What's wrong with A6 tuning for D8?

Billy Henderson · From: Portland, AR, USA

Been reading a lot about tunings and not much (or it doesn't seem so)is mentioned about A6 F# A C# E F# A C# E?

I built a D8 from parts, did a lot of things wrong but nailed the tone. Walnut cabinet BL pups played through a Nashville 400 with DD. Not a real "player" but I tried for a long time to keep up with the tunings and string gauges but finally decided to pick two tunings and live with them. I chose the E9 beginning with the G# on the front neck and A6 on the back.

I keep a "loaded" Fender Strat sitting close by so if it is something I can't do on the steel I pick up the strat or sit it out. Once I made the choice I enjoy the non pedal a lot more.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I like the A6th tuning. So does Herb Remington on his western swing tunes. However, I don't put the F# on the 1st string , I use an E and put the F# farther down the line.
Erv

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I really like A6. It feels very old-timey to me. I like to use it on uptempo Gospel songs like "I Saw The Light" and "Will The Circle Be Unbroken". Also, it's great for Hawaiian songs ("Ua Like No Like") and for that old Noel Boggs / Herb Remington western swing style ("Steelin' Home").

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Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (F Diatonic), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6), Roland Handsonic

John Kavanagh · From: Kentville, Nova Scotia, Canada * R.I.P.

I also came to the "pick two tunings and stick with them" point. It's smart. I use a G6, but voiced with the e on top. A6 might suit some guitars better, or if you wanted to play a lot of open-string stuff in the sharp keys.

Roger Shackelton · From: MINNESOTA (deceased)

Since there is no consensus on how to list a tuning everyone should indicate High to Low or Low to High when listing a tuning.IMHO
I think everyone would agree that string 1 is the highest pitched string, so it makes sense to me to list a tuning High to Low or 1---8.IMO

Erv, I believe Billy listed his tuning Low to High, so his E string is the first string.???

Roger

Billy Henderson · From: Portland, AR, USA

Yep I knew better just forgot. The tuning I listed is low to high I meant to say that. Sorry for the confusion.

John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

I like Byrd's the best! From bottom up. C6/A7= A,c#,c,e,g,a,c,e and C-Diatonic= c,e,f,g,a,b,c,e and a third one E9= e,b,d,e,f#,g#,b,e "John" http://community.webtv.net/KeoniNui/BigJohnBechtels www.steelguitar.net

Jeff Strouse · From: Jacksonville, Florida, USA

I also use A6th...I really like the triad on top. Plus, I also like a more mellow deeper tone that the lower tuning provides.

I tune it (top to bottom):

E,C#,A,F#,E,C#,A,G

I get much more use out of the G down there than the F#. Some people call this A13; but others say "No, it's A6th with an added 7th." Whatever the case may be (my music theory isn't as good as it should be), I simply call it A6th...

Junior Brown uses C13 (G,E,C,A,G,E,C,Bb), which is the same thing tuned up to C.

Alvin Blaine · From: Picture Rocks, Arizona, USA

I use A13 on the middle neck of a T8 stringmaster;
G A C# E F# A C# E

Rich Sullivan · From: Nelson, NH 03457

I use B11 on the middle neck of a Gibson Console Grande triple neck. Tuned top to bottom, E C# A F# D# C# A F# . Anyone playing A6 might try experimenting with this, since it just has that middle E dropped a half-tone. I mostly see this tuning mentioned with reference to Hawaiian music, but I use it to play western swing and pop/jazz tunes. You can get most of the sounds A6 provides, and also there is a fat 9th chord, a diminished chord, an augmented 7th, and a minor 6th, all without slants. Bobby, I play "Steelin' Home" in this tuning, and it lays nicely there as well.

Jody Carver · From: KNIGHT OF FENDER TWEED

To my ears,there is nothing like an A6th tuning.

basilh · From: United Kingdom

I know it's straying from the subject somewhat .. but

quote:
Since there is no consensus on how to list a tuning everyone should indicate High to Low or Low to High when listing a tuning.IMHO
I think everyone would agree that string 1 is the highest pitched string, so it makes sense to me to list a tuning High to Low or 1---8.IMO

I think Roger has a VERY salient point.. If we can't get it together on the BASIC terminologies.... where are we ?

Rregarding the A6th tuning , I think it has to be teamed up with a complimentary tuning like E13(High G#) or C13 with the E on top.
Certainly a different type of chord inversion.

Baz
www.waikiki-islanders.com

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Todd Weger · From: Safety Harbor, FLAUSA

I really like A6 a lot, too (h-l, E-C#-A-F#-E-C#-A-F#). I have it on my outside neck on the T8.

My favorite thing though is that I can quickly retune string 6 down to B, and string 5 down to D# for B11. I also like it for getting a straight slide blues sound by avoiding that F# when doing arpeggios.

I dig A6 quite a bit.

TJW

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

I like to have an E for the bottom string on the A6th tuning. It really provides for a rich, full chord.In fact, I'll tell you something else I did! I put bass strings on the bottom 4 and doubled as a bass player when I didn't have anything else to do. Has anybody else done this?
Erv

[This message was edited by Erv Niehaus on 22 January 2003 at 01:24 PM.]

Jerry Hayes · From: Virginia Beach, Va.

I once had a 3 neck Stringmaster (which I wish I still had) which had an E major, an A6th in the middle and a C6th on the inside neck. What was nice was that the 1st string on all the tunings was an E of the same pitch as the 1st string on a reqular guitar. I now have an old 6 string Fender which I tune to G6th which is B D E G B D (low to high). I can retune just two strings, the 1st to E and the 3rd to G# and I've got an E7th tuning. It works for most anything I need to do.

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Jesse Pearson · From: San Diego , CA

I just wanted to say that coming from a back ground of playing alot of different instruments, it has never made sense to me that steel players spell their tunings from high to low. You spell basic chords from low to high on all instruments and since steel guitars use open tunings, this high to low is backwards from what one learns in music. This is a big obstacle for players who play arpeggios. Why are Steel tunings spelled the opposite way that we spell chords? I know why, cause you guys are a bunch of hillbillies. Yuk Yuk...!

[This message was edited by Jesse Pearson on 22 January 2003 at 06:47 PM.]

Gerald Cook · From: Lexington, OK USA

I think maybe Jesse may have gotten dain bramage from bending over too much from pickin' those arpeggios. I here they go great in salsa.

Jesse Pearson · From: San Diego , CA

Si senor, or should I say "rones iS"...!

Fred Layman · From: Springfield, Missouri USA

The first lap steel tunings I learned years ago were E7 and A6. I still have them on the first two necks of my Fender triple custom, with C6 on the inside neck. For the A6 and C6, I prefer the dominant 7th on the 8th string, i.e., G for A6 and Bb for C6. I've always kept the 5th interval on the first string of the 6th tunings,E and G respectively.

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Herb,

You made me spill my coffee all over my keyboard. Dang you

A6, E7 and C6 with an added 4th on the bottom.

As to spelling the set-up, I disagree with high to low OR low to high, at least on the printed page. I believe the following is the best way:

E
B
G#
E
D
B
G#
E

E
C
A
G
E
C
A
F

E
C#
A
F#
E
C#
A
F#

To answer the threads question, IF I had to play only one tuning, it would be C6 hands down. A6th is too bassy for me for most tunes. And E7th is a world of its own. C6th is the best compromise tuning IMO, there has ever been.

Also I much prefer the upper minor third timbre on the E7th and C6th tunings as oppossed to the same minor third on A6th. It appears too tinny when playing the same notes on A6th to my ears.

Players like Herb Remington and Bob Strum are masters at A6th. In fact, if you haven't listened to Bob's Gospel CD, you OWE it to yourself to get it. It is one mighty smooth A6th playing. Course it is a U-12. But the open tuning is A6th based instead of E9th based.

He is awesome on most of his voicings. I am just in awe listening to his delicious phrasings as he takes the pedal steel into a different dimension than what is standard.

If you want to hear some fine; and I mean fine A6th playing, get in touch with Bob and get this CD. You will NOT be dissapointed. I promise. Some of the most listenable and "easy on the ears" music I have heard on the steel guitar; in a long long time.

May God bless Herb Steiner, Herb Remington, Bob Strum and all of you,

carl

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