"Dave Easley" rockin the C6th with a different so

Alex Piazza · Post by **Alex Piazza** » 20 Jun 2007 8:51 am

A week ago I saw a guy named dave easley playing at a small club in arkansas. He was amazing! The licks he was playing were very blusey, almost sacred steel sounding, with a little bit of jazz. I though that there was no way he was using c6th, but sure enough he was. I was under the impression that the c6th was more geared towards the western swing sound. obviously not in this case. Ive never been inspired to get a double neck until seeing dave play. Is the c6th similar to the sacred steel tuning? Is the c6th just way more versitle than the e9th?

Charles Davidson · Post by **Charles Davidson** » 20 Jun 2007 10:57 am

As I have said before,I'm a C6th NUT,About 80 persent of my playing is on the 6th neck.My favorite 6th playing by guys like Cohen,Herbie,Buddy,Doug,is the old jazz and big band standards.

Fred Glave · Post by **Fred Glave** » 20 Jun 2007 11:44 am

Playing in the 6th mode can be very bluesy, jazzy, swingy, and country. Everything you need is there. If you have an E9 you can do a lot too with your E to Eb lever. A good steeler can play those old blues guitarists under the table (imho).

David Doggett · Post by **David Doggett** » 20 Jun 2007 12:28 pm

You can play any kind of music on either E9 or C6. I don't think most steelers would characterize either neck as being more or less versatile than the other. But people have their preferences. Lloyd Green does it all on E9. David Easley uses C6 alot. I'm pretty sure Easley could play music that sounds similar to what you heard on E9. The Sacred Steelers mostly use E7 on pedal steel. It is closer to extended E9 than to C6. I play blues on an E9/B6 S12 universal. Coming from open E slide guitar, I find blues mostly lays out better in E9 mode, but I slip into B6 mode sometimes to throw in some jazz chords.

Mike Hoover · Post by **Mike Hoover** » 20 Jun 2007 6:54 pm

Alex,

Glad you saw the great David play. He is an amazing picker, He will blow you away with jazz when he has his favorite bass player with him, can't remember his name. I have seen David play several times on the gulf coast and he can really play. He can also blow you away with the E9 neck, he can play E9 with any one, but rarely ever does, like jazz too much. He will be on the DSSGA show on June 30 at Biloxi.

Mike

Billy Carr · Post by **Billy Carr** » 21 Jun 2007 1:46 am

Dave is a great C6th player. Very interesting approach to his phrasing and chord work.

Bob Hoffnar · Post by **Bob Hoffnar** » 21 Jun 2007 6:19 am

Alex:

Is the c6th just way more versitle than the e9th?

Dave Easley is one of the best steel players that ever lived. His jazz on the steel is the deepest I have ever heard. There is nobody like Dave !

Mike Phillips · Post by **Mike Phillips** » 21 Jun 2007 6:53 am

My neighbor and friend Bob speaks the truth! Again!

Check out Dave Easley on the records by the Brian Blade Fellowship. That was how I discovered him. Great records, everyone plays fantastic, and the pedal steel work on it is truly unique and inspiring.

Mike[/b]

Alex Piazza · Post by **Alex Piazza** » 21 Jun 2007 7:02 am

Daves one of those guys that either makes you want to really get into it or just give up. I guess a good player can do anything on any neck. Are there any videos out there that show a different approach to the e9th? jazz,blues?

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 21 Jun 2007 7:46 am

I use my C6th mostly for folk and blues. I came late to the C6th. I know my jazz chords better on E9th. If a song has complex chords, I play it on E9th.

For western swing, I think of E9th as akin to the A6 and E13 non-pedal tunings. Nobody around here complains if I swing on the E9th. Of course, California ain't Texas, either.

Bob Watson · Post by **Bob Watson** » 21 Jun 2007 8:23 pm

Another interesting aspect about Dave's playing is that most of the single note stuff he does is without pedals. He told me that he uses the 4th pedal along with the C to B knee lever to get the whole step unison licks that rock guitarists use all the time, but thats about it. He also uses a G on the top string instead of the D. He truly is an amazing player and also one of the nicest people that you will ever meet.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 22 Jun 2007 1:54 am

Everybody should just buy "3now4":
http://pedalsteelmusic.com/music/daveeasley.html
There's no piano or rhythm guitar, Dave does it all. Frankly, he'd just bowl them over with too much swing. His solos touch on everything from Louis Armstrong to Hendrix and Coltrane - wide-open ears, that boy.

Doug Seymour · Post by **Doug Seymour** » 22 Jun 2007 7:59 am

In April of 2000 I got an Excel keyless S10 from Scotty, it's not a Superb, I wish it was, but it weighs
37# in the case, 25# set up and Scotty said this should be a great steel for a 71 year old! It's the only choice I have & I miss the other neck (E9th) but I know in spite of playing C6th ever since the late 40s, I haven't found all the possibilities in that tuning yet!
It was an E9th guitar with 3 pedals & 5 knees, but I set it up C6th with the normal P7 on my RKL. I have used that set up ever since I got a S12 MSA from Reese
in February of 1973. I saw it on Weldon's D10 in Winnie's book & I thought I liked the idea! Now I couldn't do it any other way. Only one foot on the pedals!!

Scott Swartz · Post by **Scott Swartz** » 22 Jun 2007 9:43 am

You can hear some 3 now 4 at Dave's myspace

http://www.myspace.com/davefeasley

Jeff Lampert · Post by **Jeff Lampert** » 22 Jun 2007 7:10 pm

I was under the impression that the c6th was more geared towards the western swing sound

The C6 neck has harmonic capabilities far beyond Western swing. In fact, by combining a wide range of notes including low bass tones, with a great range of extended chord options, it provides extensive capabilites for playing many forms of jazz, funk, blues, rock, etc.

A good example is the tune "Uganda" on Dave E.'s myspace page. Basically a modal tune with some very interesting extended soloing and chord padding, all done on C6 I assume. One example showing the capabilites of that tuning.

C6 also has tremendous range for traditional and bebop jazz playing, with support for much of the complex and beautiful types of jazz intervals, chords, and harmonies.

Roland Buras · Post by **Roland Buras** » 23 Jun 2007 5:30 am

Dave is inspiring to many. My Daughter Sera has done several gigs with Dave here on the Gulf coast and New Orleans. The first time i heard Dave easely was here at home at the DSSG Ms Gulf coast steel guitar show. Dave captured the audience and the attention of every steeler and guitar player in the house. what talent. Dave will be one of the featured steelers this June 30th at the DSSG steel guitar show. You can get driving directions and more information about the show on the events and announcements page.

R J Buras
Excel Superb SD12 9x7
{Love that Blues}

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 23 Jun 2007 9:22 am

FWIW, one of my customers returned the "3now4" CD saying that it "isn't a steel guitar album". Dave's tone and approach to the instrument make it sound more like a standard guitar. He uses amp distortion, and the songs are of the modern rock fusion school of jazz.

Folks who always prefer clean steel and/or traditional jazz might not like it. His modern, leading edge music is not everyone's cup of tea.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 23 Jun 2007 10:50 am

Dave Easley is a monster and can play pretty much anything he chooses to. One of the characteristics of his playing is the absence of steel guitar cliches. Many steel players when they approach the C6th neck take an approach that is more on the 'western swing' side. While it is true that the standard C6th copedents are 'optimized' for producing chord voicings of the jazz of a half century ago, that doesn't limit the instrument. Dave Easley is a perfect example of this (a great musician doing what ever he wants with the C6th tuning).

Jeff Lampert · Post by **Jeff Lampert** » 23 Jun 2007 12:03 pm

the standard C6th copedents are 'optimized' for producing chord voicings of the jazz of a half century ago

Dan, "the jazz of a half century ago" is, in fact, the jazz that many, if not most, pianists, horn players, and guitarists choose to play in the 21st century. A Youtube search for "jazz guitar" shows people love the traditional and bebop standards, gypsy stylings, and jazz blues, and frankly, they have stood the test of time after all these years and continue to be played by many incredibly accomplished players.

My visits to some jazz forums show that this is what people are talking about. Also what is being played at jazz recitals, etc. A search for "Donna Lee" shows how many great guitarists consider that a rites of passage.

I feel that referring to it as traditional jazz, or bebop, or big band is a better way of describing the idiom. Thanks. .. Jeff

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 23 Jun 2007 2:38 pm

I feel that referring to it as traditional jazz, or bebop, or big band is a better way of describing the idiom. Thanks. .. Jeff

OK, I stand corrected.

Just don't call it modern jazz

In any case, we can agree that Easley totally kills the C6th tuning, and gives lyrical evidence to the argument that the C6th tuning isn't buttonholed into any particular style.

b0b · Post by **b0b** » 23 Jun 2007 3:11 pm

Dan Tyack wrote:
I feel that referring to it as traditional jazz, or bebop, or big band is a better way of describing the idiom. Thanks. .. Jeff
OK, I stand corrected.

Just don't call it modern jazz

Modern jazz came later, in the 60's.

Dan Tyack · Post by **Dan Tyack** » 23 Jun 2007 4:21 pm

A good point, b0b, especially if you include under the 'modern jazz' term the the Bill Evans trio and the John Coltrane quartet, which formed in 1959 and 1960, respectively. McCoy Tyner and Bill Evans to me were two of the musicians who were most critical in the development of 'post-bebop' harmonization.

David Mason · Post by **David Mason** » 24 Jun 2007 1:38 am

From the few conversations I've had with Dave Easley, he started in the usual 60's rock trajectory with standard guitar - Beatles, Byrds, Cream, Hendrix etc. He can still play Hendrixians on a steel guitar with a wahwah (he uses a Mesa Boogie amp!) and his guitar leads on the Heartifacts stuff have a very thematic, Garcia-like quality. However, it was the very "modern" horn guys Coltrane and Ornette Coleman that really kicked him into an alternate universe - to my ear, his chord work has some of that ambiguous quartal stuff that Coltrane's pianist McCoy Tyner was famous for. He's the only steel guitarist besides Doug Jernigan that I've heard who seemingly has no need for a pianist or rhythm guitar. Dave's also been playing with sarod master Ashish Khan lately - uh oh.

Roland Buras · Post by **Roland Buras** » 24 Jun 2007 7:12 am

Hey David hope you get to make to the DSSG show here on the Ms Gulf coast june 30th. Your playing is really awesome. David Mason, Brooks, and Dave easley, what a trio / Combo. Folks' these guy's come together and make some music. Sera might even get in the mix.

R J Buras
Excell Superb SD12

The Steel Guitar Forum

"Dave Easley" rockin the C6th with a different so

"Dave Easley" rockin the C6th with a different so

David Easley

DE

C6th

Dave Easely

UH, OH !