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Topic: Yet another one neck, one tuning post. Extended Alkire |
Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 9 Sep 2018 7:32 am |
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I'd say the last year has been a long journey. Laid up all last summer with knee problems and all this summer with feet problems, I've had a lot of time on my hands.
Last summer i got back into dobro playing heavily. That led to 8 string ,which led to C6 on an 8 string dobro, which led to re-exploration of lapsteels, which led acquiring a duesneberg, 3 eharps, a clinesmith and now a custom built 12 string built by Sonny Jenkins.
Tunings I've explored G, G6, C6, A6, D, a D/G hybrid, but most importantly, the Alkire tuning. And now, with the 12 string, an extended Alkire adding a bottom A and E . Full tuning bottom to top: E A C# E F F# G G# A B C# E.
I really love the Alkire tuning but missed having a low end. Adding the bottom two strings changed all that. Besides extending the richness of chords by being able to add that low E and A strings, it creates a nice 4 string triad at the bottom with the same intervals as the top 4 strings of a dobro tuning.
Just playing this tuning for the last 24 hours, I can see I may be at the end of a year long journey and found a neck/tuning combination a place to settle for a long time. So many possibilities to explore.
I'm taking another goal of moving 100% to notation and giving up tab. So having one neck, one tuning becomes essential. Just too difficult to learn to sight read on more than one tuning for me. And the extended alkire has so much flexibility.
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 9 Sep 2018 11:38 am
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Bill,
Congrats on your new 12 stringer. It is a beautiful piece!
Here is some documentation that I think will interest you.
The first photo is a numbered format to help in teaching in playing an Alkire arrangement.I got this from someone who told me it was written by Eddie Alkire himself. The chords are provided, the frets above the line, and the strings to play, below the line. It is so simple and takes minimal space. Now the timing is not included so you have to know the song or be familiar with it. So I also include the matching notation.
I have sent you previously samples of Eddie's music notation along with the fret,chord and string selections. This is sort of a short cut method,
You can put this on your Alkire Web Site if you wish. I like the extension you have made to the Alkire set up and you put the right strings there. I have a 12 string acoustic and at some point in time I will try it. 
Roy
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Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Stefan Robertson
From:
Hertfordshire, UK
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Posted 10 Sep 2018 8:00 am
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E and A are interesting choices offering you a M7 drop 2 inversion but the stretch looks huge. You have one m7 Drop 2 voicings once again with a bit of a stretch.
Also still no dom7 drop 2 inversions. No plans for using them? Pedal players have them and Emmons and others utilise them All the time. Its not just Jazz.
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Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com
"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist" |
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