| 7 String Tuning Options |
| DF#ADF#AD - D major |
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25% |
[ 1 ] |
| DF#BDF#AD - D6 |
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25% |
[ 1 ] |
| DABDF#AD - D6 |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| DGBDF#AD - Gmaj9 |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| DGBDGBD - G major (low D Dobro) |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
| EGBDGBD - Em7/G6 (low E Dobro) |
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50% |
[ 2 ] |
| GBDGBDG - Gmaj (high g Dobro) |
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0% |
[ 0 ] |
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| Total Votes : 4 |
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| Author |
Topic: Help me Tune my B7 |
Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 21 Sep 2019 11:13 am |
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I have my lap steel 6 strings tuned to open D
DADF#AD and I’m pretty happy with this tuning. I do keep one lap steel tuned to Dobro G, GBDGBD just for fun though.
I just bought a lovely Rickenbacker B7 and tuned it to a full open D
DF#ADF#AD and this is working for me.
I’d like to take better advantage of the extra string though. But I don’t want to go to far from the tuning I’m most comfortable with.
One tuning I’ve ruled out is GBDEGBD. I don’t like having the 6 on the 4th string.
Above is a poll with the tunings I’m considering. Given what I’ve said, which tuning would you suggest that I try to make my default?
All tunings are low to high.
_________________
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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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 22 Sep 2019 8:28 am
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Not a lot of help coming my way yet  |
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C. E. Jackson
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David Knutson
From:
Cowichan Valley, Canada
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Posted 22 Sep 2019 10:49 am
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Allan, just my humble opinion here, but I wouldn't want to be too quick to write off the G6 that you are currently not liking - GBDEGBD. Having the 6th tone in the middle of the tuning offers you more ways to voice chords (minors/6ths/9ths) depending on where you place that tone in your "grip".
Also, for melodic playing (for me anyways), the major and minor scales fall into nice tight patterns largely because of the placement of that note. The A6 tuning that Mr. Jackson mentioned is the same intervals, up a full tone.
_________________
David K |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 22 Sep 2019 8:29 pm
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| David Knutson wrote: |
Allan, just my humble opinion here, but I wouldn't want to be too quick to write off the G6 that you are currently not liking - GBDEGBD. Having the 6th tone in the middle of the tuning offers you more ways to voice chords (minors/6ths/9ths) depending on where you place that tone in your "grip".
Also, for melodic playing (for me anyways), the major and minor scales fall into nice tight patterns largely because of the placement of that note. The A6 tuning that Mr. Jackson mentioned is the same intervals, up a full tone. |
This is true... but I hated having that 6 right smack in the middle - I kept bumping into it when I didn’t want to. Maybe when I have more precise muscle memory, but it’s not for me yet.
I also prefer tunings that put the root on the top and the bottom, but that’s not a “deal breaker†for me. |
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Dave Mudgett
From:
Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee
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Posted 22 Sep 2019 9:46 pm
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I think the important question is, "Musically, what do you want to achieve with this new tuning?", and I would probably add, "that you don't already have with your 6-string Open D Vestapol or Open G Dobro tunings?"
Unless the answer is simply that you want to extend or fill in the major triads in those tunings, I'd say you can eliminate the extended Dmaj or Dobro tunings, with the possible exception of Em7/G6. But I'd also eliminate that because that 6th tone is all the way in the bass, which I would not find particularly useful in most playing situations. I just don't think it's a particularly good sounding voicing in most situations.
The two D6 tunings, (low-to-high here and elsewhere) D F# B D F# A D and D A B D F# A D, relative to the D root tone, are 1 3 6 1 3 5 1 and 1 5 6 1 3 5 1, respectively. I assume you're considering these to put a 6th tone more in the middle to get better minor and 6th chord voicings, and IMO, they're better than putting the 6th in the bass. But I still consider these inferior in most situations to what C.E. and David K. are suggesting with G6 and A6 with the 6th tone in the middle. My issue is that they are not close voicings and you don't really get nice minor and 6th chord inversions like you would with G6/A6.
What's left of your candidates? D G B D F# A D - Gmaj9, or 5 1 3 5 7 2 5, or looking at it relative to B, b3 b6 1 b3 5 b7 b3, which highlights the minor 7th on strings 5 through 2. Interesting tuning, but if you are really worried about a simple 6th tone in the middle of the tuning confusing your fingers, what are you gonna do with this?
My opinion - if you want a good, straightforward 6th tuning with the 5 tone on top, G6 or A6 as C.E. and David K. suggest. If you want one with the 3rd on top, I'd go with C6, something like A C E G A C E, where the bottom string can easily be lowered to G for G C E G A C E. These are very standard, tried and true tunings that lots and lots of players use. Seriously - IMO, if you're gonna do anything beyond a simple major triadic tuning, you're gonna just have to get used to avoiding strings that are "in the way", and the time to start doing that is sooner, rather than later.
You asked. I'd go C6 or A6, depending on whether I wanted the top tone to be 3 or 5. There's a reason so many players use these tunings. And it's pretty easy to retune between these with the same set of strings. |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 23 Sep 2019 7:36 am
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| Dave Mudgett wrote: |
I think the important question is, "Musically, what do you want to achieve with this new tuning?", and I would probably add, "that you don't already have with your 6-string Open D Vestapol or Open G Dobro tunings�
—— edit ——
My opinion - if you want a good, straightforward 6th tuning with the 5 tone on top, G6 or A6 as C.E. and David K. suggest. If you want one with the 3rd on top, I'd go with C6, something like A C E G A C E, where the bottom string can easily be lowered to G for G C E G A C E. These are very standard, tried and true tunings that lots and lots of players use. Seriously - IMO, if you're gonna do anything beyond a simple major triadic tuning, you're gonna just have to get used to avoiding strings that are "in the way", and the time to start doing that is sooner, rather than later.
You asked. I'd go C6 or A6, depending on whether I wanted the top tone to be 3 or 5. There's a reason so many players use these tunings. And it's pretty easy to retune between these with the same set of strings. |
Good advice, and very thoughtfully conveyed. I should probably pay attention to it!
Thanks.
_________________
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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Tom Snook
From:
Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2019 9:33 am
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Jerry Byrds C6/A7
ALOHA
_________________
I wanna go back to my little grass shack........ |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 24 Sep 2019 10:46 am Thoughts on this tuning?
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DABDF#AD
Thinking about the question posed, “what do I want to accomplish with this tuning that I can’t get with [my open D]?
Basically, I want the option of a straight bar minor chord, that doesn’t sound messy if I screw up and tap a string by accident.
The 7 string tunings that worked best for me so far have been:
DF#ADF#AD (Open D, but no minor triad)
DF#BDF#AD
But replacing the low F# with the A might make more sense.
Thoughts? |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 24 Sep 2019 5:14 pm Re: Thoughts on this tuning?
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| Allan Revich wrote: |
DABDF#AD
Thinking about the question posed, “what do I want to accomplish with this tuning that I can’t get with [my open D]?
Basically, I want the option of a straight bar minor chord, that doesn’t sound messy if I screw up and tap a string by accident.
The 7 string tunings that worked best for me so far have been:
DF#ADF#AD (Open D, but no minor triad)
DF#BDF#AD
But replacing the low F# with the A might make more sense.
Thoughts? |
I'd tune that string to G. It gives you a different major chord on the low strings so that you don't have to jump 5 or 7 frets every time there's a chord change.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Bill McCloskey
From:
Nanuet, NY
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Posted 24 Sep 2019 6:05 pm
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Any time I m trying to make a decision like this, I go to https://www.hawaiiansteel.com/chordlocator/generic.php
Ely’s Site let’s you enter 3 different custom tunings at a time, then do a side by side on all chord grips, inversions, scales .. best way I know to compare without an instrument needed |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 25 Sep 2019 8:20 am Thanks to Everybody that Pitched in!
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Thanks to your suggestions and my experimenting, I’ve narrowed it down to three tunings.
Most useful = DGBDF#AD (2 majors + 1 minor + 6 + m7)
Most Simple = DF#ADF#AD (1 major) a rootless m7 in a pinch
Compromise = DF#BDF#AD (1 major + 1 minor + 6 + m7)
Now it’s time to get busy actually playing my instrument!
_________________
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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