Best e tuning for me

[John Harmon]

Morning all. I'm trying to work with my Remington D8. I've been using A6 on one neck and like it , have become reasonably comfortable with it. I have a set of E13 Sit strings on the other neck and can't play those hardly at all. What would be a good E tuning that is close to A6, if you understand my question. I like the high G sharp since so many sing Hank songs, but the rest is nigh impossible for me. Thanks for your time, John

[Ricky Davis]

G#
E
C#
B
G#
F#
E
D
Here's me playing it>
https://youtu.be/xsvkbfmVcbc

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wq46rec9 ... 8a6bv&dl=0

Ricky

[Brad Bechtel]

That's an excellent tuning for this sort of music, Ricky. It looks to me like it's basically the standard E9th pedal steel tuning minus the high F# and low B strings.

[Michael Kiese]

What would be a good E tuning that is close to A6, if you understand my question. I like the high G sharp since so many sing Hank songs, but the rest is nigh impossible for me.

Hi John,

Could you please be more specific?

E is a 5th away from A. It is unclear what you mean by "close".

Also by "E tuning", are you looking for a Dominant 7th type of tuning or a Major 6th tuning?

[Michael Kiese]

G#
E
C#
B
G#
F#
E
D
Here's me playing it>
https://youtu.be/xsvkbfmVcbc

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/wq46rec9 ... 8a6bv&dl=0

Ricky

Aloha Ricky,

I enjoyed listening to your track on YouTube!

If you would be so kind, could you please explain the usage/purpose of that F# on the 6th string? Is it for more single note lines on the lower strings?

I'm staring at it and trying to see any practicality for chords. There is no A in the tuning for a iim, and there is no D# in the tuning for a V chord. Are there any slants that I'm just not seeing the benefits of?

Thanks in advance!

[John Harmon]

Thanks Ricky, you do well with that( especially the 2nd song, liked it). Don't know if I could do very well with it though.
Mike I want an E tuning that I don't have to completely relearn positions and such. I like the E so I can stay in the middle of the fretboard no matter the key I'm in. I'm 77 and just want get on with as much playing as I can. Hope this helps. John

[Michael Kiese]

I like the E so I can stay in the middle of the fretboard no matter the key I'm in. I'm 77 and just want get on with as much playing as I can. Hope this helps. John

Hi John,

When you say "middle of the fretboard", are you referring to playing at the 12th fret as your "home key"? Or are you referring to playing at the 5th and 7th frets as your "home key"?

[John Harmon]

Mike I like playing between the 3rd and say, 9th frets. In A that takes me from C to F sharp. E would give me G to C covering all keys . So I would like an E that is laid out similar to my A6, not taking a couple years to get used to. Thanks, John

[Ricky Davis]

If you would be so kind, could you please explain the usage/purpose of that F# on the 6th string?

Sorry Michael; I don't teach lessons anymore; but to quickly give you a path to incorporate these Tones into your playing; I can give you 12 uses up and down the first 12 frets; but I can't help you continuously to progress from that onward.
I think of all Tones in Numbers most the time; because I do 6 different Steel Tunings depending on what music I'm playing along with.
That F# note is the 9th Tone in that open E.
Fret 2; it becomes the 3rd Tone; so now what is around it that just moved up a whole tone like it did?...well yes; below it is 7th string goes from root to 9th; 8th string b7th to root Tone; 5th string to b5 Tone; 4th string was 5th now 6th tone...so what cool chords is there at that fret?? Now go up just 1 fret from there and what does that original open F# note become and what do the other tones around it become?? I can make certain parts of a E chord triad; and color tones on every fret 1-12. So know the numbers:

E13+9
G# - 3rd tone
E - Root tone
C# - 6th Tone
B - 5th Tone
G# - 3rd Tone
F# - 2nd or 9th tone
E - Root tone
D - b7 Tone

So just practice with knowing these E Triad tone and added color tones are in open position; then find out what part and parts of the E chord do they make going up in Frets....You'll find a lot of great chord possible and 1/2 fret slants to add even more.
Hope that helps you get going.....that's really all what music is........MATH
Ricky

[John Harmon]

..that's really all what music is........MATH
Ricky

No wonder I have so much trouble with it, lol

[Ricky Davis]

It's Not hard.

Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do- basic tone scale

is

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8- basic tone scale in numbers

That's 1st Grade Math

Ricky

[Michael Kiese]

E13+9
G# - 3rd tone
E - Root tone
C# - 6th Tone
B - 5th Tone
G# - 3rd Tone
F# - 2nd or 9th tone
E - Root tone
D - b7 Tone

Aloha Ricky,

Is it possible that you're a PSG player and you're transferring and adapting 10 string E9 tuning to 8 string straight steel? Your tuning is basically an E6 on the top 4 strings, and the bottom 4 strings is from an E9 PSG tuning.

Your top 4 strings make sense to me because of the dominant 7 voicings you get when working within a 2 fret pocket.

Your bottom 4 strings are all a whole tone apart. One would have to do a lot of string muting and string skipping to get that to work on straight steel.

After actively listening to your YouTube video link, and your dropbox link, it sounds to me like the majority of your playing was on the top 4 strings.

Did you use the bottom 4 strings much on the recordings?

Both recordings sound great, btw. I enjoyed listening to them.

[Michael Kiese]

Mike I like playing between the 3rd and say, 9th frets. In A that takes me from C to F sharp. E would give me G to C covering all keys . So I would like an E that is laid out similar to my A6, not taking a couple years to get used to. Thanks, John

Aloha John,

Have you considered transposing the A6 tuning to E6? That would work exactly in the way you'd want it to.

8 String A6 is (bottom to top):
F#, A, C#, E, F#, A, C#, E
6, 1, 3, 5, 6, 1, 3, 5

So transpose all those notes up a Perfect 5th to get E6...

8 String E6 (bottom to top):
C#, E, G#, B, C#, E, G#, B
6, 1, 3, 5, 6, 1, 3, 5

So for your Remington D8, keep the A6 on one neck, and then restring and retune the other neck to E6. It's like using a capo on the guitar. Everything is the same, just transposed. Everything you learned on A6 directly applies and works with E6, it will just be in a different key.

You'll probably need to create a custom set of strings. You can use a free online string calculator like on String Joy's website. It's the one I use. You just input the scale length of your guitar, and the note you want, and it will pop out a tension in ftlbs. From dabbling a lot on my own with custom string sets, I've discovered that 15 ftlbs is too loose, and 30 ftlbs is too tight. You'll have to experiment within that range to find what YOU like.

https://tension.stringjoy.com

That should fit your needs. Hopefully that helps!

Enjoy!

[Ricky Davis]

Is it possible that you're a PSG player and you're transferring and adapting 10 string E9 tuning to 8 string straight steel

YES indeed Bro.; Pedal Steel is what I grew up on; and when I started playing Hawaiian steel; that "whole tone" type tuning made sense to me
right away and eventually I came up with more tunings as I was understanding more of the music I was playing and greater ways to apply.
I had a Hawaiian Band called "The Island Echoes" for Several years starting year 2000 and we basically played all those Marty Robbin's Hawaiian recordings with Jerry Byrd on Hawaiian steel and eventually I could play everything he played on 4 different tunings; didn't matter which one I used; I knew the voicings he was using and I learned where they are on any tuning.; Then my Singer moved away to Nashville and that band stopped.
Here's me playing both instruments on same song, back when me and Dale Watson toured in Australia; this was a TV show>
https://www.facebook.com/ricky.davis.37 ... 7542619101
Ricky

[Mike Neer]

Consider this excellent E9 tuning:
From bass strings up
E G# B D F# G# B E

This is a tuning I derived from the pedal steel tunings used by many of the earliest Bigsby pedal players, like Emmons, Speedy etc., of course minus the pedals.

[John Harmon]

Thanks to both Mike's. Mike K I think I will try that have get familiar with string tension thingie now. Mike N I believe the f sharp would throw me for awhile. Think I will pass on that one. Thanks to all who chimed in, John

[Michael Kiese]

Thanks to both Mike's. Mike K I think I will try that have get familiar with string tension thingie now. Mike N I believe the f sharp would throw me for awhile. Think I will pass on that one. Thanks to all who chimed in, John

You”re welcome John! I forgot to mention one thing about custom string sets, it’s a good idea if you keep it “balanced”, meaning every string has close to the same tension.

Put differently, you wouldn’t want your top string to be 30 ftlbs, and your second string to be 15 ftlbs. It will just feel weird. So just pick a tension and try to get every string that tension (it won”t be exact, but it will be close). Try it out, if you don’t like it, then try a different overall tension either looser or tighter.

[Michael Kiese]

Thanks to both Mike's. Mike K I think I will try that have get familiar with string tension thingie now. Mike N I believe the f sharp would throw me for awhile. Think I will pass on that one. Thanks to all who chimed in, John

You”re welcome John! I forgot to mention one thing about custom string sets, it’s a good idea if you keep it “balanced”, meaning every string has close to the same tension.

Put differently, you wouldn’t want your top string to be 30 ftlbs, and your second string to be 15 ftlbs. It will just feel weird. So just pick a tension and try to get every string that tension (it won’t be exact, but it be close). Try it out, if you don’t like it, then try a different overall tension either looser or tighter.

[Michael Kiese]

Sorry, I meant to edit my comments, but I ended up quoting myself. I don’t know how to delete comments. lol.

Guess I shouldn’t be typing on my iPad while lying down in bed.

[Rick Aiello]

Jerry Byrd did a whole album using E9 tuning … hi to lo: E B G# F# E D (G# B) … called Admirable Byrd

Here are four with JB using that E9 tuning … my second favorite tuning

https://youtu.be/vLNYnBUB0FY?si=c_351w4HndsJHj-X

https://youtu.be/O5d9w2d6nQo?si=L0Cn7GINtp6JlqZk

https://youtu.be/6dajjsyR-PU?si=uJQXh7Ac_ZQ3IQmf

https://youtu.be/E7KsQf3Bjoo?si=d0vN-OMqZr2IBWpx

These are from the Steel Guitar West Convention …

[Tom Cooper]

I ended up using same exact tuning as Ricky. On ten string added F# on top and B on bottom, but my 8 string Nation is same as Ricky using. F# is very useful for lines, and that fat 9th sound. G# high can be a pain but I tried to lose it but found I really use it a lot. The rest fills itself in. Committed to single E based tuning as much as I love A6 and C6, likes bright snappy sound of E13. Want to try Mike Neers E9, he does amazing stuff with that, that would be one I want to try if I can get another 8 stringer. Love that one.

[Ricky Davis]

I ended up using same exact tuning as Ricky. On ten string added F# on top and B on bottom, but my 8 string Nation is same as Ricky using.

That's awesome Tom; and I did the same exact you did; on my 10-String sshawaiian I built; pic attached....and all my 8-string stringmasters and Georgeboard; had that 8 E13+9 tuning.
Ricky

[Tom Cooper]

Wauuuuu!