The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi,

Playing E9 pedal steel (beginner), but want to work my way up to C6.

In order to do this, I bought a 6atring lap steel. It is currently tuned to C E G A C E. Would you guys recommend another tuning to learn on? A few things online say to tune the bottom string to C#.

Also, any good chord books you recommend, with tunes in them, not just diagrams? To really start putting things together.

Thank you!

Hay

You already have C6 on your Lap Steel so stick with it if you intend to go to C6 on your PSG.
As for books, Doug Beaumier and Andy Volk both produce excellent books for C6 tuning.
Keith.

I started on C6 lap first. If you will learn it, C6 10 strings will be easy, and you'll find yourself ignoring the pedals.

Hay Joosten wrote:Hi,

Playing E9 pedal steel (beginner), but want to work my way up to C6.

Work your way up to it? It's inherently better is it?

Jeff Mead wrote: Work your way up to it? It's inherently better is it?

Not better. But another tuning, with 10 strings, levers and pedals to master. I figured if I can get a good handle on 6 of those strings first, with their harmonic content, it will make mastering the 10 easier.

Also, getting a 6 string lap was within financial reach at this time, a D10 wasn't

I must say though that if you plan on playing C6 pedal steel.

Get one ASAP. A D10 will teach you the similarities between the two. Lap Steel Guitar is a whole other kind of beast. Dare I say its more difficult to master.

If I ever went Pedals and Levers I would get a 12 string E9/Bb6 Uni. No point carrying around two necks in these modern times.

A simple six string C6 tuning will teach you the heart of what it's all about.
E
C
A
G
E
C

There is much music available to learn from and there are a lot of lessons and tabs available to get you inside the tuning. It was foreign to me for a long time until I actually sat down and started transcribing tunes I was interested in that used C6. Jerry Byrd, Buddy Emmons, joaquin Murphey, just to name a few. As time goes on, you can experiment with other variations of C6, like the C# on the bottom you mentioned.