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Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 23 Feb 2017 9:00 am

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Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 23 Feb 2017 9:10 am

For those unfamiliar with the tuning, here's what Doug has listed on his website.

1. E
2. C#
3. A
4. F#
5. D#
6. C#
7. B
8. A

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 23 Feb 2017 9:12 am

Thanks Brad. The 6-string version I'm using on the demo is as follows:

1. E
2. C#
3. A
4. F#
5. D#
6. B

George Piburn · Post by **George Piburn** » 23 Feb 2017 9:34 am

I really like this demo

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 23 Feb 2017 10:22 am

very cool, Doug! B111th ... IMHO, waaaay under explored.

Andrea Tazzini · Post by **Andrea Tazzini** » 23 Feb 2017 10:43 am

Doug, very interesting, bravo!

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 23 Feb 2017 10:44 am

I would explore that tuning for "Sand" alone.

David M Brown · Post by **David M Brown** » 23 Feb 2017 10:48 am

All of the above, love it!

This is one of my favorite variations in the A6 tuning family. Change the E and C# to B and D#, instant B11 coolness.

Great playing! Lot's of low register stuff, really using the tuning.

And yes, good for "Sand" and "How'd Ya Do".

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 23 Feb 2017 11:06 am

I'm glad you guys like it. I appreciate the comments. I was surprised by the tone coming from this setup. It's just the Gibson direct into a 1970s Fender Princeton Reverb tube amp, 12 watts. No volume pedal, no effects. Just the reverb in the amp. Video recorded on an iPhone.
The Gibson has a lot of low end, and I like that. As far as the tuning and the song... I played major, minor, diminished, 7th, and 9th chords here. B11 has a lot to offer IMO. Problem is, as with many tunings, there are limited positions for the chords. Many times I want to reach for a higher or lower voicing of a certain chord or harmony but it's not available on the tuning. Kind of frustrating when playing certain songs. B11 is very good for songs with lots of 7th and 9th chords though.

Miles Lang · Post by **Miles Lang** » 23 Feb 2017 11:55 am

That sounds like an old Jimmy Smith B3 organ groove.

Bosse Engzell · Post by **Bosse Engzell** » 23 Feb 2017 12:50 pm

This sound so goood as you already know. Here is it hard do find old lap steel, have a National Trojan from?? Acoustic! So inspering to watch you play on the net.

Bosse in Sweden

Guy Cundell · Post by **Guy Cundell** » 23 Feb 2017 4:16 pm

Great stuff, Doug! It might need a name.

Interesting relationship between B11 and F#9.

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 24 Feb 2017 8:57 am

Very nice Doug. As you Know I use the Cma11 as my base tuning which is very close to B11 just a 1/2 step up with a lowered 3rd string by a 1/2 step.

I never consider the B11 tuning. Very interesting.

Bma11 - (L to H) B D# F# A# C# E
B11 - (L to H) B D# F# A C# E - Lowered 3rd string 1/2 step from Bma11.
Bma9 - (L to H) B D# F# A# C# D# - Lowered 1st string 1/2 step from Bma11.
B9 - (L to H) B D# F# A C# D# - Lowered 1st and 3rd string 1/2 step from Bma11.

In my case I see this.
Cma11 - (L to H) C E G B D F
C11 - (L to H) C E G Bb D F - Lowered 3rd string 1/2 step from Cma11.
Cma9 - (L to H) C E G B D E - Lowered 1st string 1/2 step from Cma11.
C9 - (L to H) C E G Bb D E - Lowered 1st and 3rd string 1/2 step from Cma11.

I will have to give this some thought for a while. Interest that I can lower two strings by a half step and four very useful tunings.

I also did something that was really bold. I tuned the bass three strings (654) up an octave. (Yes, I used lighter strings). It gave me some really interesting pedal steel type sounds. I have two six sting steels, One with regular bass string and one with the bass string an octave up. If I get a double neck or a quad neck this could be very interesting!
Thanks Doug!

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 24 Feb 2017 9:20 am

Thanks for the great replies! Michael, yes, it's amazing how lowering (or raising) one string just a 1/2 step can open up a new world of sounds. Keep experimenting and keep us posted.
I've been experimenting lately with open string/barred string chords. In other words, playing barred strings and open strings together. That's what I'm doing in the demo, the main chord riff.

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 24 Feb 2017 1:09 pm

Glad to see you open to experimenting again Michael. As I recall you weren't on board with the idea previously.

Really nice Doug. Like what you are Playing.

I haven't even begun to look at open chords and scales as the possibilities seem endless. But I will get around to it hopefully in this life time.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 24 Feb 2017 4:45 pm

This is the open/barred chord position I used. Bar on fret 5, strings 4, 5, 6, with string 3 open.

[tab]
E------------------------------------
C#-----------------------------------
A-----0-----------------0------------
F#----5---------5-------5--------------
D#----5---------5----------------------
B-----5---------5-------5--------------

E Esus4
[/tab]

Picking as follows produces E, Esus4, E, Esus4. Shuffle

[tab]
E--------------------------------------
C#-------------------------------------
A--------------0-------------0---------
F#---------5---5--5------5---5--5------
D#---------5------5------5------5------
B------5-5---5---------5---5-----------
[/tab]

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 24 Feb 2017 10:14 pm

Out of the four tunings the B9 or in my case C9 is the least useful.

With the B11 or C11 in my case, I really like having the major triad on strings 123. It's Very useful. And it has a whole step up relationship to the major triad on string 456. Also very easy to see.

Bosse Engzell · Post by **Bosse Engzell** » 25 Feb 2017 1:17 am

Thank you for this short TAB!!!

Bosse in Sweden

Ken Morgan · Post by **Ken Morgan** » 25 Feb 2017 4:04 am

This does give a completely different feel...thanks

Jeff Strouse · Post by **Jeff Strouse** » 25 Feb 2017 4:21 am

Very cool Doug! I really enjoyed it...it really opens B11 up!

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 25 Feb 2017 4:22 am

Doug's example is wonderful! IMHO, B11th tuning is so much more than just the tuning you use to play Sand or How D'ya Do. Its possibilities are still fairly unexplored by most players and can offer some surprising sounds if you take the time to check it out.

Here's the computer-generated audio of my arrangement of James Taylor's Fire & Rain from by book of B11th arrangments:

https://soundcloud.com/aev/frb11fade

Here's the last page of the 4-page arrangement that shows the progression for the outro vamp. The vamp starts on the B chord in the above clip at 1:53. The 6-string tuning is the same as Doug's above.

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 25 Feb 2017 9:23 am

Here's a simple chart displaying some of the straight bar chords you can get.

I like how the F and the E on the Bb(b5) chord conflict. You might want to omit the F.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 26 Feb 2017 1:28 pm

Thanks for all the comments and interesting ideas posted in this thread!

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 28 Feb 2017 5:45 am

The B11 tuning has a very unique tonal quality. I always had difficulty playing C6 lap guitar as my pedal steel is a U-12 E9/B6 so I tune my lap steel to a B6 with the C6 chord at the first fret.

Could I assume the C11 chord be at the first fret also or am I all wet on this? I have several lap steels just sitting there and it would be cool to experiment ðŸ‘

Frank Welsh · Post by **Frank Welsh** » 28 Feb 2017 7:36 am

Len Amaral wrote:The B11 tuning has a very unique tonal quality. I always had difficulty playing C6 lap guitar as my pedal steel is a U-12 E9/B6 so I tune my lap steel to a B6 with the C6 chord at the first fret.

Could I assume the C11 chord be at the first fret also or am I all wet on this? I have several lap steels just sitting there and it would be cool to experiment ðŸ‘

Len, you could tune one lap steel to B6th and the other to Bb11th (yes, C11th would be at the first fret). I have found the two tunings (I use a C6th and B11th on my D8 non-pedal steel) to be very complemetary. Having said that, I also play a uni E9/B6 Newman setup and found that going from C6th on non-pedal to B6 on the uni was confusing at first but I got used to it after a while.

You'd be amazed at how many tunings you can hold in your head after some time and practice. Good luck.

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