Second tuning for Hawaiian music on a D-8?

Jerry Gleason · From: Eugene, Oregon, USA

I'm trying to get a little more into Hawaiian music, so I want to dedicate a double-8 to two suitable tunings. The C13 tuning covers the bases for most of the Hawaiian songs I've heard, so that would be the primary tuning. I'm looking for a second tuning that would be useful.

Right now, I have the front neck tuned to B11, which is pretty, but I'm having trouble finding songs that lay well on it, other than "Sand" . I've tried a couple of flavors of E13, but that seems more "Western Swingish" than Hawaiian.

So, you guys that play a lot of Hawaiian music, what tuning compliments C13, that I might get a lot of use out of? Or, can anyone suggest some more songs in the Hawaiian repertoire that work well with B11?

Thanks,
Jerry

Andy Sandoval · From: Bakersfield, California, USA

Good ole C6 is hard to beat for Hawaiian. A6 is good too.

Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

Depends on what style Hawaiian you want. If you like Dick McIntire or Andy Iona as well as the traditional hapa haole stuff you might try E7th and C#m7th.
Like Andy sez, it's hard to beat C6th/C13th. Lots of tunings to try though.

Stephan Miller · From: Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

Yeah, I think A6 is a good alternative. A little bassier and more mellow, has the fifth interval on top, and retunes into B11 by dropping the fifth string a half step to D#, or into A13 by raising the 8th string a half step to G. "How D'ya Do" is another Hawaiian standard in B11.

For more, check http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=106796&highlight=b11

Jerry Gleason · From: Eugene, Oregon, USA

A6th makes good sense, being so close to B11th. It should feel natural, since my pedal C6th tuning has a G on top.

Stephan, thanks for the link to that thread on B11th. It is a very rich tuning. I think I'll have to spend more time with it. Where I always run into a dead end is the lack of any inversion of a Major triad or 6th chord with the tonic note on top.

Good suggestions. What about a diatonic tuning?

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

I saw Bobby Black play this one once. It had everything.

Jerry Gleason · From: Eugene, Oregon, USA

Right, b0b, I was there at that show, too, back in 1995. I don't remember what songs he played on which tunings. I was mostly interested in pedal steel at that time. I do recall a nice version of "Ebb tide".

His C6 / A7 tuning with the high B on the bottom is also interesting.

Garry Vanderlinde · From: CA

Jerry Gleason · From: Eugene, Oregon, USA

Stephan Miller · From: Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

Jerry, that C6/A9 tuning is Joaquin Murphey's. Might be worth looking at to address the "dead end" you mentioned before. Not only does it have the dom9/minor 6th that gives B11 so much of its character-- it also has the major chord inversions and 6th chord with root on top missing from B11.

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

In 1943 I took a year's worth of lessons from George Kaahiki a Hawaiian teacher in South Los Angeles, Ca.
He taught only in the C#minor tuning. You had to use a lot of forward and backward slants. It was a very Hawaiian sounding tuning. He taught with actual notes you had to read. There were no numbers to guide you.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Billy, please expound on your LA Hawaiian lessons, and more, if you would.
This is a subject rarely touched on and has lot's of interesting facts to be shared, but few are around today to do so.
Did you know Tommy Sargent, or hang around the Ball Studio, by whom/where Joaquin Murphy learned?

Mark Wayne · From: Wisconsin, USA

b0b - what can you do with a diatonic that would be different from the 6th or 13th tunings? Can you get different chord voicings? Would it be used in certain Hawaiian styles?

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

You can get just about any 3-note harmony from the C Diatonic. A lot of Jerry Byrd's recordings use it. Jerry played Hawaiian on it, but he also used it for his Japanese pop album, "Steel Guitar Romantic World". It's not really specific for any one kind of music.
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John Bechtel · From: Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.

Of all the tunings that I'm familiar with, the C-Dia. is my favorite one to use. If I had only one-neck to play on, it would definately be tuned to the C-Dia. Tuning, so long as it had at least 7-strings!
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George Keoki Lake · From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

Unlike other string instruments, the Hawaiian Steel Guitar has a multitude of tunings. I honestly feel it is NOT the tuning that produces good Hawaiian music, rather the performer. I know of guys who use the D9th (hardly ever used today), who capture a great Hawaiian sound. Dick McIntire used E7 and F#9, Sol Ho'opi'i used C#m, Andy Iona often used the A maj., etc., etc. If you "FEEL" Hawaiian music in your heart, you will produce it on the steel ... just pick a tuning you feel comfortable using. JMHO.

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

Ditto mostly to what Keoki says, but I think C#m brings about alot of the traditional Hawaiian sound.
I also believe that learning good Hawaiian vamps is also a key to good Hawaiian steel playing.

Aloha, Smile

Don

Jerry Gleason · From: Eugene, Oregon, USA

Thanks for all the great suggestions. I'll definitely have to try the C diatonic.

Wouldn't C#minor be basically the same as E13th, like this 8-string E13th used by Barney Isaacs?

E
C#
G#
F#
D
B
G#
E

I'll admit I'm not steeped in the tradition of Hawaiian music of various eras. What prompted the question in the first place, is that there seems to be a lot of interest in Hawaiian music here in this area, where there are quite a number of people from the islands, or who have connections there. My wife is from there, and I've visited a few times. I've been asked by some of the local music / social groups if I'd be interested in playing some steel guitar, and I think it would be fun.

I've been listening to the original versions of some of the songs that these groups cover, and trying to get a feel for the essence of the style. I agree about the "vamps", and certain signature licks that seem to be mandatory on many songs.

Most of what I'm hearing sounds like C6th/13th, so that's what I've concentrated on. I'd also like to make the best use I can of the other neck of my Stringmaster. I'll keep trying a few things before I settle on something to leave on there for a while.

Thanks,
Jerry

Don Kona Woods · From: Hawaiian Kama'aina

Bill Wynne · From: New Jersey, USA

basilh · From: United Kingdom

What Bill, George and Don said, I think primarily the complimentary tunings in order of preference would be 1.E13th (Barney's) NOT the High G# version..
2.A6th
3.B11th.
The same gauge strings "Should" work for all of them..

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