Dobro E7, E6, D6 tuning

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

How many are doing it? Does it have advantages / disadvantages?
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Stephen Abruzzo · From: Philly, PA

I guess part of it is what kind of music are you playing? If it's bluesy or rock, I can see lots of advantages......mainly, you have a dom7 chord right under your bar.

Part too is where you decide to put your 7th at...first string, 4th string or 6th string and then it becomes how you can use it for leads or how easy it is to avoid if need be.

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

My lap steel is currently set up (low to high) B, D, E, G#, B, E.

I play mostly older "red back hymnal" type gospel, with a few souther gospel tunes thrown in (I Can't Even Walk, Child of the King, Thank You Lord, etc).

What say ye? Looking for suggestions...
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Paul Arntson · From: Washington, USA

I think this is a great tuning. I took lap steel lessons from the late Stan Remick (a wonderful player) and that's how he tuned both his dobro and lap steel. He played a lot of gospel steel with it.
If you drop the D down to C# there is a nice low minor chord also.
_________________
Excel D10 8&4, Supro 8, Regal resonator, Peavey Powerslide, homemade lap 12(a work in progress)

Stephen Abruzzo · From: Philly, PA

Scott....I like your tuning. That should work good for Gospel music and even if you wanted to experiment with Sacred Steel, it should work.

Paul makes a good suggestion about a minor chord and if that is something you want to play around with, I would suggest Mike Neer's version of E9.

Lo-to-hi....B-D-F#-G#-B-E

You have your E, E7, E9 under the straight bar with the Bm on the bottom 3 strings.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

rusty young has an old book based on e7
for the dobro.

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

To change out my strings from Open G to E7, and I going to need to change the nut and bridge wood?
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

I don't see why you would need to change the nut and or bridge. I experimented with gauges a lot and never had to. Sometimes you might, though if you are going to a much heavier string.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

Thanks, Edward!
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Mark Eaton · Posted 10 Jun 2016 10:18 pm

Adding to what Ed wrote, in E7 you are mostly going to be using lighter strings than in the classic Open G. So there really isn't any need to change the nut or bridge inserts. And the differences in gauges are quite minimal, often only a couple thousandths of an inch in diameter.

We discussed this in another thread when you were considering buying a dobro. There is this idea among some players, though the most popular dobro tuning by far is Open G, it is "limited," and one member wrote that there is no real good reason to stick with it, why do what's been done in the past?

Maybe for the same general reason why the most popular pedal steel tuning is E9th with three pedals. Open G works, and I would guess at minimum 80% of the learning materials for dobro are in that tuning.

I have also heard of Rusty Young's old dobro book with E7 - but I've never had a copy in my hands, and good luck in finding one.
_________________
Mark

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

I've seen excerpts of that book Mark. It looked pretty good.

I think the E7 will work better for me, and one I learn the Dobro style of playing (individual notes) it should also make me a better steel player.

I was just concerned on the changing because I had read a discussion somewhere else that said you have to change the wood, change the nut, re-tension the cone, etc.

I value this group because of the experience of the members.
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

What tuning do you use on electric steel? Is it pedal or non pedal? 6 strings or 8? These are important questions, I think. I use the same tuning on acoustic steel as I did on electric lap steel. And it works very well for me. But due to hand problems, I have had to go from 8 strings to 6. This is limiting my ability to play the kind of single string stuff that comes so easily in open G tuning. If you are very interested in the kind of dynamic and physical single string play that G tuning players get out of their 6 string instruments, you are going to find that G tuning is popular for a reason. And the reason is that open G is the tuning best suited to that by far. I tend to be more interested in the kind of stuff usually played on tricones or Weissenbornes in their various tunings. But those styles are less popular and less dynamic (I prefer to say more laid back and nuanced)by far. If you want to hear some examples, look here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSe6KOBUOMk&list=PL8Klkei2ndcMl_JMnBsB-J3ZKX7t7y0ko and here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ia2xcBXKOqo and here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nudiAFnbYg0. You can also hear forum member Lee Jeffries play that style on the Sponge Bob tv show. You can find a way to do that kind of stuff in any tuning you want. You can learn how in electric lap steel instruction books. But if your goal is to learn the kind of single string play you hear people like Rob Ickes doing, I highly recommend G tuning. As far as I know, it hasn't been done anywhere else. As always, what tuning to use depends on what your goals are.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

After noodling around a little this afternoon, I think I like E6 better that E7. Of course I learned C6 first. My tuning is thus.. Low to high..

B, C#, E, G#, B, E

It lends well to melody line and comping.

Thoughts?
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Ken Byng · From: Southampton, England

My mentor on lap steel in the 60's used to tune to E7 - B, D, E, G#, B, E. He would often wind up his 2nd string (on the fly) from B to C# (E13) to swing things up a little.
_________________
Show Pro D10 - amber (8+6), MSA D10 Legend XL Signature - redburst (9+6), Sho-Bud Pro 111 Custom (8+6), Emmons black Push-Pull D10 (8+5), Zum D10 (8x8), Hudson pedal resonator. Telonics TCA-500, Webb 614-E,

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

That E7 tuning was popular in the 60's. one of the most common instruction books of the time taught in that tuning. As for your E6, Scott, that looks like a workable tuning to me. It's kind of unconventional. But what the hey! My question is that since you already know C6, why not go with it? Why the search for another tuning? And that is the key question. What are you trying to accomplish? Many different tunings are used on acoustic steel. And the desired effect is the reason behind each of them. Rather than reinvent the wheel, I looked at the tried and true tunings already in common use to see which one worked best for me. I looked at G, A6, C6, E13 and C#minor 9 (I can't remember the notes for that one. But there are some very nice chord combinations there.) I also briefly tried C#m7. Inventing a new tuning never occurred to me because I didn't have a specific goal for doing so. When I went from electric to acoustic, I took my tuning with me.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia

D Schubert · From: Columbia, MO, USA

With the usual G dobro string gages, you can retune to a nice bassy G6 that uses C6 grips

G B D E G B

With the E7th tuning that you contemplate, it's a snap to retune to E6. And it's not difficult to retune to a higher-voiced G6 as well

B C# E G# B E

B D E G# B E

B D E G B D

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

Thanks "D". I may look into the G6.
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

Edward, what made me come up with that was I was playing some gospel standards, and I was sliding one fret back on the 5th string constantly, so I just moved the open string from C# to D. It works quite nicely to play melodies.

I can see why some players like multiple necks on lap steel. Playing in the key of F is a little tough. I've been wanting to build a lap steel, looks like it may be a double neck...

I'm going to retune the dobro to G6 and see how I like it.
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

OK here's what my G6 tuning has become, this is evolving from my E6 on lap steel, which is B, C#, E, G#, B, E, low to high.

I now have my dobro tuned to a dropped (or raised) version of my E6, which is G6,

A, B, D, F#, A, D low to high.

This seems like a good fit for the regular open G strings.

Both these are very playable for comping, and for melody.

I play older gospel, and songs like Amazing Grace, I'll Fly Away, etc work well.

And who know, I may change again... that's what steel platers do... right?

I have found out my next steel will probably be a double neck, with two of these tunings, the E6 and may be A6.

Now to practice... practice... PRACTICE!

Comments???
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Steve Green · From: Gulfport, MS, USA

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

Steve, as the song goes... "You may be right, I may be crazy"...

I was thinking about that myself, especially since it resolves are "D"!
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Stephen Abruzzo · From: Philly, PA

I get D6 too.

If you can make the tuning work, however you have it laid out on the strings, that's the only thing that matters.

In your version, you have the 6th on the 5th string, which is more out the way, less intrusive and therefore less likely to result in "clams".

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

For acoustic playing, I like Open D ( D A D F# A D ).
With one tweak of a peg you can easily get ...

D minor ( D A D F A D)
D Major7th ( D A D F# A C#)
D6th ( D A D F# B D)
D7 ( D A C F# A D)
D suspended ( D A D G A D)
McMeen Low C (C G D G A D) (used by Celtic guitarist El McMeen)
G tuning (G B D G B D)
E min7th ( E B D G B D)
_________________
Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com

Scott Duckworth · From: Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies

The more I play my "D6" tuning, the more I like it...

A, B, D, F#, A, D low to high.

I play at the nursing home the other night, and it worked well. I even "took the lead" from my wife on piano a few times...
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it

I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus!

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals	Goto page 1, 2 Next	Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic