Tunings for 8-strings non-pedal steel

Tele · Post by **Tele** » 24 Jun 2000 11:53 am

Hi

I need another tuning for a triple 8 steel. I already use C6th and E13th , should I consider a minor tuning?

I like the music of Hank Thompson, Carl Smith, Ray Price ...so mostly 1950s country and western but also 1940s western swing.

Which tuning would be useful along with the 2 others, who used it, maybe on which recording?

Thanks in advance
Andy

Earnest Bovine · Post by **Earnest Bovine** » 24 Jun 2000 12:14 pm

You could try a diatonic sclae like Jerry Byrd:
E
D
C
B
A
G
F
E
or something like that. I think Jerry's 7 string omits the D.

Rick Collins · Post by **Rick Collins** » 24 Jun 2000 4:13 pm

Tele,
The next logical tuning for that era, 40's and 50's, country and western swing, would be the A6th. Herb Remington uses this tuning.
E
C#
A
F#
E
C#
A
F#

Rick

Maurie Junod · Post by **Maurie Junod** » 24 Jun 2000 4:44 pm

Hi Tele,

I would go along with Rick in recommending
the A6 th tuning as a third option. I have
found that I can play more all round music
in A6 th. than any other tuning that I have
tried. After one gets accoustomed to playing
A6 th. it is easy to go to C6th with a G on
the top string. With that the C6 songs can
be played from the second string down, and
when using the top string it's like playing
in a lowered A6. Many of the Hawaiians use
this tuning while bringing in some nice open
string effects in conjunction with adlibs at
the second fret.

Go for A6th. Maurie

Bob Kagy · Post by **Bob Kagy** » 25 Jun 2000 8:45 am

For western swing, I'll add my vote to the A6th in spite of how interesting the diatonic tuning is.

Also see Brad's Page of Steel for tunings of others such as Leon McAuliffe, who played for Bob Wills at one time:
www.well.com/~wellvis/steel.html

Rich Young · Post by **Rich Young** » 25 Jun 2000 10:44 am

If you already have C6th, isn't A6th the same down a minor third? What would be the advantages? The low notes on open tunings?
The reason I'm asking is, I just got a stringmaster D8, have the C6th on the close neck, and haven't even put strings on the othere neck yet. Trying to decide what to use.

Bob Kagy · Post by **Bob Kagy** » 25 Jun 2000 4:02 pm

Rich, you're right, it can be. But lots of times the older C6th tunings didn't have the high G string, so it had a different bass structure:

<pre>
E
C
A
G
E
C
A
G
</pre>

There's also IMO a very desirable variation of the C6th tuning that Jerry Byrd used to gain more chord options; it's the C6th/A7th tuning:

<pre>
E
C
A
G
E
C#
C
A
</pre>

Strings 8, 6, 5, 4 & 3 form the A7th while all other strings form the C6th notes. It changes the grips, and the tuning is no longer a "strum" tuning, but it offers more chord possibilities.

Plus with this variation, you can retune the C# to a D and get a C major pentatonic that offers nice scale/mode patterns.

Hope this helps, Bob

Bill Findlay · Post by **Bill Findlay** » 25 Jun 2000 4:03 pm

G6th works good if you plan on playing and Blue Grass style tunes. Approches the sound of the Dobro. A6th is also good for a third neck.. <pre>
G6th D .016 A6th E .014
B .018 C# .017
G .026W A .022
E .030W F# .026W
D .036W E .030W
B .046W C# .034W
G .056W A .042W
E .058W F# .052W </pre>[This message was edited by b0b on 27 June 2000 at 12:46 PM.]

Jay Jessup · Post by **Jay Jessup** » 26 Jun 2000 10:04 am

Andy,
Another advantage of choosing A6'th for that last neck is that you can get to B11 by just dropping that mid E a half tone. B11 has lots of good 9'th style chord sounds and is a tuning that works great for a lot of the popular Hawaiian tunes.

Fred Layman · Post by **Fred Layman** » 26 Jun 2000 9:02 pm

I have E7th on the outside neck, A6 on the middle neck, and C6 (with G on top) on the inside neck. I am actually tuning to a A6/7 and a C6/7 by tuning the 8th string in each case to a dominant 7th, which works out well for I7 - IV and I, IV, V7 progressions.

I got started on E7 and A6 years ago when the Fender brochure was recommending those tunings for their Stringmasters. To my ear, it is easier to get more "country" (as distinct from Western Swing) chords. Jerry Byrd also used this tuning on several of his albums.

However, the tuning is rather limited for pop, swing or jazz. I have occasionally tuned the 5th string to C# to get an E6th that has more possibilities.

My A6 and C6 have identical intervals between all strings. I simply like the convenience of being able to use the A6 lower tuning when I run out of frets going to the left on the C6 and don't want to play above the 12th fret. As indicated, the A6 can also be changed out easily to the B11 tuning. I also want to experiment with the E13 tuning, expecially b0b's setup with the root and 3rd above the 6th (third) string. (See his links to Tunings on the opening page of the Forum).

By the way, the E7 I'm using, from smallest to largest strings, is:

E, B, G#, E, D, B, G#, E.
[This message was edited by Fred Layman on 26 June 2000 at 10:18 PM.]

Bobby Lee · Post by **Bobby Lee** » 27 Jun 2000 11:44 am

I've been enjoying D13 for the past two years: <pre>E
F#
D
B
A
F#
D
C</pre>The first string E (lower than the second string F#) is great for fast melodies, and the low dominant 7th (C) adds that bluesy edge to swing tunes.

The timber of the D tuning splits the difference betwee the C6 and E13. This makes it ideal for a single-neck instrument - only another steel player will notice that your Jerry Byrd licks are too bright and your Don Helms licks are too dark.

On my double neck I use D13 and A6. The D13 covers all of the Hank stuff, hot swing and blues. The A6 covers the mellow Hawaiian and old-timey sounds. If I had a third neck, I'd probably tune it to C Diatonic: <pre>E
C
B
A
G
F
E
C#</pre>I think that it's probably the best melody tuning. If you're really into chords, try the Leavitt tuning. It has the most 3-part harmonies.