The Steel Guitar Forum

I love how Luke uses GBDF#AD with his Doozie and palm benders ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nLOOmtvC9Hc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BUwOu_4de4

Mike Neer wrote:People are looking for every possible triad in a single tuning, but why? That’s really not how the steel is designed to work.

Agreed. I actually use the E over A tuning (and bump the low strings to B and D for funky stuff), but, it does seem like people want to make charts, and calculations on how to get all the possible chords, without realizing the melodic implications of the tunings. imho.

Jamie Mitchell wrote:

Mike Neer wrote:People are looking for every possible triad in a single tuning, but why? That’s really not how the steel is designed to work.

Agreed. I actually use the E over A tuning (and bump the low strings to B and D for funky stuff), but, it does seem like people want to make charts, and calculations on how to get all the possible chords, without realizing the melodic implications of the tunings. imho.

It’s possible to pick melodies from any tuning, and to make chord grips from just about any tuning, but the only way to get strums is to have some chords under the straight bar. Every tuning involves compromises in exchange for the advantages it delivers. Everything depends on what the player values and hopes to accomplish.

It's a question of what chord versions/inversions are required and how they fit the lapper's tuning ... and the possible use of a palm bender or two.

Allan Revich wrote: It’s possible to pick melodies from any tuning, and to make chord grips from just about any tuning, but the only way to get strums is to have some chords under the straight bar. Every tuning involves compromises in exchange for the advantages it delivers. Everything depends on what the player values and hopes to accomplish.

hey Allan, I agree with what you're saying here. I was riffing off Mike's comment because I've had that experience in my own playing.

I started playing lap steel when I was around 15/16, I had been playing guitar and slide for awhile already. I distinctly remember being in some class I was barely passing and writing out potential tunings in my notebooks. I felt like there was some magic tuning I was going to stumble upon that would open up everything all at once for me! then when I got to actually tuning them up and trying them, it just didn't really do much for me. I think that was the point Mike was making, although I could be wrong.
so I was mostly in open D, E, etc., til I was in my early 20s.

I'm still sort of a triad tuning player at heart, I guess. these days, between guitar, baritone, bottleneck, lap, and pedal, I be on 5 tunings in a day of recording. so, simple works best for me!
stumbled upon the E over A thing after doing E7th for awhile, and that's been my main thing ever since.

Here’s another tuning especially for guitar players. Found in a Justin Johnson video.

E G D G B E

Johnson calls it “Drop G”. It’s a G6 / Em7 tuning. I’ve got a new thread started with the video link.