The Steel Guitar Forum

Now that I have my new Tradewind lap steel guitar tuned in C#minor, does anyone have any C# minor tabs they would be willing to share with me?
Thanks
Jim McCoy jlmccoy@comwerx.net

Jim

I'm looking too. Since I fell in love with the Bud Tutmarc style, I have tuned my 6 string Magnatone to his tuning:

E B E G# C# E (Low to high) Is this your tuning?

I've been slowly picking stuff off of Bud's TYSA CD. If you don't have it, it is a masterful lesson in C#m (IMHO

Bob

C#m is certainly an excellent tuning for a 6 string guitar. Taking it one step further, you can get some great sounds using the F#9 tuning which I have always used on a 6 string when I'm not using the E or E7th tunings. To tune to F#9: Hi to Lo... E C# G# E A# F#. Try it, I'm sure you'll like it. It was a favorite tuning of Dick McIntire on many of his great recordings.

For any of you forumites that play an 8 string lap steel, I used to put a B below the high C# string. This works out quite nicely. What you have is kind of a combination A and E tuning. You can do some trilling on the top two strings. For what it's worth.
Erv

to add to Erv's reply, if you have an 8 string, I fing you can get the same style/type of sound out of C#m9, plus some "more" Chord possibilities, I think is a more versitile tuning than straight C#m..and the top 3 stay the same so H-L E,C#,G#,F#,E,D,B,E...I've also used C#m7(I call it that, it may be something else) and that's not to bad E,C#,G#,E,C#,B,G#,E(altho, now that I look at it written out, regular C#m IS C#m7th...the B makes the 7th chord, right?)
mike

The tuning that Bob Snelgrove listed above is C#m7, but it is also E6, and that's how I would think of it. In my mind it looks like this:
<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>

E6

1. E root
2. C# 6th
3. G# 3rd
4. E root
5. B 5th
6. E root
</pre></font>

The C#m7 and E6 chords are made up of the same 4 notes. <FONT SIZE=-1>Our beloved C6 tuning is also an Am7 tuning </FONT> My point is... tunings can have more than one name.

Mikey mentioned a tuning that seems to be an E13:
<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>

E13

1. E root
2. C# 13th (6th)
3. G# 3rd
4. F# 9th
5. E root
6. D b7
7. B 5th
8. E root
</pre></font>
A 13th chord is spelled 1, 3, 5, b7, 9 (optional), 13

The second tuning Mikey mentioned looks like E6:
<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>

E6

1. E root
2. C# 6th
3. G# 3rd
4. E root
5. C# 6th
6. B 5th
7. G# 3rd
8. E root
</pre></font>

But of course it's also C#m7

I guess that E9 PSG players would tend to see the C#m tuning as an E based tuning.

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Doug's Free Tab

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 29 November 2001 at 12:05 AM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 29 November 2001 at 12:08 AM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 29 November 2001 at 12:11 AM.]</p></FONT>

Good point Doug, I always wondered how a tuning with three E's in it could wind up being called C#m as it sure looks like E6 to me. The Hawaiian guys have always called it C#m but I guess the reason why is lost to history.
As far as tab goes you can most likely find lots of it if you follow the links to some of the Hawaiiam sites, I know the Jerry Byrd book has some tunes in this tuning and I believe he offers individual tunes in various tunings and I am sure C#m is represetned there.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jay Jessup on 29 November 2001 at 07:21 AM.]</p></FONT>

Right on, Doug...my thoughts exactly. Coming to lap steel from standard guitar it is a LOT easier to think of these C#m tunings as E variants. Since these tunings are "E" based, as is standard guitar, it makes it a lot easier to navigate and keep your bearings and for that reason I like using these tunings in jam situations where you don't know what's going to be thrown your way in the way of changes etc.

Bill

Bill

I think that you guy's have the answer really, coming from a PS background, you all tend to see E based tunings, and as far as I know,(I play VERY little PS)most of the Hawaiian guys put the E on top(I feel uncomfortable w/a G on top of C6/Am7)...so I think that's how it started..the E was ALWAYS on top, and the rest of the tuning changes made up the name, they just didn't think of the top E as root,(unless of course you're in E or E7(and basically the tunings were named from 6 string tunings as far as I can tell)
Mike

C#m is in reality C#m7. The B string constitutes the dom 7th, while the E
string(s) are the minor 3rd.

Problem is... this tuning has an E on the top, bottom, and middle. I just can't see it as anything but E6. Just my opinion.

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

E6

1. E root
2. C# 6th
3. G# 3rd
4. E root
5. B 5th
6. E root
</pre></font>

I agree with Bill that it's a handy tuning for players who are used to standard guitar, since the fret positions for the major chords mirror those of the "E shape" bar chord positions on standard guitar.

ok then...either put a G# or C# on the bottom then everyone will feel better
Mike

That would do it!

C#m7 or E6..."a rose by any other color would still smell purdy"!