The Steel Guitar Forum

All you tuning scientists out there-just kidding- anyone who's got an idea for tuning a non-pedal 6-string... what I'm looking for is a tuning similar to the regular guitar tuning (G 6/9)-highest string to lowest:
E
B
G
D
A
E
where:

1. from the 1st string you have a high note and it's lower octave on the 6th string

2. there is a bass root in 6th string, and a 5th tone of that root on the 5th string if possible (for power chords; chords that have a root and 5th tone only)

3. it is laid out sort of similar to the major 6th tuning (like C6, etc.), where the notes are laid out for easier playing of single-noted lines, w/o having to move the bar around so much.

Now, I'm only interested in a tuning for 6 strings only (true, more strings, add pedals, more possibilities, but 6 only). [I've already went through a lot of the steel sites showing different tunings for 6 string non-pedal, etc. And lastly, yes as Mr. Byrd told me once, "No tuning makes any musican..", there's no "miracle" tuning...I don't want to get into a debate about that.] My purpose is I'd just like some tuning ideas and opinions on what has worked good for others, for those purposes listed above that I'm trying to come as close as possible to, etc. Thanks a million.

I just got an e-mail from this guy Mike Ihde, who is a proponant of the "Leavitt" tuning.
C# E G A# C D (low to High).
He Says "you can get Hawaiian to Jazz" with no bar slants!

fingers@mediaone.net
He is sending out free tab.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by db on 10 February 2000 at 08:10 PM.]</p></FONT>

db, interesting and thanks for the idea. what does he call it exactly as far as chord name? or is it more of a diatonic/chromatic tuning? because i see a lot of b5's or #5's, b3's, depending how you look at it. thanks again.

I seem to recall Jerry Byrd once saying there are over 100 known 6 string tunings.

If I had to have ONLY one. It would have to be exactly what your screename is:

E
C
A
G
E
C#

JB made many a recording using this very tuning. Even though he has now gone to 8 strings with a low C and a low low low A, he still uses this as his prime tuning.

I figure if that is his favorite, It's good enough for me. My 7 string uses this tuning with a low C as the 7th string. Gives me the best of both A7th and Aminor7 (or as we steelers say--C6th,)

God bless you with what ever you come up with,

carl

Your requirements are really limiting. I don't understand why you want the root on both the first and sixth string. If not for that, I would suggest the following: <font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
E E E D E
D C C# B C
C A A G A
Bb G F# E G
G D C# B E
C G F# E A </pre></font>You'd probably like the last one best. It's an A7#9.

------------------
Bobby Lee www.b0b.com/products
Sierra Session S-12 E9th, Speedy West D-10, Sierra S-8 Lap<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 11 February 2000 at 09:52 AM.]</p></FONT>

This tuning might work: It's an E13 tuning spanning two octaves. It has the power-chord interval of a fifth in the bass.

<font size="1">POWER BASS: Two notes simultaneously with an interval of a fifth between them generates an additional note one octave lower. Example. Note 1 - a Low E, and Note 2 - the next B above it, played together, generate another E an octave lower than Note 1. It's a very useful gimmick for low notes because it creates extra bass notes. It works because the Note 2 frequency is 1.5 times Note 1, and the two added together make a resulting waveform that takes two cycles of a Note 1's waveform before the resulting waveform repeats. True fifths and tempered fifths make no practical difference to the effect of this technique.</font>

<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
E13 Power Bass 6 String Tuning:

String 1, Note E, Interval 1st, Frequency 329.62 Hertz

String 2, Note C#, Interval 6th, Frequency 277.18 Hertz

String 3, Note G#, Interval 3rd, Frequency 207.65 Hertz

String 4, Note D, Interval 7th, Frequency 146.83 Hertz

String 5, Note B, Interval 5th, Frequency 123.47 Hertz

String 6, Note E, Interval 1st, Frequency 82.41 Hertz
</pre></font>

<font size="1">Disclaimer: I just made this up, it's untried.</font><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Richard Vogh on 11 February 2000 at 10:42 AM.]</p></FONT>

A7sharp9:

My suspicion is that along with playing standard guitar you read music and want to be able to get a 6 string steel guitar in the same tuning range so you can relate one to the other.

Mike's Leavitt may be your answer but you could tune it down to standard guitar range keeping the same intervals as follows:

High to Low:

1.F guage 13
2.Eb guage15
3.C# guage18
4.Bb guage42
5.G guage50
6.E guage54

Note: My guages are approximate.

I have tried Mike's tuning and it is a refreshing change. I find it thin for steel however. Altho I have not tried the above set- up it will get the same Leavitt chords into a lower bass register. I think it would sound great.

Just an idea I have not tried myself yet so consider and proceed with caution.

Good Luck

Roy T

Hello Again "A7sharp9":

Further to my post above I have tuned down
6 strings on my back neck and made a wav of Mike Ihde's tuning modified as explained in my post above. It sounds great and has possibilities IMHO.

If you wish to hear the wav send me an email
and I will get it off to you.

Roy T.

Roy,
Thanks for the e-mail and your sound clip. It sounds great. My only problem with tuning the Leavitt tuning down a perfect 6th is that it no longer can be arrived at quickly from other standard tunings. As you know, almost all regular Lap tunings have E as the highest note and all the strings under it don't have to be retuned more than up or down a minor third or so to get to C6th, A7th, E7th, C6/A7 etc. The Leavitt tuning only needs 2 changes from the C6/A7 tuning. Raise the 3rd string a half step from A to Bb and drop the first string down a whole step from E to D. If you have been reading other topics, I, and others, have agreed that to fatten up the Leavitt tuning you really need to make it an 8 string tuning by adding a lowEb on string 7 and a lower C on string 8.
To A7sharp9, drop me an e-mail and I'll send you a Tab of Moonlight in Vermont on the Leavitt tuning and you can check it out for yourself.

Thanks Mike. That all makes great sense but
if I was relagated to a six stringer, I would go down the perfect sixth.
I love new ideas and you certainly have one with this tuning.
Again, my congratulations to you.

Roy Thomson

Just a few I've come up with , I haven't actually tried them .
The third tuning is the only one with a different first string .

<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>

First string E 4 frets for First string C#
Blocks of scales min7/Maj7ths/9ths

E 1 2 34 5 6 71 E 1 2 34 5 6 71 C# 6 71 2 34 5 6
A# 5 6 71 2 34 C# 6 71 2 34 5 6 A# 5 6 71 2 34
F# 2 34 5 6 71 2 A 4 5 6 71 2 34 F# 2 34 5 6 71 2
D# 71 2 34 5 6 7 E 1 2 34 5 6 71 D# 71 2 34 5 6 7
B 5 6 71 2 34 5 B 5 6 71 2 34 5 B 5 6 71 2 34 5
E 1 2 34 5 6 71 E 1 2 34 5 6 71 E 1 2 34 5 6 71
</pre></font>


If you want to try something for fun , here's an interesting one
and it actually works for chords and scales and meets the 3 requirements too .
The order of the notes is rediculous though , I've just been drinking
too much coffee again

The numbers on the left are the order which the strings tones ascend in .
String 6 , string 4 , string 5 , string 3 , string 1 and then string 2 .

<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
5 E 1 2 34 5 6 71
6 F# 2 34 5 6 71 2
4 D# 71 2 34 5 6 7
2 G# 34 5 6 71 2 3
3 B 5 6 71 2 34 5
1 E 1 2 34 5 6 71
</pre></font>

I got the idea from the big tonal gap between the 6th and the 5th string .
I had to go for the 4th string for that third note .
As the first string had to stay with the E , I thought why not try something
like that again . I kept the third string D# for the minor using strings
5 4 and 3 , so that meant trying the pattern again with the top three strings .
Maybe not practical , although I can see a few good triplets there which
could be .... hmmm , where's that old acoustic of mine