10-String non-pedal Tunings

[Doug Beaumier]

I've been tinkering with 10-string non-pedal tunings lately. E13 is the most comfortable to me, but B11, C6/A7, and A Diatonic are all great tunings and offer different "flavors"

Switching between the tunings is easy because the string gauges work out fine. No string changing is necessary. I play E13 the most, and when retuning the "pitch changes" go down, except for one change that goes up a half tone. Some strings go down three half tones, so that's 'doable' without changing strings.

I'm interested to know what tunings other 10-string non-pedal players are using?
I played this E13 on my clip of Sleepy Lagoon (link below).

Edit: New Link ---> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11GvfD93l44



10-"no strings" 1940s Epiphone Alkire Eharp

[Edward Meisse]

I couldn't find the link.

[Doug Beaumier]

I couldn't find the link.

The link is at the bottom of my posts/replies. It says "Sleepy Lagoon"

[Todd Clinesmith]

I have been enjoying a similar E13 10 string tuning. There are many variations that can be used.
I have :
G#
F#
E
C#
B
G#
F#
D
B
G# ( Or E)
I normally don't care for the sound of string gauges higher than .015 or an E string but the way scales flow nicely, my ears are learning to adjust. A huge amount of chords are possible too of course. Being a fan of Tom Morrell I had to try something like his tuning out. I would use his full tuning but I already have a lot worked up in the Leon McAuliffe 8 string E13... so I added the high F# and G# to it.
Tom M's tuning has been discussed here but I'll spell it out for the sake of this thread:
G#
F#
E
C#
B
G#
F#
E
D
E

Todd

[Doug Beaumier]

Thanks Todd, the E13 tuning I'm using is Tom Morrell's, except I changed the low E to B. That seems a lot more useful, in my humble opinion. And it makes strings 5 through 10 the same as E9 PSG, which is familiar territory. E13 seems to have more variations than any other tuning.

[Edward Meisse]

Wow!! Found the link. Terrific tone on top of everything else. I personally am still awaiting delivery on my first pedal steel. But at least one of the really good Leavitt players has a ten string version of that. Some really good stuff has been posted in that tuning as well. Was it Roy Thomson or Bill Hatcher? Maybe both. Hopefully they'll weigh in.

[John Bechtel]

I play a Triple–10 Non-Pedal guitar tuned like this:
#3 = E9/13 ~ E~B~D~E~F#~G#~B~C#~E~G#
#2 = C-Diatonic ~ C~E~F~G~A~B~C~E~d~f
#1 = C6/A7 ~ Lo-A~C~C#~E~G~A~C~E~b~d

[Tom Keller]

currently using from low to hi EGBDEGBDCE.

[Rick Alexander]

Carco Clave and Billy Robinson use this C6 variation to great advantage:
hi2lo D E C A G E C A F A
The D is a whole step below the high E.

Here are a couple of videos that may be of interest:

Carco Clave

Billy Robinson

[Doug Beaumier]

Thanks Rick and others. That 10-string C6 is the same as the pedal steel C6 tuning (w/D on string 1).

[John Bechtel]

I think there is a small correction in order for the Billy Robinson 10-str. C6 tuning! I could be wrong, but; to the best of my knowledge, his 10-string C6-Tuning is as follows: Lo to Hi
F~A~C~E~G~A~C~E~G~D and the standard 10-str. C6–Tuning is:
C~F~A~C~E~G~A~C~E~D and, btw; Curly Chalker’s C6–Tuning is: A~D~F~A~C~E~G~A~C~E

[Jimmy Douglas]

I have this C6 on my 10 string guitar
high to low

D,B,E,C,A,G,E,C,A,F

I find the chromatic strings D and B are very handy for single string playing and giving a dominant chord at the open position.

regards,

Jimmy

[Mike Harris]

McUtsi,

is your "H" what we call "B flat" over here?

[David Cook]

Hi, Currently using this on a 10 string Maverick.

LO to HI B C#(D) E G# B C# E G# D# F#

[Aris Xanthos]

Switching between the tunings is easy because the string gauges work out fine. No string changing is necessary. I play E13 the most, and when retuning the "pitch changes" go down, except for one change that goes up a half tone. Some strings go down three half tones, so that's 'doable' without changing strings.

Hi Doug,

I’m 10 years late in this discussion, but are these still the 10 string tunings you’d recommend? Also, could you please indicate the string gauges in question?

Thanks in advance and best regards,
Aris

[Bill McCloskey]

I play the eharp tuning, which I love:

bottom to top: C# E F F# G G# A B C# E

gauges: 36, 32, 30, 28, 26, 24, 22 (plain) 20 18 16

[C. E. Jackson]

My favorite tuning is A6. I learned on A, and can still play the old songs
I learned from 1949-1972. In 1972, I purchased my first 8 string steel.
Also, I like this tuning for western swing and Hawaiian songs.

A: E C# A E C# A (H-L)

A6: E C# A F# E C# A F# (H-L)-last 2 strings optional with player.

C. E. Jackson

[Earnest Bovine]

my non-pedal C6 :

[David Ball]

I have used several tunungs, but right now I'm using this:

(low to high)
D A B/C D E F# A B D F# Kind of a D13 variant I think.

Dave

[Roy Thomson]

I use the following 10 string non pedal tuning:
High to Low: F#-Eb-G#-E-B-G#-F#-B-E (add D-B)
The first 2 strings are chromatic.
Sample song Blue Jade

https://soundcloud.com/roy-thomson/track-4

[L. Bogue Sandberg]

I use Doug Beaumier's E13 shifted down to D13:

Hi->Lo F#, E, D, B, A, F#, E, D, C, A

Gages: .0135, .015, .017, .020, .024w, .028w, .032w, .036w, .040w, .048w

with a target tension of 30 to 32 lb.

[LaVern Skarzenski]

Maybe I'm brain dead or something but I for the life of me cannot find the link. I see nothing anywhere that says "Sleepy Lagoon". Could someone put the link in a seperate reply or give me instructions on where to find it. Thanks.
LaVern

[LaVern Skarzenski]

Oh my, I just saw that this post is 10 years old. I really am brain dead
LaVern