The Steel Guitar Forum

I have very little experience with lap steel but was wondering why no one seems to tune to the bottom 8 strings of the pedal steel E9? As a 1 year pedal steel student what is the best tuning for my 8 string Melbert? It is in C6 now.

One of the nicest things about the lap steel guitar is that there really is no “best tuning” for it. There are many common tunings and a multitude of less common tunings. To avoid completely ducking your question, I’ll offer this nugget (for what it’s worth).

If you plan to take lessons and/or use published learning materials, it would probably be wisest to select a very common tuning like C6.
If you prefer to learn through experimenting, jamming, and trial & error, or want to transfer quickly from another instrument, then pick any tuning you like—even one you come up with on your own. Learn it. Practice it. Use it. Love it. Don’t worry about what other players use.

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=319881

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=321335

I think the first thread convinced me to try e13 but never got around to buying the right gauge strings

Thanks for the replies, I am not trying to reinvent the wheel, just not understanding all of the tunings very well. Reading the threads posted above has gone a long way to help.

Thanks so much

Most of those tunings were developed by players who WERE trying to reinvent the wheel!

They were looking for a different sound, or a specific playing style.

Lap stel iosn't peedal steel - so personally I discourage tuning to the low-8 of E9. That will get you used to "non pedal/non /lever" playing in the same tuning you have on your pedal steel. That will likely get you into bad habits of NOT using the pedals and knees, which are there for playing ease and less bar movement.

In other words, it will probably make your PEDAL steel playing more difficult unless you can mentally switch gears instantly when playing on or the other - which is unlikely.

Depending on what kind of music you play, I'd tune the lap steel to C6 for country swing or Hawaiian, open-E for rock or blues or just match whatever is in tab books or downloads you have - and a lap steel is easily re-set to multiple tunings without string changes, so there's no ned to lock yourself into just one tuning!

Hey Doug
I have an 8 string lap, actually a Melbert, great guitar - I started tuning it with the low 8, then switched to the top 8 - ie. Strings one down to 8. I wanted to do more country sounding music and found with behind the bar bends the top 8 is fantastic. Lots of country licks available. Have to throw a few slants in too. Only thing is the E9 has pretty high string tension, so hard to bend the strings. I take it down a whole tone - so I am actually playing D9. String tension is much easier on the fingers for bends. The Melbert has the George L's pickups so with the finge picks on it's real twangy.

Here's another thought to mess up your head I use a high G C6th on 8 string, but with this difference. It's (lo to hi) C,E,G,A,C,E,G - D. That incorporates a 7 string hi G C6th on string 8 thru 2 and also has the upper D that pedal players tend to prefer these days, but without losing the high 5th (G). So I have a useful (to me anyway!) 7 string tuning with G on top plus that D passing note for runs etc. I'm used to 7st. guitars and never liked the usual 8st. bottom A (or A# or Bb depending on your mood) so I came up with this one that works for me
(PS then there's the well known trick of dropping the low C to B and get a D11 so you can use B11 tab. albeit transposed to a different key)

Any of the C6, A6, E6, maybe even E13 variations. If you want to mess with E9 psg tuning for your non-pedal, do it on your psg and keep your feet and knees still. I think it’s a good way to experiment with what is available on the tuning without using changes, which is A LOT.

If I were starting to play lap steel again, I would learn the instrument in A6 because it fits with E9, E13, and B11 better than C6 does. All the C6 material is usable for A6 just move up three frets and down a string.

Doug,
I started out learning to play dobro, so I have my eight string lap steel tuned with a High G on the 1st string. This way, the first three strings are just like the dobro, only in C6th tuning. My dobro is tuned DBGDBG high to low. My lap steel is GECAGECA high to low. This helps to keep my brain from overload learning a new tuning. Hope this helps.