The Steel Guitar Forum

Let's say you're playing a D10 or E9/B6 universal PSG. Let's say you get a "wild hare" and decide to try to play some gigs with just a 6-string lap steel. What tuning would you put on that guitar? I'm talking about a tuning that would cover for all playing situations that you normally would experience.

This something I've been thinking about for my 1938 "Bakelite" Ric.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

C6 w/C on the bottom (might retune to C# for some tunes)

LTB

Right on, Larry!

I think it might depend on your roots !! I come from a straight E major, and have never been very good with C-6th, so now when I play drobro, I use a E major with a G# on top. And BOY, it's really country with no FAKING !!!!

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<< Moon Mullin in Alaska >>
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<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Moon in Alaska on 21 February 2000 at 09:45 AM.]</p></FONT>

only 3 note chords on E maj are major chords,
is that correct, Moon? Some of us grew up "idolizing" (?) Jerry Byrd and played C6
trying to learn his "secrets" (It's in the
hands !?!) On the C6 there are maj triads,
min triads & with slants, augmented triads.
If, as Larry suggested, you raise the 6th string C to C# you have a 3 note diminished chord on 4, 5 & 6 & a dominant 7th adding
string 3. The basic C6 tuning was also called
in some old OAHU tab that I saw once, an Amin7th tuning (the 4 notes in the 2 chords
are the same 4 notes)

FIRST A"BIG HELLO TO MOON UP THERE".
gLENN,IF YOU WANT TO PLAY ALL TYPES OF
'WHAT EVER ON THAT GIG ", THE C-6TH IS YOUR
BEST CHOICE,AND SEYMORE IS RIGHT.bUT OF COURSE THIS DEPENDS ON HOW GOOD YOU KNOW THE TUNING.iT CAN BE USED FOR ANY THING FROM COUNTRY TO JAZZ. bUT USE WHAT YOU CAN GET THE MOST OUT OF. HAVE FUN WITH THAT LAP JOB--- BILL KENNEDY

yes,

Have to agree with:

E
C
A
G
E
C or C#

Jerry Byrd has spent a lifetime playing 17 zillion tunes on this tuning.

Try it.

go with Jesus,

carl

1 E
2 C#
3 B
4 A
5 G#
6 G or E

Doug--Where did that idea come from ? Joe

Doug -- No, All 6 strings are a major chord on E-major. It of course is really limited even using bar slants, almost no minors etc. If you want to check it out, just start on the 8th string on your E-9th, skip the 7th, and it reaches up and including the 3rd. It is a real good neck to chime, you can chime the whole thing!! Of course, not very good for inprovising, You just have to learn the song !!!!!!!

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<< Moon Mullin in Alaska >>
==Carter S-10==
<< Old Fender-400 >>
== Evans FET 500 Custom LV ==

Joe, what are you saying? Alkyre???

Glenn.....as a guy who played pedal steel for years before taking up lap steel, I like playing the C6 tuning from the A up (below middle C) on my 6 string Dickerson.

low to high: A C E G A C = (Am7)

I sometimes tune the low A to a Bb, making it a C13.

IMO the straight C6 (C to C)is a little too "upper register" for my taste. Plus, having the A down there seems to make playing blues & rhythm parts a little fatter sounding.