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Topic: New to lap, lost on tunings |
Jeff Graham
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Posted 25 Nov 2009 6:43 pm |
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Hi,
Just bought a new starter lap (Rogue) and looking to get rolling. However, wondering what tuning to start with.
I am a guitarist familiar with open G and E. So, tempted to go with one of those. But at the same time, I got a lap to open up some new worlds.
Guess in the end I want a versatile tuning that can be applied to many music styles (if there is such a thing).
Any tips for a newb?
thanks
Jeff |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 25 Nov 2009 6:56 pm
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C6th, from treble to bass:
1. E
2. C
3. A
4. G
5. E
6. C
Strings and string gauges available by clicking on the "Strings" link at the top of the page.
_________________
Bradβs Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Roman Sonnleitner
From:
Vienna, Austria
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 3:34 am
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| +1 for C6 - and the reason why I find this tuning so versatile in all stiles is that, unlike with most open tunings, you can get minor triads with a straight bar, in addition to the major triads you can get with other tunings. |
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D Schubert
From:
Columbia, MO, USA
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 5:02 am
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There is nothing wrong with C6th, and there is probably more instructional material available than for other tunings.
But here is another suggestion for two tunings if you're coming from the guitar world...and you can slip back and forth between them easily by re-tuning the 1st and 3rd string....
G6....B D E G B D...lo to hi
E7....B D E G# B E
If you look closely you will see that the treble strings are laid out like the G and E tunings you've already used.... |
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Drew Howard
From:
48854
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 7:07 am
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| C6 for sure and you can tune it to A6 very easily. |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 9:11 am
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| It would be helpful to know what kind of music you want to play or which artists interest you to recommend a starter tuning. For example, C6th is great for swing, Hawaiian and early country and melodic rock but not so good for bluegrass or modal folk & blues. At the risk of seeming self-serving, you can check out my book on tunings here and down load a page on D tunings: http://www.volkmedia.com/Volkmedia.com/Slide_Rules_Book.html |
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Stan Schober
From:
Cahokia, Illinois, USA
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Papa Joe Pollick
From:
Swanton, Ohio
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 12:02 pm
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Which ever tunning you choose,stick with that ONE until you get it workin' for you..Don't do like I did.I had 6 different necks with a different tunning on each one..Just got confusing and held me back.Now I have C6th on both the String Master necks with slight variations and standard Dobro on my Dobro.
Stil confused..  |
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Paul DiMaggio
From:
Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 12:58 pm
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I did the same as Papa Joe.I thought, because I came from guitar, that I had this cased.Turns out that ain't so. Each tuning I tried,I'd get a little ways into it and hit the wall,get frustrated, and try another one,
Well, about a month ago I hooked up with a fella that is primarily a fiddle player but also plays dobro [a real one, 1929 model] he told me I was making it too complicated. So I tuned my guitar to G and for the next 2 hrs we just played together.I learned more in that 2 hours than I had in the last 6 months.
The formula seems to be [for me,anyway] 1 tuning and a teacher. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 4:23 pm
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Whatever tuning you use, sit down and make yourself a fretboard chart with the names of the notes on it. Then draw lines with colored pencils connecting the notes into chords. The act of creating this chart will help get the tuning into your head.
_________________
-πππ- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Ryan Barwin
From:
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 4:43 pm
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This E6 tuning has a lot of the versatility of the C6 tuning mentioned before, but it relates much more easily to guitar tuning and open E. You can also tune the C# string to a D, and you have an E7 tuning.
1. E
2. B
3. G#
4. E
5. C#
6. B
_________________
www.pedalsteel.ca |
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Don Barnhardt
From:
North Carolina, USA
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 7:07 pm
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| C6 or A are probably the two best tunings for a beginner. Pick one and learn it good. |
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Alan Brookes
From:
Brummy living in Southern California
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 7:54 pm
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| If you're already familiar with the G dobro tuning, adapting to C6 is easy: it just has an extra string to deal with. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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John Bechtel
From:
Nashville, Tennessee, R.I.P.
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Posted 26 Nov 2009 9:29 pm
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I would definitely recommend C6th for starters. Then later on you can try A6 and E7 tunings, without even changing string gauges!
C6---A6---E7---
E----E----E----.015p
C----C#---B----.018p
A----A----G#---.022p
G----F#---E----.026w
E----E----D----.032w
C----C#---B----.038w
_________________
<marquee> Go~Daddy~Go, (No), Go, It's your Break Time</marquee> L8R, jb
My T-10 Remington Steelmaster |
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