The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi Folks
anybody know which tuning sol hoopii used on the 1951 recording of (honolulu march) got most of it down,but stuck on 2nd part where he plays some licks playing a note combined with an open string (typical of sol) i think he has an E on top played open
Alex Burns

Could it be this tuning?

1-E
2-C#
3-G#
4-E
5-B
6-E

Hi Peter
not sure if its c#m7 like you suggest,i think its more major like A tuning a c# e a c# e (low to high)

All of Sol's electric stuff was recorded with the C#min7 tuning, as far as I know, especially Honolulu March.

Is it for historical reasons that this tuning is called C#min7? Seems that six string tuning which contains three E's would be called E something or other. Half the strings are tuned to E. Hey, but what do I know!...Jerry

I used to call that tuning an "E 6th " . It isn't a C# min.7th ;= doesn't have the 7th note !! It might be called a "C# min." !!??? Jerry Byrds C6th tuning is an A min.7th ( from hi > E , C , A , G , E , C ) , IMHO !! old geezer Eddie "C"

Isn't C#min7 spelled C# E G# B?

C#mi7 is what the tuning is called, and it has been for the longest. Maybe Sol called it that. I think this has been debated at least a thousand times.

Paul is correct !! B , C# , E & G# is a C# min. 7th.!! The B is the 7th note in that chord !! Without the B it is a C# min. chord !! Where is Jerry Byrd when I need him !!! Eddie "C"

Eddie Cunningham wrote:Paul is correct !! B , C# , E & G# is a C# min. 7th.!! The B is the 7th note in that chord !! Without the B it is a C# min. chord !! Where is Jerry Byrd when I need him !!! Eddie "C"

Eddie, we know all that already, but it is referred to as C#mi7 (and there is a B, it is the 5th string). I didn't name it, the originator did.

Not trying to kick around a dead hoss and I am sure we are all aware of the correct strings in a tuning but if old Sol got it wrong which is obvious to me why call something a min. 7th when it isn't ??? It is really an E 6th tuning !!! That low B doesn't really connect to the top strings too well !!??? This is "IMHO" !!! Is there any way we can contact Jerry Byrd for an update ???? Eddie "C"

Hi Guys
the gentleman who taught me this tuning is jim jensen
who is in his 90.s now,he told me although it is called c#m7 he said it could be called c#m7plus flat 9(d) he preferred to call it E13th being E7th plus 13th(c#) i dont think it matters as in jazz chords many identical chords have various names,anyway getting back to honolulu blues sol plays no more than the top three strings for the whole song so whether its an A or a G# on that 3rd string dont really matter,either a one fret slant or straight,will keep working away to get that open string lick
thanks Alex

Alex, which part are you talking about? Could you provide a time marker in the song?

Eddie, maybe it was named thus so it wouldn't be confused with this E6: E C# B G# E B, or something like that....

I guess everybody can have a different name for the same tuning !!And we all seem to have different tunings still !!! I remember way back when I had the Fender D-8 non-pedal steel different people would ask what tunings do you use ?? If they knew anything about the guitar I would say C6th & E6th , but if I was in a wise rear mood I would say A min.7th with added 5th and the other neck is C# min.7th with added 9th and act like they were something special !!! Not many people really know anything about steel guitars !!! the old geezer = Eddie "C"

Hi Mike
re honolulu march,the tricky lick is on bar 25 played over the E chord,this song being a march i am counting 1 2 3 4 per bar as in march time,there is an open string happening in there,once ive got that ive got the song.
Alex Burns

E6 == C#m7

E6: E-G#-B-C#
C#m7: C#-E-G#-B

The only difference between the 2 chords is in their harmonic function. E6 is a I or IV chord and C#m7 is a ii or iv chord.

a pair of ii-V-I progressions:

f#m7-B7-E6
c#m7-F7-B6

The taxonomy as I understand it is that the C#m7 tuning was derived from the Cm tuning which was derived from open A tuning. Or something like that

When I first found and started using C6th, it was also called Amin.7th. Since I'm not into music theory, I didn't understand why it was called that. Maybe it's time to tell people I play in Amin.7th!!

I've been playing steel since 1945 and in those 65 years nobody ever said "play me an A min. 7 th chord" but I've played quite a few C 6ths !! If someone had asked me to do an A min.7th I would have had NO idea what in the world they were talking about , until Jerry Byrd said his tuning was "A min.7th" !!!!! Just some deep thoughts & IMHO !!! the old geezer = A.K.A. Eddie "C"

Although most if not all of his later recording was done with the C#m7 tuning, I think it bears noting that on all of Sol's early recorded work (late 20s and early 30s) he used a straight high-bass open G, A or Ab tuning.

-Tim

Eddie Cunningham wrote:If they knew anything about the guitar I would say C6th & E6th , but if I was in a wise rear mood I would say A min.7th with added 5th and the other neck is C# min.7th with added 9th and act like they were something special !!!

Eddie - you're a steel guitar player. That makes you special, the guitars special, and the tunings special. Steel players rock.

Unless we swing, country, Hawaiian, jazz...