Does this 6-string tuning have a name?

[Tim R. Russell]

I recently came across this tuning from a guy on YouTube and really like it. I previously always played in open E or open D.
Doesn't really seem to get talked about often but it's very versatile for my type of playing which is either blues/bluegrass/ambient/worship depending on the setting as you get 2 different major triads (the 1 and the 5 [or 4 and 1] of each fret position), the 3 minor [6 minor] and even a 1 maj7 or maj9;

A C# E G# B E

Anyone else use this?
Does it have a name??

[Bill Sinclair]

Amaj9 or "A over E" tuning (or is it E over A?). I use it a lot for the same reasons you like it. I basically treat it like an E tuning with extra chord options. You lose the nice low power chord that an open tuning gives you but it's worth the trade off for me. Our late founder, Bobby Lee (b0b) did a whole album with a G over D tuning (same intervals) on a Harmony Stella acoustic guitar. It's pretty cool to hear him and was a good introduction to that tuning for me. I think he does a one string change for a different tuning on a couple tunes. Time for me to listen to it again.

[Mark Evans]

Could you post the link to this YouTube example of the tuning?
I am always looking for optional tunings for ambient/blues etc

Mark

I recently came across this tuning from a guy on YouTube and really like it. I previously always played in open E or open D.
Doesn't really seem to get talked about often but it's very versatile for my type of playing which is either blues/bluegrass/ambient/worship depending on the setting as you get 2 different major triads (the 1 and the 5 [or 4 and 1] of each fret position), the 3 minor [6 minor] and even a 1 maj7 or maj9;

A C# E G# B E

Anyone else use this?
Does it have a name??

[Michael Kiese]

A C# E G# B E

Anyone else use this?
Does it have a name??

Given A is the 6th string, it is every other note in an A major Scale: 1, 3, 5, maj7, 9, 5

If that were a chord on a lead sheet, it would be called something like Amaj9.

Since it is a Steel Guitar tuning, it could be called anything. lol.

Steel Guitar nomenclature is tricky because nothing is standardized. The same thing exists in Hawaiian Slack Key guitar. There can be a handful of names for the same tuning. Also, there are slight variations on the same tuning, so what do you call those tunings? lol.

As a matter of pragmatism, Hawaiians named tunings after the player that used them e.g. "Keola's C" or "Leonard's C".

After studying a lot of Jerry Byrd's tunings, it became apparent to me that Jerry named tunings as a matter of pragmatism to differentiate one from the other, and sometimes the name didn't make sense from a pure music theory point of view. It was very frustrating for me at first.

But once I played a little in that tuning, then I understood why he called it that way.

Long story short, what matters is that you know how to use the tuning to make music, not quibble over what to call the tuning.

Get really good at that tuning and make a couple of albums and get known for using that tuning. Then it will be called "Tim's A". lol.

[David M Brown]

A C# E G# B E

Those notes make an A Maj 9 chord.

But, it would make sense to call it E over A.

[HowardR]

b0b's recording is called "Stella" and I believe it's available on the Forum Store.....

It's a sweet little album with a variety of genres in which he used GBDF#AD tuning.......he really got a lot out of it......

[Mark Evans]

I gave this a try on my lap that is essentially my ‘open A’ steel. Dreamy. Gives a nice 9th feel, or twist the B back up to C# to get back to a major/bluesy vibe.
As is, lends itself to oceany ambience. I like. Thanks for the pointer

[Tony Oresteen]

Is the A high or low? If low it's easy to put (L2H) before the tuning notes or if it is high it's easy to put (H2L) so everyone knows exactly what you mean.

[Tim R. Russell]

Thanks for the replies so far.
'Tim's A' - love this idea, but couldn't possibly claim credit!
And yes, tuning is from L2H.

This is the video that turned me onto this tuning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IppUSZWQ8Wg&authuser=0

I wonder if Luke is a member here? He is a lovely player.
He also does a version of Neil Young's 'Old Man' which is in the same tuning but a tone down and on a Duesy with benders.

[Tony Oresteen]

Yes Luke is fantastic. Listen to his videos when he uses his long scale (25.5") Dusenberg lap steel using D/G.

The tuning is the same as D/G only it's transposed up a step. I'd call it E/A .

F over G Tuning 500.jpg

It's commonly used with benders. My Champ has benders on the 2nd & 3rd strings.

[Allan Revich]

This is the same tuning that b0b (SGF founder) used to prefer, except tuned up a tone. He tuned GBDF#AD (Gmaj9) and called it D over G. He had string sets for this tuning for sale on the forum I think.

Your tuning could be called E over A, or Amaj9.