What tuning for 10 string?

[Roger Crawford]

A friend just got an OLD Sho-Bud 10 string that has three legs. He asked if I would tune it for him. I said sure, as soon as i find out what the tuning should be! What is standard for this?

[Bill McCloskey]

Depends on what he wants to play but if you have followed anything I've written, I would recommend the eharp tuning.

I have a ton of tutorials on playing eharp in a drop box if your friend goes that route.

here is an example of Claude Brownell playing the tuning. https://youtu.be/9MhnfJc79Oo

[Fred Treece]

An alternative to the Alkire tuning, Billy Robinson plays 10-string non-pedal tuned to pedal steel C6
F A C E G A C E G D

There are a number of YouTube vids of Mr. Robinson, also this one of Steve Palousek, playing non-pedal in that tuning.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=mSbB8yil5 ... e=youtu.be

[Roger Crawford]

Based on the little research I’ve done, there doesn’t seem to be a “standard” like we typically have for E9 with pedals. He is looking to play old style country, a la Don Helms, Billy Robinson.

[Bill McCloskey]

If he wants to play like Billy Robinson, you have your answer: Billy Robison's tuning

[Doug Beaumier]

You're going to get a lot of different opinions here, Roger... and here's mine. Either C6, A6, or E13. There is a very good non-pedal steel string gauge chart on this site --> https://www.hawaiiansteel.com/learning/gauges.php

There are also links on that page that will take you to other pages with information about the tunings.

[Stephen Cowell]

Most folks go for the pedal steel C6... the strings are progressive, unlike the EHarp which is very re-entrant and can require some nut-cutting to accomodate the string gauges.

Be aware that there are several 10-string C6's... one with high 3, one with re-entrant 2 on top (like E9), and others. Billy Robinson does an AB-like string pull so he's not like Steve Palousek's tuning in (my!) video cited above... he does it straight with no re-entrant on top. Here's Billy at TSGA RANP 2018 doing that top strings pull:

https://youtu.be/0RYiWTL9bFM?t=286

Believe it or not Wikipedia has an article about this:

"On a ten-string neck, typical of pedal steel guitars, a popular C6 tuning is C-F-A-C-E-G-A-C-E-G, adding two bass strings to the high eight-string tuning, or one string on either side of the F-bass low tuning. This is sometimes called the "Texas tuning".[1] Another frequent variant is the re-entrant C-F-A-C-E-G-A-C-E-D. Kayton Roberts, a famous steel guitar player, used a modified C6 on his steel guitar's inside neck: A(low)-A-C#-E-G-A-C-E. On the outside neck he had F-C-Eb-G-F-A-C(though sometimes D)-F. "

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C6_tuning

[Bill McCloskey]

Stephen, there are no reentrent strings on the eharp tuning.

[Allan Revich]

Stephen, there are no reentrent strings on the eharp tuning.

Bill, forgive me if I’m wrong, but it looks like there are no major or minor triad strums at all in the E-Harp tuning? Is that just the price you pay for having so many notes available under a straight bar? Loads of grips & no strums?

Eddie Alkire E Harp

E
C#
B
A
G#
G
F#
F
E
C#

[Stephen Cowell]

Stephen, there are no reentrent strings on the eharp tuning.

Thanks Bill... my mistake, I thought I saw one with bigger strings in the middle. Having a hard time locating the exact stringing... Google shows the Hoffnar diatonic 'C' tuning, and I understand that EHarp has chromatic strings? Thanks for the correction.

EDIT: All I had to do was scroll down!

[Bill McCloskey]

Allan, the Alkire tuning is not strummable. However, you play with 4 fingers and you can arpeggiate a 6 note chord to give a similar effect. I just happened to record this quick tutorial on the major grips for major minor and 7th chords and you'll get a better idea. https://www.facebook.com/10005890230496 ... 266678350/

[Tom Breitenfeldt]

What I would try if I had a 10-string lap steel:
F#
E
B
G#
E
C#
A
F#
D#
B

[David Mason]

If he's asking this question, he is not going to much enjoy the re-entrant stuff, and I also don't think he's going to get much whoopee out of a lot of closed intervals. A steel guitarist might look at a 1-2-3 plus, somewhere, a 5-6-1 relation and mentally pull the minors out and get a least a whiff of same-thing-only-inside-out, but somebody starting who's saddled with BOTH the 6ths and 9ths is going to wonder how come his guitar only knows one song, and a real hula one it is. 9ths OR 6ths, not both. In fact, if you think being able to find recognizable melodies - more often than by blind luck, A.K.A. "learning," something including chunks of this:
8
5
3
1
5
3
1
5
3
1
5
3
1

makes for your most best chances. Yes I KNOW you run out of string gauges but keeping your intervals wide on the higher strings would help him play MUSIC while waiting for the Angel of String-Muting to arrive.

[William Gallagher]

Assuming no copedents I like Fred's above. Or try a straight C6 with a C on the bottom and G on top. C-F-A-C-E-G-A-C-E-G

The original Alkire tuning is a whole different animal. Like the defunct Old Mormon Deseret alphabet, you can spend a lifetime learning it but to what end? I tried it on my old Alkire E-Harp and it's an odd egg for sure.

[Willis Vanderberg]

For what it's worth.
I use to have a standard E9 tuning on my ten string lap.It was the tuning I was most familiar with at the time.years ago I played a tuning they called C double 6.
Earlier in the forties it was E and A 6.
I like E13 also.
It as been seventy six years since I picked up that
BR-9 Gibson and what a great ride it as been .

[Bill McCloskey]

Well william, i play the alkire tuning exclusively, and the end is playing one of the greatest tunings ever invented. I am currently recording all of Alkire’s published compositions on the eharp tuning. Both my facebook and youtube channels are devoted to those playing the eharp tuning

https://www.facebook.com/bill.mccloskey.54/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKR7dv ... wREitVw9Og

After really getting to understand the tuning, I wouldn't play anything else.

[Willis Vanderberg]

i said I Used to use E9 on my ten string.
Currently on my Alkire I have his tuning.
So at some point I will be talking to you about material.
I have never quit learning and look forward to the challenge.
Thank you for all you do we appreciate it.

[Bill McCloskey]

Willis, I was responding to William Gallagher who said "The original Alkire tuning is a whole different animal. Like the defunct Old Mormon Deseret alphabet, you can spend a lifetime learning it but to what end? I tried it on my old Alkire E-Harp and it's an odd egg for sure."

But thrilled you are going to give it a go. Let me know when you start, I have a ton of Eddie's lessons I can give you access to.