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Topic: Yet another tuning change |
Paul Spafford
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 6 Jul 2020 10:41 am |
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Just restrung my lap steel to my usual double E6 tuning (C#EG#BC#E). Restrung my square-neck resonator (which I try to play like an acoustic lap steel of sorts) to high G. Gotta say, I'm really loving the high G (yet again).
But I think that may just be what I say every time I change tuning. Not the first time I've tried High G, but I swear it works better this time.
Stay tuned for the next time I decide to try a new tuning as the one-size-fits-all. Happens regularly. 
Anyone else a little squirrel-like on deciding which is the ideal tuning? I know that the answer is most likely that I'm supposed to have a few that I use depending on the situation. Since I already play mandolin, tenor banjo, and five-string banjo, multiple tunings on one instrument is just more than my poor little brain can handle. |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 7 Jul 2020 10:57 pm
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Maybe it’s a Canadian disease?
I’ve found the perfect tuning for the final time.... about 10 times!
Currently I’m on gGBDFAD for 7-string and gGDFAD for 6-string
_________________
Current Tunings:
6 String | G – D G D G B D
7 String | G9 – D G B D F A D
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database |
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Paul Spafford
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 8 Jul 2020 7:32 am
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You're obviously not hearing me, Allan. The absolute last thing I need to hear about is more potential tunings!
That being said, that re-entrant G9 looks cool. I'll probably end up trying it at some point. |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 8 Jul 2020 9:09 am
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| Paul Spafford wrote: |
You're obviously not hearing me, Allan. The absolute last thing I need to hear about is more potential tunings!
That being said, that re-entrant G9 looks cool. I'll probably end up trying it at some point. |
It would seem to make more sense to do the 6-string G9, GBDFAD, and for a while that was my main tuning. The problem with that tuning is you lose the advantages of having the root at octave intervals like you get with 1-3-5-1-3-5 or 1-5-1-3-5-1 tunings. I found that I didn’t miss the 3rd as much as I missed the octave. I still have octave D and the minor 3rd on top. |
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Paul Spafford
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 8 Jul 2020 5:44 pm
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| Nice! I play the blues (poorly until I find the ideal tuning, of course), so like you, the octave and the dominant are important. Having the 9 chord so accessible is pretty sweet! |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 8 Jul 2020 6:34 pm
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You want the ideal tuning? try a 10 string eharp tuning. 56 unique chords to the fret:
Some examples a few years ago when I was first starting to explore it:
The jazz tune Lady Bird: https://youtu.be/NU2tZvSj4lk
noodling around on the changes to summertime https://youtu.be/arzr2QPpC-Y
and just a blues https://youtu.be/LnFf9SRPKZM
I took some time off the tuning but back now and going through the Alkire method from the very beginning. (see my many posts on the subject). You'll spend the rest of your life exploring the possibilities. |
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Paul Spafford
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 10 Jul 2020 10:42 am
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Very cool, Bill; that's pretty close to rocket science in my eyes. I'm trying to play closer to the style of Muddy Waters (although he obviously didn't play lap style) or Casey Bill Weldon, so I think that tuning (and that many strings) would hurt my brain.
In the days since I did the original post, I have messed about with high G a bit, and am now considering low G again. If I could ever have stuck with one tuning in the three or so years I've owned these things, I might actually be able to play acceptably.  |
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Joe Breeden
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 18 Jul 2020 9:45 am
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| Hey Paul. What are your picking patterns when you're playing your lap steel "Acoustic Style", as you mentioned. I toy with that idea a little, when messing with some blues. |
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Paul Spafford
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 20 Jul 2020 7:00 am
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| Joe Breeden wrote: |
| Hey Paul. What are your picking patterns when you're playing your lap steel "Acoustic Style", as you mentioned. I toy with that idea a little, when messing with some blues. |
I was afraid someone would ask me that, Joe. Here's where I confess what may permanently flag me with a status of "hack".
I swear I've tried and I've tried, but I just haven't been able to get used to thumb and/or finger picks (which I understand means I haven't tried and tried enough). For a while I tried bare fingers and that felt better, but sounded lousy (especially on the acoustic beast); I like to hear some attack (which may derive from years of playing mandolin). So I flat pick.
I've been happy with the full sound I can get on all my other instruments using the flatpick (even banjo!), so I'm thinking I may be able to get somewhere with this someday.
So my current picking pattern involves L shapes and back-and-forth with various strings. That's about the best I can describe it at this point. I'm still exploring the limitations and ways to embrace or get around them. |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 20 Jul 2020 12:30 pm
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| Paul Spafford wrote: |
| Joe Breeden wrote: |
| Hey Paul. What are your picking patterns when you're playing your lap steel "Acoustic Style", as you mentioned. I toy with that idea a little, when messing with some blues. |
I was afraid someone would ask me that, Joe. Here's where I confess what may permanently flag me with a status of "hack".
I swear I've tried and I've tried, but I just haven't been able to get used to thumb and/or finger picks (which I understand means I haven't tried and tried enough). For a while I tried bare fingers and that felt better, but sounded lousy (especially on the acoustic beast); I like to hear some attack (which may derive from years of playing mandolin). So I flat pick.
I've been happy with the full sound I can get on all my other instruments using the flatpick (even banjo!), so I'm thinking I may be able to get somewhere with this someday.
So my current picking pattern involves L shapes and back-and-forth with various strings. That's about the best I can describe it at this point. I'm still exploring the limitations and ways to embrace or get around them. |
LOL! Something else we have in common besides being Canadian Tuning Junkies. I also flatpick. |
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Paul Spafford
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 20 Jul 2020 12:44 pm
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| Allan Revich wrote: |
LOL! Something else we have in common besides being Canadian Tuning Junkies. I also flatpick. |
And we practically live on the same block!
Are there any good YouTube videos that have helped you along the way? I watched one that showed Tut Taylor's method, but haven't found much else. |
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Bengt Erlandsen
From:
Brekstad, NORWAY
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Posted 21 Jul 2020 1:39 am
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I did use the C# E G# B C# E tuning for regular slide guitar
when trying to emulate some steel-guitar sounding stuffs. It allows for some easy major/minor 6th interval slants and I liked it a lot. That particular tuning also made it obvious to me that I really needed more than 6 strings and eventually led me to buying my first 10 string pedal-steel.
If you have some other band members playing the bass and maybe some chords then this C# E G# B C# E tuning is lots of fun I think.
B.Erlandsen
Last edited by Bengt Erlandsen on 21 Jul 2020 11:45 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Paul Spafford
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 21 Jul 2020 7:08 am
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| Bengt Erlandsen wrote: |
| If you have some other band members playing the bass and maybe some chords then this C# E G# B C# E tuning is lots of fun I think. |
Thanks, Bengt. I certainly did enjoy the ease of getting to low five from the one (and vice versa) via the six or dominant. But you're right about needing other band members. At this point, I'm a lone wolf (and quite enjoying it on other instruments), so I'm trying to find a way to make that work on this instrument.
I think Low G may be the beast to help me get there, but - obviously - I reserve the right to change my mind multiple times! |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 26 Jul 2020 11:45 am
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| Paul Spafford wrote: |
| Allan Revich wrote: |
LOL! Something else we have in common besides being Canadian Tuning Junkies. I also flatpick. |
And we practically live on the same block!
Are there any good YouTube videos that have helped you along the way? I watched one that showed Tut Taylor's method, but haven't found much else. |
I enjoy watching the British lap steel blues/rock player, “Nellyâ€. I can’t say it’s helped me, but I like his rawkin’ playing and he also uses a flatpick.
I’ve also decided to go back to GBDFAD (no reentrant “gâ€) for my six string tuning. It’s more versatile with the 3rd included. |
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Paul Spafford
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 28 Jul 2020 7:17 pm
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| Thanks, Allan. I’ll check out Nelly |
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Joe Breeden
From:
Virginia, USA
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Posted 30 Jul 2020 6:20 pm
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| Paul, this might help. Go to youtube, "How to flat pick the Dobro", by Corey Lee McQuade. I don't know how to put the link here, for you to click on. Joe |
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Paul Spafford
From:
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 30 Jul 2020 9:33 pm
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| Joe Breeden wrote: |
| Paul, this might help. Go to youtube, "How to flat pick the Dobro", by Corey Lee McQuade. I don't know how to put the link here, for you to click on. Joe |
That’s a good one, Joe. That’s the Tut Taylor one that I mentioned. Thanks so much! |
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