Don Helms’ E6 tuning

[Peter Krebs]

OK. I’m baffled. Everything in this tuning makes sense to me except the A in the bass;
(Hi to Lo: G# E C# B G# E C# A). Why the A in the bass? To have a maj 7th chord (or a m6 chord) on the lower four strings? Please enlighten me! Thanks! PK

[Steven Wilson]

Hey Peter. I don't have the specific answer to your question but check out the thread below yours on "E13 instructional resources". I have been exploring E13 and in the process discovered that I had a Mel Bay book on Don Helms' music which I had purchased from the SGF store, and I confirmed that it is still available there. It's a bit confusing to me because the title says "E13 non-pedal" but quickly goes on to explain that the tuning you describe is actually E6, and that's the tuning Don used for all of the Hank music. I am sure that we will see more knowledgeable answers to the question here, so I look forward to that.

[Jeff Mead]

Don used only the top 6 strings of that tuning almost all of the time.

I believe he treated that neck as 2 seperate tunings - an E6 on the top 6 strigs and, occasionally, a fat A major chord on the bottom 3.

[Joe A. Roberts]

Have you tried playing the tuning? I agree that it seems strange on paper, having what appears to be a fourth down there.
As you hinted in your post, that A in the bass can be the root of an A major 7th or 9th chord, or the third of a rootless F#min9th or even min11th chord.
So when actually playing it, the tuning has a readily obvious, beautiful sound.

If we put the C6th pedal steel tuning in E instead of C, we get, hi-to-lo:
f# G# E C# B G# E C# A E
There's the Don Helms tuning right in the middle 8 strings!

People also use the same middle 8 of pedal C6th on non-pedal pitched in C:
E C A G E C A F
Here's an example from Mike Neer playing the intro to Night Life:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUU1vlz7CV4


Late forum poster Al Marcus used a similar E6th-based tuning in the late 30s and 40s for popular standards, hi-to-lo:
E C# B G# E C# A F# (so foregoing the high G# on top for a low F# instead, snazzy. Can also be easily tuned to the low E root).

I don't think Don Helms used the low A back in the 50s, or maybe I haven't heard an example. He probably added it later, and even then I'm not sure he used it much.

I agree that this family of tunings don't give a "true" E13th sound, but they really do have a unique, lush sound.
I love that major 9th sound these tunings have, I don't use any of them regularly, but I do often retune my B11th D# string down to D to get a straight D major 9th on the top 5 strings:
E C# A F# D C# A B

[Allan Revich]

A C# E G# B plus (C#) E G# B C# E G#

It’s two tunings in one. It’s an 8 string AM9 and a 6 or 7 string E6. It gives you A major chords, E major chords, and C# minor chords—all in root position .Kinda brilliant I think.

[K Maul]

The bottom three strings are a regular A chord which goes well with the B11 tuning Don had on the back neck. It's the same tuning as the very standard C6 with F in the bass string but up 4 half steps to E.

[Mike McBride]

Does he use pedals in this performance?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dXdTAUWM-4

[Tony Oresteen]

Here's Don's tunings from Don:



I plan to set up a D8 someday and try them out.

[Allan Revich]

I think these Helms intervals would make a very useful C6 modification too.

F A C E G A C E

I imagine that some among you have already tried it or are currently using it?

EDIT:
I see that Andy Volk had posted this tuning before, and that it is the same as the bottom eight strings of a 10 string C6 pedal steel tuning.

[Paul Strojan]

I was watching the old clips of Don Helms with Hank Sr. and noticed that there were bar slants not shown in the book. I suspect the book was written after Don recovered from his stroke.
Both the Don Helms and Little Roy Wiggins books are good places to begin steel guitar. Though, I would recommend just going with the C6 version of the tuning and playing 4 frets higher.

[Bill McCloskey]

It gives you a nice Maj7add9 IV chord on the same fret as your root chord.