The Steel Guitar Forum

I recently recorded these songs with an 8 string home made lap steel and GarageBand. Tuning (high to low) Bb, Eb, B, G#, F#, Eb, C, A I took the arraingments from the Emmons Xmas book. There were no slants used on these tunes. This is a great tuning. Don http://www.ehmz.org/ttt/music/WhiteChristmas.mp3 http://www.ehmz.org/ttt/music/WinterWonderland.mp3 http://www.ehmz.org/ttt/music/HaveYourself.mp3

Really nice clean playing, Don! Thanks for sharing. You are right,that is a great tuning! Ab7/B13???
~~W.C.~~<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Wayne Cox on 23 December 2005 at 09:06 PM.]</p></FONT>

Wow on all counts! Don, your playing is certainly equal to these wonderful tunes, I'll be going back to hear them many more times.

I haven't seen this tuning before, and I'm not familiar with the Emmons Christmas book.
Did you devise the tuning to be able to play Emmons' pedal arrangements on non-pedal?

Just hearing the chords Don found without slanting, shows how amazing this tuning is. In fact,it seems like a very savvy step forward in the realm of compound tunings, with (at least) these 3 elements:

1) strings 8-7-6-5-4 are the bottom 5 strings of the standard 6-string Leavitt tuning, pitched lower by a major 3rd.

2)strings 5-4-3-2 are the top four strings of the standard 6-string C6 tuning, pitched down a half step.

3)string one combines with 5-4-3-2 as an out-of-sequence major seventh. Very Joaquin-like.

Each of these elements has proven to be ingenious and successful in its own right. This looks (and sounds) like an awesome combination.

Tuning needs a name, and some small kinks in the spelling worked out-- but I'll bet this baby's got some staying power.

Don, if you cooked this one up, my hat's off to you.

--Steve <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Stephan Miller on 23 December 2005 at 11:39 PM.]</p></FONT>

How bout this for a name for the tuning:

Hulabilly Gimmick

Just kidding, those tunes sound terrific. I had the pleasure of working with Don on some of his other recordings that he did while he was staying stateside. He let's me chonk along with my ukulele. Don, the steel seat is still available at the Bakery on Sat. morns. I'll see you when you get back over here. B dubya

Thanks for the nice comments Wayne, Stephan and Billy. The origin of this tuning is as follows. I was teaching a beginer on a 6 string which I tuned to B6th/G#7 with the 6th string tuned up to C like Jerry Byrd did with his C6th/A7. My student asked me if getting an 8 string would eliminate the need to slant the bar so much so I took a good look at it and determined that by adding a major 7th note (Bb) on top and a dominant 7th (A) on the bottom that this would eliminate the need for two of the most common slants (the 9th chord and the 7th chord). But to my astonishment these addional notes (Bb and A) give this tuning lots of good stuff. The secret is in the diminished chord at the bottom.

Sweet playing. I'm having a senior moment with the tuning. The top (high) string is Bb? Is that equal to the 6th fret of the E string on a standard guitar? Or is the whole tuning super low? Somebody help me out here.

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No-name lap steel and reso in E6 and E7

I think the Bb first string is one half step below the B tone of the 3rd string. Is that correct Don? I use this relative tuning up a half step (altered C6/A7) low to high it's: Bb C# E G A C E b (b is half step below C.)

Beautiful playing!<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Ambrose Verdibello on 24 December 2005 at 12:58 PM.]</p></FONT>

Thanks, Ambrose. That type of tuning messes me up. If the top string were F#, I could understand it. Anyway, Don, great playing!

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No-name lap steel and reso in E6 and E7

Gary, The Bb (first string) is 1/2 step below the third string B which is 1/2 step below the basic C tuning. The Bb note is in the first string position but its not the highest note. The second string (Eb) is the highest note. The Bb note is not only used as a 1. B Major 7th chord (which is the most obvious use for it) but it also becomes, 2. The 9th tone in a full 5 note G#9th chord at the open position, 3. The 5th tone of an Ebminor in the open position, 4. The Augmented 5th of a very nice 4 note, non-root D7+5 in the open pos. and 6. the 5th of an Ebsus in the open pos. It also allows you to get that sweet E9 pedal steel sound of the chromatic notes B and Bb played one after another in many different melody positions. I keep finding stuff. <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Don McClellan on 24 December 2005 at 10:39 PM.]</p></FONT>

bump..

Don, just discovered your mp3's of the 3 great Christmas songs (a bit late, but better late than neveah.. Appreciate you sharing them with us. Any tabs of these available? Next time I'm over to my Ekahi Village condo @ Wailea I'll look you up! (Just down the road from you) Thanks Don, delightful & magical renditions all three! Much 'Aloha' in them, Dan<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Dan Peterson on 26 December 2005 at 02:41 PM.]</p></FONT>

Thanks Dan, I'll look forward to meeting you next time you're on Maui. I will tab them but I haven't done it yet. Don

Very Nice, Don! I especially like Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas. This is a great sounding tuning. I look forward to tab if you get a chance to write it out. Thanks for sharing it and Happy Holidays!

Thank you, Jeff.

Don, sounds wonderful. Happy New Year!

DON, do you feel that lower pitch tunings like yours yield a richer,fuller tone through smaller amps/speakers? The reason I ask is that I have often wondered why Jerry Byrd chose to play C6? I would have chosen E6 or D6. I'm well aware that Jerry invented the C6 and other great tunings but he seemed to always favor C6 & C6/A7. Regardless,you did a great job,so have a Hoppy Gnu Year!
~~W.C.~~<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Wayne Cox on 29 December 2005 at 01:24 PM.]</p></FONT>

Thanks Jesse. Wayne, I never thought of this as a low tuning. Its vertually all the same notes as an E9 pedal steel which is basically all the same notes as a C6th pedal steel but 1/2 step lower. I don't think that's enough of a drop from C to be considered a "low" tuning. I hear of people using A or G or even E and I start to wonder, are they below me or above me?
As for Jerry Byrd's choice of playing "C" 6th instead of B or A or E or whatever, I have no idea. I prefer to have my low C position at the first fret rather then at the open position because I play in C a lot. Thanks for asking, Don

Yeah, yeah I know it's almost 'NewYears' but wanted to thank Don again for these 3 inspiring carols (and the challenging no-name tuning) that I'm gonna twist into one of my lappers this weekend and try! And Don, (hint) IF you ever get around to tabbing these beautiful carols, I'd dearly love to have them. Mahalo & Aloha again, and oh yeah Happy New Year ALL! dan

Thanks Dan, and this tuning now has a name. Its called The McClellan Tuning and there is a 10 string version called The Royal McClellan, The Royal McClellan has an F note on the bottom and a C# note on top.
I have not yet invented a 12 string version but I have the name for it in case I do. It will be called The Delux Royal McClellan. If I invent a 14 string version I'll call it The Super Duper Delux Royal McClellan Special. I'm trying not to think of ever inventing a 16 stringer because I'm running out of good names.. Don<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Don McClellan on 31 December 2005 at 10:36 AM.]</p></FONT>

Umm..Don since you live on Maui, you can call future upgrades (16 stringer or whatever) of the tuning..
"McClellan no ka 'oi" ...?

(I don't know how to do that little squiggy thingie over the no ka 'oi, but you get the idea) Aloha, dan