The Steel Guitar Forum

Anybody here currently use a reentrant tuning?
(String 6 higher than string 5, string 8 higher than string 7, etc.)

I’m currently experimenting with a high G tuning on my 7 string, with string 7 an octave above string 6. Tuning is gGBDFAD It is a G9 which also gives me a nice Dmin up top. Tuning DGBDFAD gave me a nice low D for single string work, but that low D against just a single G tended to make strummed chords sound odd sometimes.

EDIT
I came across this reentrant Herb Remington tuning on the SteelC6th site https://steelc6th.com/tunings.htm

Must have gone out of fashion, and I’m late to the party.

I use C6 with a high G, and I recently replaced the low A string(8th string) with a high Bb. I'm really enjoying it.

Allan,
I use that tuning as my #2 on my D-8, along with A6. Correctly named F#9. I used to use E13 as my second tuning, but have found the F#9 to be a bit more "raw" for lack of better words. It has very modern voicings like E13, but also contains early Hawaiian and Western Swing sensibilities that I enjoy. Speedy West used it quite a bit. He probably made the tuning most famous.

When the Isaacs sound became popular in the early mid 50's the F#9 tuning lost it's place on most triple neck, and double neck steels.

Thanks John and Todd. I’m really enjoying using the G9 tuning for blues. Having the reentrant octave G on string 7 really adds a lot to the chords going up the neck from the open G chords. It’s a 26w, so the G that would normally be string 3 of a Dobro tuned open G. It’s also nice because the other 6 strings are identical to my 6 string lap steel, also tuned to G9.

And Todd, I find the SteelC6th site to be a great reference for tunings, but there are a few tunings there that have been misnamed. I just figured that they might be historically named that way and the author just went with the originators chord names.

I see occasional references online to reentrant tunings, but was wondering if anyone today was actually using them.

My Remington 8 is set up low to high: A C# E G then low to high B D F# A. Complete D major scale with Chords 1, 2m second inversion, 3m, 4 first inversion, 5, 6m, 7dim triad. Or you could call it A7 under Bm7.

Robert Murphy wrote:My Remington 8 is set up low to high: A C# E G then low to high B D F# A. Complete D major scale with Chords 1, 2m second inversion, 3m, 4 first inversion, 5, 6m, 7dim triad. Or you could call it A7 under Bm7.

I guess that’s more of a “split tuning” A7/D6. Is the G tuned higher than the adjacent B?

Robert Murphy wrote:My Remington 8 is set up low to high: A C# E G then low to high B D F# A. Complete D major scale with Chords 1, 2m second inversion, 3m, 4 first inversion, 5, 6m, 7dim triad. Or you could call it A7 under Bm7.

You could call it “A Myxolydian Re-Entrant”, and get the tuning label industry some work.

Dom Franco has an interesting tuning on his 13-string. The top 4 are re-entrant from string 8.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... highlight=

Hi Alan,
The 7-string tuning I use is GM6/C7, Hi to Low: G,D,B,G,E,C,Bb. The Bb is reentrant. This is the tuning on my Ohia Lehua Special.

It's similar to a 6-string D tuning that Bobby Lee uses; Hi to Low: D,A,F#,D,B,G. No 7th reentrant string in his tuning. We live within about 20 miles of each other but we discovered this tuning independently at about the same time.

For comping jazz chords I have a re-entrant tuning which is based on B11th.

8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

D G B D# F# A C# E


The D is a half-step below the D#. I tried it an octave lower for a few days but as soon as I moved it up I knew that it was way better overall. Now that I am used to this tuning I can't imagine that it would disappear from my T-8. FWIW my most-used tuning right now is A13: G A C# E F# A C# E (not re-entrant)

Some really interesting tunings here!

@Jerry, my 6 string tuning is very close to b0b’s. He uses GBDF#AD (Gmaj9)
for G major B minor D major

I use GBDFAD (G9)
for G major D minor

My reentrant tuning is essentially the same except I add second G on string 7, an octave above the G on string 6. gGBDFAD

Open G Taro Patch tuning (L-H: DBDGBD) obviously evolved from standard Spanish guitar tuning (L-H: EADGBE). Open A tuning evolved when guitars became purpose built for higher steel string tensions (L-H: A,C#,E,A,C#,E). These tunings were well suited to early Hawaiian vocalists, including falsetto voices. Jerry Byrd's C6 tuning was introduced during the late 1930's Western Swing era, and the highest string was typically E (L-H: C,E,G,A,C,E). C6 tuning facilitated playing within a "slot", and requiring less bar movement made playing more fluid, once the intonation of slants was mastered.

In 1934, when Rickenbacher began producing the frypan in earnest, their sales brochures touted: "Imagine a Hawaiian guitar you could hear from a quarter mile away!" Their 7-string model, available at a modest additional cost, was purposely intended to provide a 7th, because 7th cords are so common in popular music. In A6 tuning, that could be (L-H: Bb,C#,E,F#,A,C#,E); or in C6 tuning (L-H: Bb,C,E,G,A,C,E). Of course, there are many other possibilities too.

Many of us are visual learners. Maps, graphs, charts, etc. help us learn by filtering out "noisy data" and clarifying the logic of an idea or concept. I think fretboard maps can be especially useful if you're learning a new tuning, or if you want to explore alternate ways to play a melody, phrase or lick in a familiar tuning.

Lately I’ve been experimenting with a couple of reentrant tunings using G7

6-String = fGDGBD
7-String = fGBDGBD

Both are modified Dobro tunings. 7th tunings are not as versatile as 6th or 9th tunings, but they are great tunings for blues, rock, and some country songs. I play mostly blues, so these G7 tunings are working out very well for me.

I can always just drop strings 2 & 3 for my more versatile G9 tuning, gGBDFAD when I’d like more options on my tonal pallette.

Although I play exclusively pedal steel this title caught my eye, and my reaction was "why not"? The re-entrant strings on a pedal guitar have nothing to do with the pedals and are fair game for anyone

Reece had reentrant strings on his 12 string extended C6 tuning. I've tried a bunch of them including Herb R's. Eventually I got sick of them, and tired of dealing with the buzz from two strings of wide gauge differences if your nut isn't gauged properly. Especially on the lower frets.

Robert Murphy wrote:My Remington 8 is set up low to high: A C# E G then low to high B D F# A. Complete D major scale with Chords 1, 2m second inversion, 3m, 4 first inversion, 5, 6m, 7dim triad. Or you could call it A7 under Bm7.

What gauge strings do you use for this? Just trying to understand how the top 4 strings (B half dim) work pitch wise. Is the B note higher than the G next to it or is it a whole re-entrant chord on strings 4 through 1?

Strings are all nickel wound except for string one. They are selected for a balanced tone and tension.
A, .036; C#, .030; E, .024; G, .020; B, .032; D, .024; F#, .020; A, .014p. In the key of D major, I root position, ii 2nd inversion (5 in the bass), iii 2nd inversion, IV 1st inversion (3 in the bass), V root position, vi root position, vii root triad. The 7th chords follow the same pattern. To answer your question directly the B minor7 is a whole low to high tuning like the A dominant 7.

I’d be inclined to try a reentrant G in the middle of a C6 tuning

Robert Murphy wrote:Strings are all nickel wound except for string one. They are selected for a balanced tone and tension.
A, .036; C#, .030; E, .024; G, .020; B, .032; D, .024; F#, .020; A, .014p. In the key of D major, I root position, ii 2nd inversion (5 in the bass), iii 2nd inversion, IV 1st inversion (3 in the bass), V root position, vi root position, vii root triad. The 7th chords follow the same pattern. To answer your question directly the B minor7 is a whole low to high tuning like the A dominant 7.

That’s a really neat tuning! I think I’d struggle with it at this point though.

Today, I’m trying out a 6 string variation of my 7 string G9

7-string = gGBDFAD
6-string = gGDFAD Gsus9?

Most of Joaquin Murphey's early non-pedal jazzy playing and recording was on various Bigsby's with the following re-entrant tuning:

G
E
C
A
G
E
C#
B

The B was a high unwound string (.018p I think) and he played it with his thumb.
If it was positioned in order of pitch, it would have been between the 3rd and 4th strings.
He used it a lot for melodic runs and some very hip shell voicings.

After another half year, I’ve settled in on two reentrant tunings for my 7 string guitars, and decided against reentrant tunings on my 6 strings.

Low to High

gDGDGBD (open G)
eCGCGCE (open C)


The tuning i discussed earlier in this thread (gGBDFAD) offers more possibilities, but for now I’m choosing simple over versatile.

Either way, I remain enamoured by reentrant tunings on 7 string lap steels.

I had a 7 string acoustic by Regal tuned in D major lo-hi DADF#AD but string 7 closest to you was .022 gauge. So one could tune it to C# for major 7 or F#minor or C for flat 7. Pretty cool and easy to trap since it was on the outside.

Although this thread is not pedal steel, I wonder if reentrant tunings is what gave Buddy Emmons the idea to initially put the two E9th chromatic strings (F# and D#) on the bottom?

Hmmm, reentrant tuning....

I might be inclined to try that on my Weissy. That low D is my taropatch tuning is rather muddy and indistinct. I wonder how pitching that string up an octave would sound. Curious.

Jack Stoner wrote:Although this thread is not pedal steel, I wonder if reentrant tunings is what gave Buddy Emmons the idea to initially put the two E9th chromatic strings (F# and D#) on the bottom?

I’ve often wondered about that decision. I just figured it had to be something mechanical, because the playability logic of it eludes me. They’re still reentrants on top though, right? Much more accurate label for them than “chromatic” too.