The Steel Guitar Forum

Edward Miesse Wrote
Don Helm's book is for E6 but that's just the same intervals a major 3rd higher.
I notice alot of players use both on their double necks.
Is the only advantage thae tones of a higher register???

Thanks,
Jack

I think most players with a doubleneck use a different E13 tuning than just a C6 transposed up a minor third. Most E13 tunings I'm familiar with have the tonic (E) as the first string. Some of them also include the 9th (F#).

Jack-If he is playing E9 , it is easier to remember the bar postions on E6 are the same as E9..al

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I was talking specificly about Don Helms E6 tuning hi to lo G#-E-C#-B-G#-E-C#-A and Bobbe Seymore's very popular C6 tuning hi to lo E-C-A-G-E-C-A-F. In fact the Don Helms book will work with a C6 tuning. I did not intend to imply knowledge of anything beyond that. Sorry. <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Edward Meisse on 20 November 2006 at 11:58 PM.]</p></FONT>

First off I must say that Don's book is superb! It gives great insight into Don's style and masterful playing. The backing tracks are worth the purchase.

The E6 is handy as stated, that it is easy to remember the root positions. I started on E, then E7th and graduated to E6th and also E9th so for me to switch to C6th I can get lost jumping around. I am not as adept as some of you guys out there...

The great thing about the E6th is that you can grab C6th tabs and play them a M3rd up.

E13th is a total different beast. The 7th and 9th tones are added in and make its chordal range much different from the straight E6th.

M.

May be only mildly relevant...but I have only had a double-8 for a few months now...tuned in A6 and E13...both have E and C# as first two strings....both are easy to visualize from a guitar and E9 PSG standpoint...A6 is a lower-voiced C6 with the 5th on top....first four strings of E13 also have a 6th sound (1-6-5-3 from hi to low)...

Yes, the intervals are the same.

Some of Hank Williams' tunes had Jerry Byrd on C6th. I found that by tuning a lap steel to D6th, I could cover both Helms' and Byrd's parts with a reasonable timbre for a Hank Williams tribute show. The musicians in the band couldn't tell the difference. I'm sure a steel player in the audience would have noticed, but it was definitely in the ballpark for public consumption.

Don Helms' parts don't sound right on C6th, though. The strings are too thick. And Jerry Byrd's parts don't sound right on E6th because the strings are too thin.

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<font size="1"><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b2005.gif" width="78 height="78">Bobby Lee (a.k.a. b0b) - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
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<div style="display:none"><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by b0b on 21 November 2006 at 09:36 AM.]</p></FONT>

D6th: <font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
1 F# .013
2 D .017
3 B .019
4 A .022
5 F# .026
6 D .034
</pre></font>

So many tunings, and so few brain cells to absorb them all! I have also been dabbling with C6/Fmaj7 on my single 8 (FACEGACE from lo to hi). And now, you've given me another idea for my 6-string. And in a related vein, I have been caught tuning my Dobro up from D to a fragmented D13 (DCDF#BD) as another diversion.

Speaking of E13, has any one tried tuning their C6 to a 10-str. C9/13?
C~G~Bb~C~D~E~G~A~C~E = C9/13 (Same as E9/13):
E~B~D~E~F#~G#~B~C#~E~G# = [The one I use!]
Or, on 8-str.:
C~Bb~D~E~G~A~C~E = C9/13 (Same as E9/13):
E~D~F#~G#~B~C#~E~G#
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“Big John”
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<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by John Bechtel on 21 November 2006 at 03:47 PM.]</p></FONT>