low F in C6 tuning

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

I am still learning my way around on C6 tuning (GAcegac'e'), but after two or three years of experimenting it's the one I like best. I notice that many people use a low F on the 8th string, and it's standard on the (pedal) 10-string. I use the low G some, mostly as the low 5th in melodies, or to help me stay oriented in a tune I learned in open G (4568 at fret 7), but I'm thinking of changing it to either F or -the radical move- a high b.

The F gives an easy IV chord and an easy full major 7th, but the b would give me a major 7th and some melodic possibilities.

Opinions? How many use the F and what do you use it for? Other possibilities? (I've also tried a low D and kind of like that for some things.)

Fred · From: Amesbury, MA

I've been using a high B for my eighth string for a few weeks now and I really like it. I've just begun to scratch the surface. If you tune your low C up to C# the possibilities are mind-boggling (well, my mind anyway).

In addition to the maj7, you get a dom9 and a min9, another minor triad with the root on the fifth string, a diminished and a min7b5. I've been finding stuff faster than I can figure out what to do with it all.

Working the B sting into melodies has been difficult, but it's starting to come.

Give it a week or so and see what you think.

Fred Long

Billy Jones · From: Medicine Hat, Alberta, Canada

Hello John.. I personally like the A6th tuning. Like the C6th, it is quite straight forward. I use it on all my guitars from the 6, 8, 10 and 12 string. Pedal and non-pedal.
By using the G on top of the C6th, I'm able to convert to the A6th by lowering the 1st, 3rd, 4th and 7th strings by one half tone. It wasn't long before the A6th tuning offered me far more than the C6th in both melodic and chord progression. Not too many people use the A6th with the F# on the first string. I believe Joe Wright does and you will find these tunings in one of b0b's links. I know that you might want to find something on your 8 string that goes lower than the A. I used to use an .080 on the 8th string and tune it to a bass A along with an A on the 7th string. That mean't that I had to use an E on the 1st string. It was very effective in the group I worked with.
Now, of course, higher seems to be the norm so I've evolved and I have greater flexibility.
If you like to experiment, you could try this out. ... Billy

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

I use that tuning as well, but a tone lower: GBdegbd'e' (raise the a's and c's from my C6). Isn't it great? I really like it, too. Having the fifth and the sixth of the scale as the top two strings really makes a lot of melodies and melody-on top chord stuff lie well, and I don't know why it isn't more popular.

I like C6 better for chording, though, becasue of all the pull-string possibilities.

I have an electric D8 with quick-change bridges, so I can fool with tunings on that all I want, but I recently Frankensteined an old dreadnought into an acoustic 8-string. I just love it, but I have to settle on one tuning or a few closely related tunings. Since I plan to use it mostly in jamming with acoustic small groups, as an alternative to the electric, I find that I don't use the low string all that much and I'm tempted to try a high b there as Fred suggested. That appeals to me more than out of sequence first string, like a d above the e in C6, because I play the banjo as well and I'm used to a high thumb string. But then, if I got to like
it, I'd have to redo my D8 to match...
troubles, troubles...

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D-8: C6/A6; E13

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I've never found the low F very useful on a non-pedal steel. On the pedal tuning, you have a pedal that gives you a real big F9 chord - it lowers that middle E to Eb. This chord gives you a lot western swing voicings, and it's a lot more useful than the Fmaj9 that is there without the pedal.

Instead of having a low F, put a C# between your C and E. You'll get a lot more milage out of it:

E


C


A


G


E


C#


C


A

Notice the A7 chord on strings 8, 6, 5, 4, and 3. That low C# really makes it a much richer tuning.

------------------

Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session S-12 (E9), Speedy West D-10 (E9, D6),
Sierra 8 Laptop (D13), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (D13, A6)

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

John
Bobby's note to put a C# down there makes a lot of sense, if you are sticking with C6.

Back in the 30's when I played lap steel, I used a basic A6 tuning.

I tried those lever jobs that changed tunings, and did not like them.

In between songs , I found it just as easy and fast to tune a peg or two.

top to bottom

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

All I had to do was raise the two F#'s to G and I had a very nice A7.

For a nice D9 without the root, I lowered the C#'s to C.(also A minor 6th).

For a Emaj chord I lowered the C# to B and A to G#. (that is what Bud Isaac did with pedals).

For a E7-E9 see above, plus I dropped the 5th string E to D.

For a Hawaiian sound, I just lowered the A to G# to get a C# minor chord. Very pretty. and with a slant, very effective. Also along with this, raise the 6th string C# to D. A very pretty 13th like chord.

Usually 2 note thirds were used a lot for diminished, etc.

I found that the A6 tuning was very versatile and the Sound was right. Herb Remington kept his A6 when he moved to pedals.

Reece Anderson used his version of A6 only tuned up 1/2 tone to Bb to accomadate Horns. Which put tenor sax and trumpet in C.

It is amazing how much music can be played without pedals.

But for me, I was glad to finally go to Pedals. I got tired of tuning those pegs, now I do the same changes, only using pedals........al

I wish I could go to that HSGA convention in Joliet!

[This message was edited by Al Marcus on 04 September 2000 at 08:46 PM.]

Al Terhune · From: Newcastle, WA

I like Bobby's version -- which, I believe, is what Jerry Byrd uses. Until I discovered the great major 7th chord using the C# three frets up from the major fret, I thought the C# was put in there to allow more forward slanting for harmonies with the high A as opposed to using the C string, which technique (C# harmonies with the high A) is actually something I use more often than I do the major 7th chord. The F might allow for a solid IV chord, but what I like about lap is the actual "moving" from fret to fret for different chords, as opposed to staying on one fret to get multiple chords. Of course, to me, one of the sweetest moves from the I to the IV chord is simply doing a reverse slant, sliding the G string up two frets, and the high E string up one, from the major position.

Al

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

Thanks for your input, everyone. b0b cleared up my original question: the low F makes a lot of sense if you can lower the e for a big IV7 chord, but isn't much use otherwise. I also thank Billy Jones for suggesting A6; I'm actually going with G6 on the acoustic, the same but a tone lower. It feels and sounds so much like a dobro that a G tuning feels right, and it's easy for a guitar player like me to stay oriented in a G tuning. I may have to use G6 on the electric, too, just to avoid the head trip of switching. I used to use that tuning a lot, and I'd forgotten how comfortable it is.

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