Learning C-6th

Darrell Owens · From: California, USA

I have been checking out various C-6 teachng materials. I would appreciate some input from anyone who can recommend the best learning technique for the C-6th neck. Rather than just a song by song tab, I am interested in the basic understanding of the C-6 neck. Thanks for the help.

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Darrell,
See if this helps out:

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum8/HTML/000716.html

You might look at the Doug Jernigan and Buddy Emmons materials. I figure once you know a couple chords and scales work your way through some Hank Williams tunes. Once you get that going look into the Jamey Abersold basic jazz studies.

Joe Wright has some great methods also. I use his spreadsheet program to sort things out quite a bit.
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Bob

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

Darrell,i found Buddys Basic C6 appropriate in gettin' me started on C6
tabs & soundtrack that explains the basic chords, scales & some pockets

i'm sure anything by Jeff Newman on C6 would be good too

William Fraser · From: New York, USA

I am learning to play C6 , & I love the layout,& playing the older basic stuff just flows so nicely, but I am still up in the air as to whether the hi 1st string should be a D or G the Stepping Stone course reccomends lowering to D, what is the popular consensus? should a poll be started, the basic chart for chords & pedals Herb added to Ben's post a while back were very helpful, I just need to decide on a tuning & stick to it. Thanks, Bill
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Billy Lee ,Pro-II,, Session 400,Session 500 , Supro , National, SpeedDemons,& too many Archtops & Stratotones.Lots of vintage parts for Kay ! etc.

Steve Norman · From: Seattle Washington, USA

-Bob, your referring to f as a pedal not a lever in your older post right? Making sure the set up is the same

-Ben do you have a link to Bens post that Mr Wallace added to?
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Steve,
Whatever you have that lowers the 6th string a half step will do it.
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Bob

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

This sort of relates to William's question about the 1st string being a G or a D. If it's a D, doesn't the tuning become something like a C6/9 tuning? I don't know what to do with that, as I am just learning C6 and trying to get some theory down, but it does seem like an expanded tuning. I have the 1st string as D because that is what most of the contemporary learning material has (like Buddy Emmons's material). I found a good book for C6 scales and modes, and applying modal theory to the C6 pedal steel guitar, called, "C6 Scales & Modes", by Ken Albert, compiled and edited by Jimmy Crawford, copyright 1979, first printed in 1982. It's a good primer for understanding intervals in the tuning, how the pedals work wth intervals, building chords, and understanding how the intervals interact and apply with modes. I got the book on Ebay. It says it's "Supplimental Course #1": does anyone know if more courses were published, or if they are still available somewhere? It's very well done.

Steve Norman · From: Seattle Washington, USA

Thanks Bob! really opens that neck up for me. I have just been using it without pedals as a lap steel,

Does anyone have a link to the thread William was talking about?
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GFI D10, Fender Steel King, Hilton Vpedal,BoBro, National D dobro, Marrs RGS

Sonny Jenkins · From: Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx

I think what has helped me the most on C6 (or actually B6 for me, since I play uni set up) has been my little 8 string lap steels. As some of you know I started making these things 1. because I couldn't afford to buy one at the time and 2. I figured well,,this is where it all started and 3. I've always been partial to the swing type sound we seem to have so much of here in Tex. 4. When I travel, it's easy to pack it up and go. So,,,after "messing" with it,,noodleing around, finding some harmonies, loosing my fear of bar slants,,(which I don't use all that much,,but when I need them,,"just do it". Anyway,,since it is tuned the same as 10 thru 3,,plus the 1st string AND the 2nd string (for my 2 AND my 5 note (lo to hi 6 1 3 5 6 1 3 5) it is easy to transfer my things over to my PSG. And I find that I have more of a tendency to pick up a lap steel that to sit behind my PSG. And since I'm old and lazy,,I take my little lap steel to the senior center jams,,,and when I come down on SGR,,or Panhandle Rag,,,or Bootheel Drag,,,or Cold Cold Heart,,,they love it!!! So,,,there is a lot to be said for starting out where Buddy, Jimmy, Papa John, Curly etc etc started,,,and tons of fun.

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

I play more Cth than 9th because I just love the 6th,I use the G on the first string,that's the way I started,works for me,but a lot use the D,guess whatever works for each one is OK,DYKBC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

John Roche · From: England

Charles , I'm like you i'm drawn more and more to the B6 tuning , I rearley use the pedals just a couple of knee levers and the A pedal. I find the richness of the tuning is beautiful and the grips are easy , I can and do play around on it for hours. The scales are also quite easy to figure out. The strange thing is I don't know the chords I'm playing except the Key. Who cares we'er having a good time....

Fred Amendola · From: Lancaster, Pa.

Concerning the Ken Albert/Jimmie Crawford C6 book;
Elsie Crawford might have some of these left.
This was done after Manual of Style, which I believe she also has.
You can contact her at 615-824-8938.
Hope this helps
Fred

Cliff Kane · From: the late great golden state

Fred: Thank you! This helps a lot. I'll give Elsie a call.

Cliff

Charles Davidson · From: Phenix City Alabama, USA

John,I had a ZUM 12 STRING UNI a few years back[wish I still had it]E9th/B6th,it was so easy to switch from the 9th to the 6th back and forth in the middle of a song,every thing on one neck,not hard to get used to at all.DYKBC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC !

Billy Carr · From: Seminary, Mississippi, USA (deceased)

I've pretty much always used the high G for the first on the C6th neck. To me it gives a western swing type sound, plus I use the high G to get some of the old Pete Drake licks. I try the D from time to time but always go back to the G. To me, the D adds a 9th flavor to the C6th and I prefer to keep the tunings totally separate. While some players mix the two tunings, I've always kept them apart. That may be because I like the old Nashville style of E9th playing but on C6th, I prefer the swing/blues/hawaiian style mixed with the western swing stuff.

Greg Cutshaw · From: Corry, PA, USA

A few weeks after I dropped the high G for a D, I was playing single string riffs ike crazy. Just lately there were a few places I wanted to have the high G back in there.

You can get those notes back using pedal 7 on strings 3,4,5 five frets up from the root key. If you've got room, add the C to C# knee lever on the 3rd string and you'll the high G back 3 frets up from the root position.

If you want the Pete Drake sound then you'll need to have the high G on there or go to an 11 or 12 string tuning.

Greg

Brint Hannay · From: Maryland, USA

I've always built my understanding of an instrument's neck (Six-string and E9th) around knowledge of chord positions and how they pattern together, rather than scales. What C6th materials take an approach of giving practical chord progression examples in various positions? I tried the Jernigan materials a long time ago, and found that there were pages and pages of "Here's a lick in G" type material, and though there were sections on chord progressions, many of the examples contained spread-out chord voicings where all the notes could not be played simultaneously, unless maybe you were wearing three or four finger picks.

Benton Allen · From: Muscle Shoals, Alabama, USA

Well, I stumbled onto this after about 25 years of playing E9th, and playing "at" C6th.

I learned the cord patterns, pockets, single string riffs, 3 fretts up, 5 fretts down, and a few songs using Buddy Emmons' C6th course. I learned it, but for some reason it never really "clicked" for me until years later when I purchased Bobbe Seymours' "Instant C6th" tapes. There are 2 of them.

Bobbe teaches you how to play C6th, not cord theory, riffs, scales and such. He does touch on scales, but he doesn't spend much time on them.
After about 30 minutes of watching the first tape, suddenly, it all opened up to me. Like having an epiphany! Everything I had learned with Buddy's course suddenly made sense. It was the best $50.00 I ever spent. I only wish Bobbe had made a couple more tapes on this subject.

Of course your milage may vary, but it's only $25.00 per tape. What do you have to loose?

Cheers!!
Benton

John McGlothlin · Posted 9 Jan 2008 4:51 pm

I was lost about the C6th tuning until I purchased the Instant C6 video volume 1 and 2 from Bobbe Seymour and those two videos opened the door for me and he makes the understanding of the C6th tuning as clear as day. You will be totaly satisfied with those two videos.

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