| Author |
Topic: Hawaiian Style |
Michael Robertson
From:
Ventura, California. USA
|
Posted 7 Mar 2012 8:48 am |
|
For the last month or so I have been attending a small Ukulele group and playing rhythm guitar for them.
I thought I would try to play some resonator style guitar for this group.
Before I go out and spend money on a true resonator I thought I would use one of my flat tops first.
I have a number of flat top guitars I can put a raised nut on and try for awhile.
Anyone have any recommendations for tunings and string gauges?
I play E9 and dabble with C6 but I’d rather stay acoustic with this endeavor.
Thanks
_________________
No Avatar only a picture of my Mentor. |
|
|
 |
Dana Blodgett
From:
California, USA
|
Posted 7 Mar 2012 9:49 am Hawaiian style
|
|
Michael, IMHO, I think a standard "Taro Patch" slack key tuning would sound great with Ukes.
Taro patch is an open "G" tuning,high to low=D-B-G-D-G-D.I don't see why you couldn't use a slide bar if you wanted to! Also 12 string guitars sound awesome in this tuning.I use a standard medium gauge Martin SP's,as I play Martin Dreadnaughts.
BTW this is the same tuning that Jimmy Page used on some of his early recordings with Led Zepplin.
_________________
Dana Blodgett
From Los Osos,Ca.
'74 ShoBud 6140 3+4, Martins HD28,D-12-28, D-15,'65 Gibson LG-1, '77 Gibson Les Paul special dbl cut p-90's, Les Paul Special p-100's,Les paul Special Hybrid(maple top) hbkr's,'68 Fender Strat reissue, Fender Squire Jazz bass,Epi mandolin,Epi Wilshire '66 reissue, Kamaka Concert uke, 70's Kamaka Soprano Uke, Fender Super amp, Ampeg ba112 bass amp,60's harmony banjo,'00 Gibson SG Supreme |
|
|
|
Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
|
Posted 7 Mar 2012 10:36 am
|
|
I've played in such a situation many times before using standard open G tuning (bass to treble G B D G B D), although the variation listed above works well also (bass to treble D G D G B D). Use the same regular guitar strings you'd use on the guitar anyway - no need to worry about different gauges given those tunings.
_________________
Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
|
|
|
Ray McCarthy
From:
New Hampshire, USA
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 3:08 am
|
|
| Another way is to use the standard G (GBDGBD) tuning but raise the 4th string (D) up a full step. That gives you an open G-6th, and you immediately have a Hawaiian/swing type tuning. |
|
|
|
Michael Robertson
From:
Ventura, California. USA
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 6:49 am Thanks
|
|
Thanks guys that will give me something to tinker with.
_________________
No Avatar only a picture of my Mentor. |
|
|
|
Mike Neer
From:
NJ
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 7:09 am
|
|
My vote is for C#mi7 tuning, the one many old time Hawaiian players used. It was the tuning invented by Sol Hoopii and used extensively by Dick McIntire. Even Joaquin Murphey played a version of C#mi7--it's a guess, but I would dare to say he probably learned on Sol's tuning.
E
C#
G#
E
B
E
It's fun in the treble register and fun in the bass, as well, giving octave possibilities in three different octaves.
Have a listen:
Dick McIntire: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxy5YzskHIo
Sol Hoopii: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mb06y_GQWZU
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
|
|
|
Michael Robertson
From:
Ventura, California. USA
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 7:16 am High to?
|
|
Thanks
Mike is this High to Low?
The C# being on the second string?
_________________
No Avatar only a picture of my Mentor. |
|
|
|
Mike Neer
From:
NJ
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 7:31 am
|
|
Yes, high to low.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
|
|
|
Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 7:44 am
|
|
| If you go back a long ways in Hawaiian music, one of the original tunings was A, either low bass or high bass. I was taught "Hawaiian" guitar on the A, high bass tuning. And to this day, I usually tune a 6 string lap guitar to A. This is like the common resonator tuning but one tone higher. |
|
|
|
Mike Neer
From:
NJ
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 8:47 am
|
|
I like the A tuning better than I like G (just personal preference), and Sol and many of the Hawaiian players came from that first. Sol's C#m7 tuning was born out of it but makes it better to play some of the more modern (for the time) sounds of jazz.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
|
|
|
Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 8:57 am
|
|
Mike,
I like the C#m7 tuning on an 8 string guitar.
However, I like to put a B on the third string under the C#. This gives you kind of a combination A and E tuning.
BTW: I think Cousin Jody used the A tuning on his dobro on the Grand Ole Opry. |
|
|
|
Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 9:03 am Back when JERRY BYRD was at Renfro Valley...................
|
|
When JERRY BYRD was just beginning his playing career, while on the Renfro Valley Barndance with Ernie Lee Cornileson, he was playing almost excluively in C#min7th tuning.
Elsie Jaggers who recently passed on, played in that tuning for decades and IMHO, was one of the best players in that tuning.
Speedy West had it on his triple-8 BIGSBY with two chromatic strings on the bottom. |
|
|
|
Mike Neer
From:
NJ
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 9:18 am
|
|
That's right, Ray. I'm pretty sure Jerry is playing C#m7 here, like Dick McIntire did: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tgB_hLaYjA
The other good thing about C#m7 is that it's a good gateway to E13, should you decide to get an 8 string later on.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
|
|
|
Ron Whitfield
From:
Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 9:20 am
|
|
| Mike Neer wrote: |
E
C#
G#
E
B
E
|
That's the basis for my tuning, I add a G# on top and an A in the middle, provides a nice big strum, with or without the C#. And the extra G# allows for the Helms stuff and pedal stylings at another tonal area rather than high up the neck.
Sorry to hear of Elsie's passing. She was dang good. Learned from Sol Hoopii. |
|
|
|
Joel Bloom
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 5:17 pm
|
|
I have an old harmony accoustic I tune to low bass G but i replace the LOW E with a 32 gauge string and tune it a tone higher than the middle D string. 'This gives 'strum' chords without the 6th sound getting in the way- yet the 6th is there for 'that sound', and minor chords etc etc
good luck with it. |
|
|
|
George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
|
Posted 8 Mar 2012 11:00 pm
|
|
Well, while we are on the C#m kick, why not take it a step further and go with F#9 ? Dick McIntire played a pile of songs using that tuning....
Hi to Lo:
1. E
2. C#
3. G#
4. E
5. A#
6. F#
....just a thought.  |
|
|
|
James Kerr
From:
Scotland, UK
|
|
|
|
