The Steel Guitar Forum

does anybody know e9 tuning for nonpedal 6 string guitar. seem like there is alot of blah,blah,blah. issue's about this tuning all i need is a simple answer.THANK-YOU AND PLEASE

Wesley, if you have F# on string 4 and E on string 5 with the major (E,B,G#) on 1,2,3 it would be E9th.

For me, it would be something like this top to bottom-


E
B
G#
D
F#
G# or E

Got to have that dom 7th! There are a lot of ways you could arrange the strings depending on what slants you like, etc.

The reason there is so much blah, blah, blah about this topic is that there are so many ways to do it. If I was going to do an E9 tuning I would either do Jerry Byrd's E9-from top to bottom E-B-G#-F#-D-B or a six string version of Leon McAulliffe's-again from top to bottom E-C#-B-G#-F#-D. I lean strongly toward Leon on this. Someone is bound to point out that the McAulliffe tuning is actually and E13 (as if I didn't know). And that is exactly why I would lean so strongly towards it. Judging from my tendency to use the top 5 strings on my C6 tuning, my belief is that I would get more out of the C# second string than I ever would out of a B 6th string. And the 9th is to be found down there on string number 5. It is also possible to put the 3rd on top. Then you can decide whether you want the C# in there or not as well as deciding whether you want the F# on the top or the bottom. G#-F#-E-C#-B-G# is one of the possibilities.

Edward Meisse wrote:I would either do Jerry Byrd's E9-from top to bottom E-B-G#-F#-D-B

All the arrangements I have and play from Jerry Byrd in his E9 tuning are :

E
B
G#
F#
E
D

Tunes like ... Kawohikukapulani, I'll Be All Smiles Tonight, Surprise Waltz, Kamalani O Keaukaha, etc ...

Also something to consider in the two E9 tunings Rick and Edward listed is their close proximity to the very popular C6 ECAGEC

I'd go with Jerry Byrd's 6-string E9 tuning, as listed by Rick Aiello. Makes the most sense to me...and it's tried and true.

It's been at least 15 years since I looked at JB's E9. Either I forgot what I'd seen or he changed his tuning. Thanks for the correction. Actually, the tuning you listed would make more sense to most people, I think. Many complain of the lack of that lower E note in the other tunings.

Some E9's do bear strong similarities to some C6's. But it does depend on which two you are comparing.

Is there any reason not to tune a lap steel to the same as a Dobro? I saw a Cindy Cashdollar instructional video on Youtube and her recommended tuning was:

G low
B
D
G
B
D high

I've not seen this recommended anywhere. Any comments on this tuning? Anyone play Dobro and 6 string lap steel?

Every tuning has its advantages and disadvantages. I tend mostly to play acoustic. And I use a C6 tuning. I am an intermediate level player. Some very good G tuning players have been amazed at what I can do in C6 tuning. The more modern tunings were developed for good reasons. I find C6 to be amazingly versatile. You can make some really great music in G tuning. But that big open 5th between the 3rd and 4th strings is a big problem for most people. Still G is considered the favored tuning for Bluegrass as well as modern New Orleans style blues as played by Marcia Ball. And Sol Ho'opi'i did some great work in that tuning (moved up two frets) in his early days. C6 is usually favored by people like me who play great american songbook, swing and traditional jazz.