Is there a C6 chord book?

Frank Nims · From: Illinois, USA

With diagrams. Including slants.

C through B (or whatever), major, minor, sixth, seventh, major seventh, add 9 etc etc etc. 3 or 4 options for each chord.

Identifying which notes of the chord are played - seventh/root/fifth or whatever.

There's books like that for many stringed instruments. Sure would help beginners.

Bill McCloskey · From: Nanuet, NY

Contact Mike Neer.
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Rose D13 tuning: Cabinet by J.R. Rose with mechanics engineered by Darvin Willhoite.
Williams D10 9x9.
Mullen Pre-RP D10 8x5.

David Matzenik · From: Cairns, on the Coral Sea

If you have an iPad, this will help with any tuning.

https://apps.apple.com/au/app/steel-sidekick/id802758051
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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother.

Lee Rider · From: Fort Bragg, California, USA

Frank Nims · From: Illinois, USA

Yeah, and there's this

https://www.hawaiiansteel.com/chordlocator/generic.php

But what I asked about was a book.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I have thought about this for some time (and thanks Bill for mentioning me). I would brag that I feel like I have found many of the hidden gems within the C6 tuning, but the truth is it’s a mining expedition that never ends. But in order to get the most out the C6 tuning (and any others), you really have to devote yourself to learning the technique of slanting and acquiring good clean picking habits. Knowledge of harmony is also essential because we need to understand the nature of chords and how they move, and also which voices in the chords are important and which are expendable. Even then it is not so cut and dried.

I could actually sit and write a book right now about how difficult it would be to write a chord book for steel guitar. Laughing

There are just too many variables, too many idiosyncracies tied to the individual and his bar, instrument, etc. A good working title could be “Chords for Steel Guitar Tuned to C6: YMMV.”

If I was to give one or two solid pieces of advice, it would be a) learn to play all inversions of major and minor triads—they are built right into the tuning, b) learn all your major scales harmonized—first in 3rds and 6ths (just two notes), then the triads of the scale in straight bar position in all inversions (you will need to slant for diminished), then the same triad exercise using slants. I could create a lesson for this as I teach it to many of my students. If you are not sure about the triads that are diatonic to the major scale, then your first order of business will be to learn this.

Almost every triad and its inversions can be changed to another type of triad by changing one note: e.g., a major triad becomes a minor when you lower the 3rd, and vice versa, and a major triad becomes augmented when you raise the 5th, and the minor becomes diminished when you lower the 5th. These can all be achieved with simple slants.

It is hard to talk about chords in regard to steel guitar because it is not an instrument that is designed or best used to play static chords. We need to understand voice leadig and movement. Listen as much as you can to the subtleties going on in the music you like. Almost all of the music has it, regardless of it being blues, country, jazz, swing, Hawaiian, classical…all of it!
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

David Matzenik · From: Cairns, on the Coral Sea

Wondrful post, Mike! Very Happy

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Don't go in the water after lunch. You'll get a cramp and drown. - Mother.

Pete Martin · From: Washington, USA

Thank you Mike!!
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Worlds worst lap steel player

Free Western Swing instrumental recording (don't worry, I play electric mandolin on this)
https://www.petemartin.info/recordings.html

Frank Nims · From: Illinois, USA

If it can be done for guitars tuned EADGBE . . .

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/7b/20/c7/7b20c76c06c70a506a1d37f6b697e43a.jpg

Bill McCloskey · From: Nanuet, NY

the problem is: guitars have a standard tuning. And Frets. Lap steels have neither a standard tuning, nor frets.

There are all common C6 tunings;

C-E-G-A-C-E
A-C-E-G-C-E.
G-C-G-A-C-E.
E-C-G-A-C-E.
E-G-A-C-E-G.
C-A-C-G-C-E

Which one are you going to write the book for? The closest you are going to get is the Jerry Byrd book.

It isn't hard to map the tuning of your choice in a spread sheet and figure it out yourself. I do it all the time. Or you can get Steel Sidekick and figure it out that way. Or if you need something better than that, give up lap steel and stick to regular guitar.
_________________
Rose D13 tuning: Cabinet by J.R. Rose with mechanics engineered by Darvin Willhoite.
Williams D10 9x9.
Mullen Pre-RP D10 8x5.

David M Brown · From: California, USA

And after you choose a tuning - can you read sheet music - not TAB - on that tuning?

Frank Nims · From: Illinois, USA

CEGACE is the most common C6 tuning, the one used in Scotty's book and most others I've looked at and the one mentioned by Mike Neer in his reply.

I'm aware of other C tunings, thank you.

Frank Nims · From: Illinois, USA

Bill McCloskey · From: Nanuet, NY

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Bill McCloskey · From: Nanuet, NY

Here you go: go crazy.

_________________
Rose D13 tuning: Cabinet by J.R. Rose with mechanics engineered by Darvin Willhoite.
Williams D10 9x9.
Mullen Pre-RP D10 8x5.

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