Questions for b0b - Diatonic Tunings

Jerry Clardy · Post by **Jerry Clardy** » 11 Mar 2004 1:25 pm

b0b,
You may have answered these questions in the past but I don't see them readily in a search:
I noticed that you are using diatonic tunings on some of your guitars. I know Rusty Young and Red Rhodes and more players have used these tunings. Could you expand on the concepts for designing these tuning/pedal configurations and how and why they are used? Do you use pedal positions? Do you work with chord theories or scale theories mostly? From the comments on your 12 string F Diatonic tuning it looks like you're playing only single note scale positions. Has anyone published on the topics mentioned?
Thanks for the info,
Jerry [This message was edited by Jerry Clardy on 11 March 2004 at 05:27 PM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 11 Mar 2004 6:13 pm

thanks for the interest, Jerry. Here are 4 links to tunes played on the F Diatonic:
http://soundhost.net/b0b/radio/Courtship.b0b.mp3 http://soundhost.net/b0b/radio/Old_Toby.b0b.mp3 http://soundhost.net/b0b/radio/The_Great_Pyramid.b0b.mp3 http://soundhost.net/b0b/radio/Waltz_in_C.b0b.mp3

I thought of the tunings as providing 7 positions for any scale. I picked melodies and harmonies from the scales as though they were white keys on a piano. When I wanted a slide, I would slide up or down to the next scale position.

Blocking was the biggest problem. I discovered that I often block hit the string above the one I'm picking with the back of my pick. On the E9th and C6th this is hardly noticable because the next string up is usually a harmony. On the diatonic it was almost always a dissonance, so I had to be much more careful. I started playing without picks, except for a small thumb pick.

I no longer have a guitar set up with the diatonic tuning. I plan to put my Sierra Olympic back to it after I get my next guitar. I miss playing the tuning. It feels very universal, not slanted towards any kind of music. It seems that every time I sat down at it, I would write a new tune!

It was very hard to play jazz on because of the temperament, and because the octaves matched. A flat 9 chord, for example, just wasn't in the design. I think that the pedal harp has similar difficulties.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Hotb0b.gif" width="96 height="96">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

Jerry Clardy · Post by **Jerry Clardy** » 11 Mar 2004 6:43 pm

Thanks for the info, b0b. I'll be looking into this new material.
Jerry

Keith Grubb · Post by **Keith Grubb** » 12 Mar 2004 12:02 pm

Wow b0b,

Those songs sound great. How well do you think they would translate to diatonic on on a non-pedal?

Regards,
Keith

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 12 Mar 2004 12:22 pm

Thanks for the compliment, Keith.

All of those steel parts used pedals to get a variety of diatonic scale positions. I think the songs would be much harder to play without pedals, if they are possible at all. But then everything is harder to play without pedals.

The tuning I used is described here.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/Hotb0b.gif" width="96 height="96">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (E6add9), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 12 March 2004 at 12:22 PM.]

Jerry Clardy · Post by **Jerry Clardy** » 12 Mar 2004 2:34 pm

b0b,

I got a chance to listen to your nice tunes. I'll bet you could make a best-selling Christmas album with this tuning if you start now. I'll buy one.

Jerry