The Steel Guitar Forum

WHAT DO YOU FIND AS THE MOST VERSITLE TUNING TO USE AS A LAP STEEL GUITAR PLAYER? 8 STRING OR 6 STRING PARTICULARLY WHEN IT COMES TO COUNTRY AND GOSPEL.

WAYNE D. CLARK
MEL BAY 1930'S ACOUSTIC HAWIIAN GUITAR.

I like A-6th most of all. I use a different version than most. My tuning from hi to low is F#,E,C#,A,F#,E,C#,A.
Norm

The question you ask is fair, however, might'n one want to select a tuning in which they CAN PLAY, and play both comfortably and well...........

before they start an international poll on what one tuning some 10,000 SGF Members might choose to play???? Just curious.

I'd urge you to give up the confusion about whether to select 6 or 8 strings. The tuning you choose to work with should determine that for the player.

JERRY BYRD used six strings for many years and I've NEVER heard anyone suggest he was handicapped in his performances by such a limitation.
In fact, many of his long-time loyal fans are convinced that some of his finest performances were on that six string Rickenbacher.

He next used a seven string with equal ease.........both Rickenbacher and Trot-Mor.

I'd suggest you find the tuning you can best perform with and then take 5 to 10 years to learn everything about that tuning. Once you've mastered it, you can assess whether or not, its your final choice.

Chasing tunings can prove to be as wasteful and frustrating as chasing TONE that someone else has.

Ray Montee wrote:Chasing tunings can prove to be as wasteful and frustrating as chasing TONE that someone else has.

Thanks, Ray. That's great advice I needed to hear as I launch my lap steel education.

Ray's advice is spot on. And Jerry Byrd was about the best example he could have come up with. Over the years, Jerry did experiment with a large number of tunings. As he said, he was no slave to C6 tuning. But when all was said and done, the overwhelming majority of his stuff was done in C6. And from what I have seen of his tablatures, he could have done just as well on 6 strings as 8. Jerry went to seven and 8 strings for a specific reason. That is so that he could get both a C tonic and a C# on the lower end. The other reason I only suspect. But I've found that the low A string gives one enough range to very much limit what other tunings would be strictly necessary to cover just about any song you might want to play. I do alot of single string playing ,myself. For that reason, I prefer the following 8 string tuning-D-E-C-A-G-E-C-A from high to low. The 1st string D is tuned in between the second and third strings. This tuning does have a chordal advantage too, though. It duplicates the intervals on strings 1-3 and four that a regular C6 gets on 4, 5 and 6. But I think a player who uses alot of chords would probably prefer a different C6 or even an A6. For more modern chords, you might look into Leavitt. Mike Idhe and Roy Thomson are two forum members who are exceptionally knowledgeable in the area of Leavitt tuning.

Any 6th tuning will be great, and provide plenty of chords and intervals. My favorite is A6th, but I sometimes have to use C6th when teaching lessons, if the student prefers. (There is more instructional material for C6th than any other steel tuning)

Dom

In the uke world we have now slimmed down the 'What are your favourite strings' to 'WAYFS?'. It seems that in the lap steel world we could do something similar regarding tuning 'WIYFT?'.

I suggest that confusing beginners with a plethora of tunings has resulted in more people giving up playing than any other cause. Periodically folks ask why is the lap steel not as popular as they think it should be - look no further.

I tried at least three tunings in a year hoping that the next one would turn me into a latter day Jerry Byrd and of course it didn't so I listened to what Mr Byrd himself, Doug Beaumier, Mike Neer, Gerald Ross and countless others were doing on C6 (or C6/A7) and stuck with it and eventually after some study it began to make sense. These guys all play different types of music so if it worked for them who am I to argue?.

Ray is perfectly correct in saying stop chasing tunings. It is a hindrance to steady progress. When one has cracked C6 then move on to other tunings.

Hi Ray. I'm 36, was a semi-pro classical and jazz bass player for the 1st half of my life. Now I'm a mandolin (8+4 strings)Lap and PSG player for the 2nd half of my life (also sitar and oud) I've just started working on C6 (about 1 year and that's not long at all..) I was very very very lucky to discover Jerry Byrd's work through Mr Montee whom I hold in very high regard for his website and dedication the late great Jerry Byrd and years of playing experience. I've had a lot of time with rock, blues, indian(my sitar is in C4 tuning ), country and more, all on a E or E7 (lap)or E9 (PSG) tuning which can work very well. But C6 is so deep I wish I had started there years ago. From the start it opens the world of Hawaiian/Western swing steel which I can't get enough of. It's a driving force of pan-americian steel guitar music and style. Style is the issue. I get to do recording sessions here and there and when I use "style" be it "sacred steel"RR/lee bros Hawaiian JB Country LG/JH/BE/PF Melodic rock DL and so on. Of course I try to put my own stamp on things. But I look back at the elders and try to use their style when I can.
I did a session not long ago, one of the songs had a calypso island feel I pulled out the C6, at first the "client" and producer did not like the sound and I asked for a shot at it. In the end they loved it.
The client gave me and extra $100 because "I never thought I get a sound like THAT on my disk" I was humbled but proud of my efforts. C6 is worth every second you can give it. Now all I need is a D-10 or do I?

Hey Wayne,You said on an earlier note you played your sister's 1930 lap steel tuned to E7th.High to lowE-B-G#-E-D-B.You can play a lot of country or gospel on that tuning,already.If you want to learn a little different sound add the G#-C#for a E13th.High to low G#-E-C#-B-G#-E-D-B.I think that 6th sound would come easy for you.Chuck