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Topic: 6 string 6th tuning question (yet again!) |
Brian McGaughey
From:
Orcas Island, WA USA
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Posted 28 Mar 2017 7:35 am |
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So I'm messing around with C6 lap steel tuned from bottom to top 1-3-5-6-1-3.
Is there any compelling reason (mainly playing country and swing styles, no blues), that a person couldn't loose the bottom root and tune 3-5-6-1-3-5? I'm missing the slants I know on dobro across the 1-3-5 strings plus I don't seem to be landing on the low root all that much.
Am I missing a big con here?
I see the advantage to a 7 or 8 string and I'm prepared to move that way eventually if need.
I considered the search function but it's more fun to engage, right?
Thanks! |
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Paul Seager
From:
Augsburg, Germany
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Posted 28 Mar 2017 8:38 am
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Way back when, I often commented to myself that I do not use the lower C and should retune to have that top G ... until I'd forgotten that I retuned string 6 to C# for some numbers and found myself hitting a bum note, reminding myself I used that lower C more than I had realised!
I think it is a personal thing and down to the music and how you play. I use mostly an eight string now so its not really a consideration. I do like the top G for soloing and esoteric effects but when I play a 6 string I don't miss the G at all.
\ paul
_________________
\paul
Bayern Hawaiians: https://www.youtube.com/@diebayernhawaiians3062
Other stuff: https://www.youtube.com/@paulseager3796/videos |
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David M Brown
From:
California, USA
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Posted 28 Mar 2017 9:14 am Re: 6 string 6th tuning question (yet again!)
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| Brian McGaughey wrote: |
So I'm messing around with C6 lap steel tuned from bottom to top 1-3-5-6-1-3.
Is there any compelling reason (mainly playing country and swing styles, no blues), that a person couldn't loose the bottom root and tune 3-5-6-1-3-5? ......
Thanks! |
I play 6 string A6 more than C6.
First, there is a high G C6 tuning, on 8 string A C E G A C E G; 6 string version is E G A C E G, which is the same intervals as the A6 C# E F# A C# E, up a m3rd.
Like you, I prefer the 1-3-5 on top. Except in the E7/C#m family of tunings.
from Brad's Page of Steel:
http://www.well.com/~wellvis/tuning.html
"Here's another C6 Tuning:
G
E
C
A
G
E
Keith Cary says of this tuning: I was lucky enough to get a long lesson from Vance Terry about 15 years ago. His pedal steel was set up at a club somewhere so I brought one of my spare 6-strings for him to play on. (I only had 6-strings at the time) It was tuned E-G-A-C-E-G. He said that if he only had six strings that's the way he's tune it. He was amazing with those six strings, making fat jazz chords look so effortless. It has that nice 1-3-5 Dobro thing happening on top, giving just a little more space if you want to avoid the 6th. It's always felt too strange to me to not have the root or fifth as the top string."
also
"C13 Tuning: (as used by Junior Brown)
G
E
C
A
G
E
C
Bb"
Just raise the low A to Bb.
I'm certain the real C6 players will add their knowledge.
Last edited by David M Brown on 28 Mar 2017 3:12 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 28 Mar 2017 9:15 am
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c6 with a G on top is exactly the same as standard A6 moved up 3 semitones that a huge number of steel players use as their main tuning. Even C6 with a G on top is pretty common.
Personally, I'd be lost without the 5 on the top string so I'd say definitely give it a try. Of course, most C6 lessons and tab ate for an E on top so you have to remember their 1st string is your 2nd.
If you just want to give it a try to see how it feels without changing the strings you could try A6 which would work with the same gauges. Low to high
C# E F# A C# E |
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James Kerr
From:
Scotland, UK
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Posted 28 Mar 2017 10:35 am
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Brian,
I have a 6 - 7 - and 8 String C6th Guitar, all have a .011 G String on top, I feel that extends the range of the Instrument. Obviously the C is dropped on the 6 String but its there on the other two.
Here is my 7 String built by me in the style of the National Dynamic playing "Half a Man"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KyLWRZVZV8
James. |
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Roman Sonnleitner
From:
Vienna, Austria
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Posted 28 Mar 2017 12:02 pm
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| I play my 8-string C6 (ACEGACEG) exclusively these days, but if I had to play on a 6-string, I'd definitely go for the G on top, much more useful if you play Western Swing, rockabilly, or the likes, and if you play with a band with a bass player, I'd rather stay out of his register, anyway... |
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Brian McGaughey
From:
Orcas Island, WA USA
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Posted 28 Mar 2017 5:00 pm
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Wow, thanks fellows! Kind of what I figured.
I didn't know that generally A6 on 6 string is 3-5-6-1-3-5. Interesting.
Thanks for the heads up on retuning C6 to A6 Jeff. I'll twist the tuners and try that tonight. Lack of A6 tab is of no concern to me. It'll be great to have use of my dobro slants on that top 3 major triad. What the hell, I can learn A positions on the neck! I've learned E9, G, C6, I guess I can learn A! This is exactly why I harp at my kids to learn and think in scale degrees, not only alphabet notes. Then one is considering markers more than just memorization.
Oh, nice work James. Pretty piece. |
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Miles Lang
From:
Venturaloha
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Posted 28 Mar 2017 7:13 pm
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| I'd love to sound like Vance Terry, but whenever I try a high G on top of my C6, it really fouls me up |
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David M Brown
From:
California, USA
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Posted 28 Mar 2017 9:06 pm
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| Brian McGaughey wrote: |
I didn't know that generally A6 on 6 string is 3-5-6-1-3-5. Interesting.
Thanks for the heads up on retuning C6 to A6 Jeff. I'll twist the tuners and try that tonight. Lack of A6 tab is of no concern to me. It'll be great to have use of my dobro slants on that top 3 major triad. What the hell, I can learn A positions on the neck!. |
It's pretty easy to shift from A6 to C6, most string sets can handle it.
The A-C#-E on top also lets you access much of the easiest Hawaiian steel guitar repertoire written for the A tunings.
Plus it's easy to go from A6 to B11:
C# E F# A C# E - just lower the 5th and 6th strings to B D# F# A C# E. |
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