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Post new topic Tuning Steve Howe uses on Going For The One
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Author Topic:  Tuning Steve Howe uses on Going For The One
William Hoff


From:
Missouri, USA
Post  Posted 25 Apr 2009 1:11 pm    
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Does anyone know for sure what tuning Steve uses? I've had success with E A E A C# E but that might not be it exactly.
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Brad Bechtel


From:
San Francisco, CA
Post  Posted 25 Apr 2009 2:18 pm    
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http://stevehowe.com/archives/archives1.html

Quote:
"My main stable tuning is that E Major tuning: how it goes top to bottom is E B A flat, E, B and then an octave of the middle E, so you don't go down below E on my main steel. But there again I have a four neck steel by Fender that I have diminished tunings, minor tunings, and of course pedal steel, I use traditional E9th, what they call Nashville tuning. But on the little lap steels it's usually E Major, I start from that point, so it's not the traditional tuning, the main tuning is usually A for most people."

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William Hoff


From:
Missouri, USA
Post  Posted 25 Apr 2009 2:49 pm    
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Howdy Brad,

Thanks for the info, I've read that on Steve's page and his book but it's pretty vauge. I know when he is using his D-6 he keeps the neck closest to him tuned in an open E but the outside one is the one he uses for the song I'm woking on. I guess I'll stick with what I've got until I find something better.
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John McGann

 

From:
Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 26 Apr 2009 3:59 am    
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I am pretty sure open E is your man on this tune- right from the get go he is sliding into a big E triad on the 12th fret.

He also jumped necks on the doubleneck a lot- check out the closeups of "Sound Chaser" on the QPR video...it wouldn't surprise me if he has the farther neck tuned EADGBE, since in the 1st solo he hits what sounds like an open G string on the A chord (pulloff from C# at the 6th fret). Those two tunings should let you accurately reproduce the whole track if you care to do so...
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Steinar Gregertsen


From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 26 Apr 2009 4:07 am    
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John McGann wrote:
...it wouldn't surprise me if he has the farther neck tuned EADGBE,


I read an interview with him somewhere where he said he used the regular guitar tuning a lot for soloing, since that's the tuning he's most familiar with.
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John McGann

 

From:
Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.
Post  Posted 26 Apr 2009 4:46 am    
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Thank Steinar, there's also a demo of him playing the same lines on standard guitar, so that would make sense too...
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William Hoff


From:
Missouri, USA
Post  Posted 26 Apr 2009 7:11 am    
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I'll give it a shot this afternoon on my crappy lap steel. My D-6 is coming on Tuesday so I plan on "Steelin" the day away. I'm a huge Steve Howe/Yes fan and I've wanted a blonde D-6 Stringmaster(or Dual 6) for 30+ years and I am finally getting one. I am psyched big time. BTW does anyone know the length of a D-6 or Dual 6. Having 28 vs 31 "frets" I'm assuming this is a 22 1/2" scale.
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