for those tunings.
\paul
Bayern Hawaiians: https://www.youtube.com/@diebayernhawaiians3062
Other stuff: https://www.youtube.com/@paulseager3796/videos
Bayern Hawaiians: https://www.youtube.com/@diebayernhawaiians3062
Other stuff: https://www.youtube.com/@paulseager3796/videos
- Jouni Karvonen
- Posts: 249
- Joined: 29 Jan 2011 11:31 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
- David M Brown
- Posts: 902
- Joined: 15 Nov 2016 7:47 am
- Location: California, USA
- Contact:
Some good info on A6 on the Billy Hew Len tapes:
https://archive.org/details/LenThree03
And an 8 string tuning chart, previously posted on this forum. Note the 2 low strings, a quick retune from F# and A:
Also if you can find a chord chart for C6 with a high G, it's the same pattern as A6 but a minor 3rd up.
https://archive.org/details/LenThree03
And an 8 string tuning chart, previously posted on this forum. Note the 2 low strings, a quick retune from F# and A:
Also if you can find a chord chart for C6 with a high G, it's the same pattern as A6 but a minor 3rd up.
- Jouni Karvonen
- Posts: 249
- Joined: 29 Jan 2011 11:31 am
- Location: Helsinki, Finland
-
- Posts: 128
- Joined: 6 Jan 2020 2:07 pm
- Location: New York, USA
There was a topic about Herb Remington's dvds being available through Texas Music Supply. Not sure if it's for A6 but here's the link to volume 1: https://www.texasmusicsupply.com/nonped ... ume-i.html
- Ken Pippus
- Posts: 2618
- Joined: 8 Feb 2007 7:55 am
- Location: Langford, BC, Canada
- David Matzenik
- Posts: 1685
- Joined: 8 Oct 2004 12:01 am
- Location: Cairns, on the Coral Sea
Check out Eddie Rivers videos on A6th tuning. Very slick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rARCcW3I0K4
For chords, download the Steel Sidekick app.
https://steelsidekick.com/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rARCcW3I0K4
For chords, download the Steel Sidekick app.
https://steelsidekick.com/
Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother.
- Doug Beaumier
- Posts: 15642
- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Northampton, MA
- Contact:
I have a song book called "16 Songs for Lap Steel Guitar" that features three different tunings. A6 is one of the tunings. There are 8 songs in A6.
It's not a method book that teaches "how to play" A6 tuning, it's a song book. But a lot of people have told me they've learned chord positions, harmonies, and slants by playing through the songs.
More info on the book here: ---> http://playsteelguitar.com/book3-16-songs/
E
C#
A
F#
E
C#
(A6 is an easy re-tune "to or from" C6)
I also play some A6 tunes on my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zIU7t2gZ0k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQz6Q5hlG8Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Esz2tVd7Pdo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8JivjKVBIg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-1z9qctxGw
It's not a method book that teaches "how to play" A6 tuning, it's a song book. But a lot of people have told me they've learned chord positions, harmonies, and slants by playing through the songs.
More info on the book here: ---> http://playsteelguitar.com/book3-16-songs/
E
C#
A
F#
E
C#
(A6 is an easy re-tune "to or from" C6)
I also play some A6 tunes on my YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zIU7t2gZ0k
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQz6Q5hlG8Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Esz2tVd7Pdo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8JivjKVBIg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-1z9qctxGw
I have some arrangements in A6th as well on my site. A few
are in both A6 and C6 for comparison.
are in both A6 and C6 for comparison.
Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com
- David M Brown
- Posts: 902
- Joined: 15 Nov 2016 7:47 am
- Location: California, USA
- Contact:
Doug Beaumier wrote:I have a song book called "16 Songs for Lap Steel Guitar" that features three different tunings. A6 is one of the tunings.
I can say both of these folks' materials are worth studying. Thanks for the fine work.Andy Volk wrote:I have some arrangements in A6th as well on my site. A few
are in both A6 and C6 for comparison.
- Doug Beaumier
- Posts: 15642
- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Northampton, MA
- Contact:
- David M Brown
- Posts: 902
- Joined: 15 Nov 2016 7:47 am
- Location: California, USA
- Contact:
- Jack Hanson
- Posts: 5024
- Joined: 19 Jun 2012 3:42 pm
- Location: San Luis Valley, USA
- Doug Beaumier
- Posts: 15642
- Joined: 4 Aug 1998 11:00 pm
- Location: Northampton, MA
- Contact: