Another Tuning Question from a Rookie

[Marc Weller]

Group,

Scotty's sells an E13 lapsteel string set with the following tuning. G# E C# B G# E.
I would think that this is a major triad, a sixth, a root and a third (a major sixth chord). Why is this referred to as a 13th.

MW

[Bill Leff]

Your right, that's a 6th chord. A 13th chord contains the flatted 7th tone along with the 6th (in this case, you'd need a D in there for a 13th).

[Bobby Lee]

That is the set you should use if you are playing Hank Williams songs (Don Helms parts) on a 6 string lap steel.

The E13 is usually an 8 string tuning, with a D in the low octave. This set is just the high 6 strings of that tuning and, yes, it would properly be called E6th.

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<small><img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session S-12 (E9), Speedy West D-10 (E9, D6),
Sierra 8 Laptop (D13), Fender Stringmaster D-8 (D13, A6)

[Al Marcus]

Marc-

It also can be called a C# Minor 7th tuning...al

[Marc Weller]

thanks guys

[George Keoki Lake]

What Al says is precisely what it is...it is NOT an E13th tuning. Study your scales and you will understand why.