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Topic: Thoughts on this A11 tuning? |
HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 12 May 2010 8:39 am |
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A while ago, Ray Langley and Robert Murphy discussed a very versatile 6 string tuning....A11
1 D
2 B
3 G
4 E
5 C#
6 A
I've been messing around with it and I like it as it provides 7ths, 9ths, minor chord, 6ths....etc.....but, having spent my formative years playing bluegrass and using dobro G tuning, the D 4th string is important to me. I really don't want to lose it, as well as the strumming capability.....and well, I'm used to the G tuning....
So I was thinking of having the best of both worlds with this 9 string tuning leaving the 6 string G tuning intact....
1 D
2 B
3 G
4 D
5 B
6 G
7 E
8 C#
9 A
Before I string up a guitar.....any thoughts?.....One thing I'm thinking of are the 1 step higher strings on the bottom.....does that make it odd sounding or affect the tuning in any way? |
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 12 May 2010 11:45 am
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Hi Howard,
Your six string A11th has the same intervals
as my B11th 6 string lap steel tuning. You are just
a full tone lower. In regards to the 9 string setup
you are considering.....
It might be hard to get a level bar with those
3 treble strings on the bottom like that?
I think they would be too far away and would
not function easily?
Why not put them on top as 1--2--3 ie E--C#--A.
It would take a little getting used to but I
beleive it would work better.
Just my offhand thoughts?
Good luck and keep us posted. I always like
to see someone "stick" their neck out and
try something different.
Roy
_________________
Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel |
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Earnest Bovine
From:
Los Angeles CA USA
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Posted 12 May 2010 1:17 pm Re: Thoughts on this A11 tuning?
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| HowardR wrote: |
versatile 6 string tuning....A11
1 D
2 B
3 G
4 E
5 C#
6 A
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I always thought that is the only reason for using pedals 7 and 8 together on a typical C6: to let you play the same way what you learned on B11 tuning. |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 13 May 2010 5:58 am
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| Roy,......strings 7, 8, & 9 will be the same gauges as 4, 5, & 6 since I just retune the bottom three strings on my six string guitar.....so, there may not be enough difference to cause a problem.....I'll have to string up the 9 string tuning to be sure....and I can also make a nut & saddle (this tuning will be on a resophonic) to accommadate any discrepancy in height... |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 13 May 2010 6:13 am
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Howard, it doesn't make sense to me to have strings 7-9 being in the same general range as strings 4-6. You can't really play them together, as it would be too muddled on the bass, and it would take superhuman right hand technique to even get an A7 (strings 3, 7, 8, 9) chord, let alone an A9 (3, 4, 7, 8, 9)--you'd need to use 5 fingers to pluck them all and be dead accurate.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Todd Weger
From:
Safety Harbor, FLAUSA
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Posted 13 May 2010 9:05 am Well...
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A great tuning I've always wanted to try, but Buck Owens asked me not to.
_________________
Todd James Weger --
1956 Fender Stringmaster T-8 (C6, E13, A6); 1960 Fender Stringmaster D-8 (C6, B11/A6); Custom-made 25" aluminum cast "fry pan" with vintage Ricky p'up (C6); 1938 Epiphone Electar (A6); 1953 Oahu Tonemaster; assorted ukuleles; upright bass |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 13 May 2010 2:41 pm
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| All good points.....anyhow, I'll string up a guitar next week and see how it pans out.... |
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Mark MacKenzie
From:
Franklin, Tennessee, USA
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Posted 14 May 2010 9:39 am
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Good point about the lower strings being so much larger and making the strings not be level. I have a B11 tuning that that is an issue on. Top to Bottom E C# A F# D B A F#
I have tried to level them somewhat but the bass strings are pretty large. They seem to always make slide noise no matter how hard I try to avoid it. |
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Robert Murphy
From:
West Virginia
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Posted 14 May 2010 10:25 am
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| I think this tuning still has a lot of possibilites. Check out the way a major scale is formed with the root on string 5. It's just a back and forth motion till the octave on string 1. Or go diagonily left to right, from any note on the first string and you have a perfect minor pentatonic scale. p.s. I bought a Fender D-6 stringmaster. Problem solved! |
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HowardR
From:
N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville
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Posted 19 May 2010 7:11 am
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Roy......you're right
Mike.....you're right
Bill.....still have that trumpet for sale? |
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 19 May 2010 7:22 am
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I'll lend you a trumpet anytime you'd like Howard.  |
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