Cma11 Tuning

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 25 Aug 2013 3:38 pm

Hi Michael!
I like your tuning. It has B11, A6 sounds and a few
of it's own voicings. Neat!
This tune captures some Hawaiian, pop and country.
Hope you find it to your interest and thanks for sharing it on the forum. I had an enjoyable time working with it yesterday and today.

Link MJ and RT
http://picosong.com/yY3c

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 25 Aug 2013 3:45 pm

Wow, Beautiful! The song has a very romantic sound.

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 26 Aug 2013 9:16 am

yeah, beautiful Roy. I love the sustain and tone. Your playing is so smooth. ...like Ralph Moony.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 26 Aug 2013 9:54 am

Roy sounds great on any tuning, but especially on this one.

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 28 Aug 2013 3:31 am

Thanks!
I like Mike Ihde's name for the tuning Cmaj7/9 add 11
I play the Alkire and Diatonic tunings and this is not the same at all in that you don't have the
half tone intervals to deal with. James setup is much more friendly.
Aside from the technicalities, Diatonic is misleading, I think anyway.
On another note this would make a nice pedal tuning for a 6 string but I do like the natural sound without. Just my thoughts.
My name " The James Tuning"

RT

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 28 Aug 2013 5:09 am

I second the "James" tuning.
I've been having a BLAST with this tuning!

Thanks again Michael!

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 15 Sep 2013 7:45 am

Must....bump...to...the....top.....

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 15 Sep 2013 7:52 am

I'm glad you like it. I have to remake some of the vids. I can do a better job of explaining things.

Jay Fagerlie · Post by **Jay Fagerlie** » 15 Sep 2013 8:28 am

I put it on my 8 string Magnatone and added a G on the top and a G on the bottom-
I find myself playing this tuning a lot.

It is so fun, I find it makes me want to play for longer periods of time. Thanks for that Michael.

Jay

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 15 Sep 2013 9:43 am

Very interesting. I don't have an 8 string but I can see some of the nice possibilities.

Jouni Karvonen · Post by **Jouni Karvonen** » 22 Sep 2013 7:04 am

An excellent tuning for a tricone, too. Wow!

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 21 Oct 2013 11:01 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ03Wo41wZk

This is a video of my dear friend Jack Sobotta. Jack is an old time country and gospel musician. He played guitar and pedal steel for many years along with his wife Ethel on bass.
About seven years ago Jack lost some feeling in his left hand. This made playing guitar (his primary instrument) impossible. He had played pedal steel but never owned an instrument, and duo to other health issues couldn't really play it either so he gave the pedal steel back the person who loaned it to him.
So for the past seven years Jack has not been able to play any musical instruments. About a month ago I was helping Jack with his computer when I decided to let him know I was playing the lap steel. I wasn't sure if I should let him know or not. I wasn't sure if he could play the lap steel or not? I didn't want to rub it in as Jack is my friend and I care deeply for him.
I then showed him this youtube channel and the videos I made. Jack showed great interest and thought he could play it. So I decided to let him use my spare six string lap steel. That was about a month ago. Today I went over to his house and we played the old song "Fraulein". We only played it once before I decided to record it. I didn't know the song.
It bring great joy to my heart to see Jack play music. FYI he is using the "James Tuning" CEGBDF

Randy Reeves · Post by **Randy Reeves** » 21 Oct 2013 4:08 pm

that was great. I want to meet Jack. I could learn a great deal from him.

Ray Langley · Post by **Ray Langley** » 21 Feb 2014 8:18 am

Hatâ€™s off to Michael James! In late 2008 I began to study lap steel, mostly in Open D/E tuning. In early 2009 I was so enthused that I started up a yahoo group for Lap Steel Guitar. Like many others before me I got lost in the abyss of trying to create the perfect tuning for the things I wanted to do with the instrument. In fact, I got so overwhelmed with the process that I finally gave up for a few years. But, now Iâ€™m starting over with your tuning, after becoming somewhat familiar with C6th.

At the risk of getting splattered with rotten eggs, I am not nuts about Hawaiian, Western Swing, or â€œOld-Timeyâ€ Country Music. My ultimate goal was to play some kind of a chord-melody system on the lap steel. I want to sound like the â€œMJ and RTâ€ song that Roy Thomson posted here in this thread. One of the features I have been lusting after is the ability to play a full four-note dominant 7th chord.

So, does anyone have any tabs for anything in this tuning? Eventually I hope to be able to make my own arrangements, but in the meantime, I could use some training wheels.

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 21 Feb 2014 12:52 pm

CM9 C Major 9th
Em7b13/C E/C Minor 7th Flat 13th
D13sus2sus4/C D/C 13th Suspended 2nd Suspended 4th

Is your tuning. Good choice however you would get more chords with a Cm9

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 26 Apr 2014 9:39 pm

Hi
I still play my steel a lot. I have been refining a lot of chord and scale systems in the tuning. I am about ready to remake some of the old video as well as make some new ones. My technique has improved a lot. I still have a long way go.

My biggest discovery is of a simple way to play dominant 7th chord with color tones. Altered and natural tones. Chords like G7b13, G7b9, G9#11, and G9sus with many inversions. I can't wait to make the video for it.
As a jazz player I now feel the tuning can play any jazz song with the chords that will sound authentic.
I have been giving the name of the tuning some thought. I was thinking "C Hexachord Tuning" or "C Hexatonic". Any thoughts? If I'm way off base on one of these terms please let me know.
Thanks
mj

Len Amaral · Post by **Len Amaral** » 27 Apr 2014 8:15 am

I like experimenting with different tunings but find it user friendly to take a grouping of strings that I am already familiar with. I play a U-12 pedal steel. This is the next tuning on my 8 string lap steel I am going to try. Realize that holding the RKR
lowering strings 4 & 8 (E to Ed) on the U-12 this tuning on the 8 string lap is from strings 4 to 11 on the U-12 as follows high to low:

string 1 (Ed) .014
2 (B) .017
3 (G#) .020
4 (F#) .024.....wound
5 (Ed) .030
6 (B) .036
7 (G#) .042
8 (E) .054

Have not tried this yet but easy enough to get the feeling and vibe sitting at my U-12 holding the RKR in lowering 4 & 8

Any thoughts are appreciated?

Lenny

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 28 Apr 2014 8:53 pm

Hi Friends
I just finished the video on how to play dominant 7th chords with tensions. I hope you find it useful.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XO5jm2e29dQ

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 28 Apr 2014 9:05 pm

Hi Friends

For those of you who weren't around when I first introduced this, here's a YouTube play list of all the instructional videos I have for the C Tuning(CEGBDF).

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... 5jDU6MCGXZ

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 29 Apr 2014 5:37 am

Great discussion. I use the same tuning setup for an 8/10/12 string.

How many chords/voicings are in your tuning? Advantages/Disadvantages?

Full 3/4/5/6/7 note chord possibilities on a 10/12 string and Almost All on an 8 String : All tunings listed below are Lo â€“ Hi â€“ Strings.

8 String â€“ Em11: E, G, B, D, F, A, C, D or E (Except minor 6th Chords fully a drop 2/3 voicing is required and 13th Chords. If you Tune your 1st string D to an E all 13th chords will be available but you will lose your 6th chords )

10 String -CM13/Em13: C, E, G, B, D, F, A, C, D, E (All Chords and Fast Soloing on 1st 4 strings)

12 String â€“ CM13/Em13: C, E, G, B, D, F, A, C, D, E, G, A (All Chords & Fast Soloing on 1st 6 strings)

SOURCE: http://ilapsteel.wordpress.com/2014/01/ ... ur-tuning/

Great videos. Great discussion. I can't call it the James tuning as I been using it before and as stressed by earlier discussion that having a full thirteenth chords enables the full gamut of chordal possibilities. Been there tried it tested it.

I call my tuning the "Theory Tuning" Try adding more strings. Enjoy. Keep Steelin' alive.

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 29 Apr 2014 6:01 am

http://ilapsteel.wordpress.com/chords/

There is the list of chords in my tuning with fretboard layout. In a closed bar position with no open strings.

Obviously the list of open string chords can get quite extensive. But all chords listed are moveable to any key/note.

The Theory Tuning

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 29 Apr 2014 6:04 am

One Tuning ALL chords needed.

No need to retune. That's why I love it.

Michael James · Post by **Michael James** » 29 Apr 2014 8:17 am

Wow, 12 Strings. Very interesting. Glad you like the tuning.

C. E. Jackson · Post by **C. E. Jackson** » 29 Apr 2014 4:49 pm

Very nice, Roy. Thanks for posting.

Stefan Robertson · Post by **Stefan Robertson** » 30 Apr 2014 1:02 am

My "Theory Tuning" All chords possible in a closed bar position are listed on my site. 4/5/6/7 full chords. Approach it from the lowest to highest like a guitar. You'll find them easily. I listed note names as opposed to fret numbers cause it helps when learning the fretboard.

There is a fretboard layout as well. All charts and images can be clicked on to enlarge. This has been years of study but I hope you enjoy playing the lap steel as a primary solo instrument with full chords. I was similar to Michael coming from guitar couldn't believe this was the case. Enjoy.

http://ilapsteel.wordpress.com/chords/

The Steel Guitar Forum

Cma11 Tuning

Old Friend Re-United With Music.

Tuning Name Ect..

Dominant 7th Chord Tensions.

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12 Strings