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Post new topic E9th Tuning on a 8 string lap steel
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Wayne D. Clark

 

From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2012 4:02 pm    
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Any one use an "E9th" tuning on an 8 string lap steel? Pro. of Con. Is it strickly PSG tuning?
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Mike Neer


From:
NJ
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2012 4:13 pm    
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Hi Wayne. Yes, I use E9. I wasn't aware of anyone else using it for non-pedal, but I found some old articles describing Speedy West's and Buddy Emmons' early tunings with their Bigsby pedal steels and I thought of just using it as a non-pedal tuning. I've discovered many gems to play in that tuning and have gotten to know it pretty well.
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Wayne D. Clark

 

From:
Montello Wisconsin, USA
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2012 5:33 pm    
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Hi Mike. I just went back in to a binder I keep info from the {Forum} in and ran across this note from Steve Ahola "Wayne: I use that tuning, too, as one of the variations of the E9th [E,B,G#,E,C#,B,G#,E] that MIKE NEER has been using on many of his tutorials. Infact I like it better than the E7th variation [lowering the F# to E] since it is jazzier and has that C#m chord in there. the unaltered E9th tuning gives you a good B minor chord with the 6th,5th, and 4th strings." If I would read some of the material I have filed over the years Mike I would not be asking so many questions. Thanks for the reply.
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Steve Ahola


From:
Concord, California
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2012 8:28 pm     Re: E9th Tuning on a 8 string lap steel
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Wayne D. Clark wrote:
Any one use an "E9th" tuning on an 8 string lap steel? Pro. of Con. Is it strictly PSG tuning?

I think that some of the non-pedal E13th tunings are closer to the E9th PSG tuning, especially when you factor in the A pedal raising the B's to C#. And considering the range of the open strings going from B to G#:

G#
E
C#
B
G#
E***
D
B


***I will raise the 6th string to F# to get a E13/9 tuning- it also gives me all of the pitches from the six string version of E9th that Mike has been evangelizing. (With a 10 string you can add the low G# and E to get all 8 notes from Mike's E9th- plus the G# on top and the C# as the 3rd string.)

Steve Ahola

P.S. Mike, isn't your E9th tuning just like the standard eight string Western Swing E7th tuning but with the 4th string raised from an E to an F#? With a lot of the old-time players retuning their steels as needed for particular songs I would guess that the E9th variation wasn't completely unheard of. (You got me hooked on that 9th note and I often raise the root in the middle 2 frets to get some of that 9th magic- for C6 as well as E13.)

P.P.S. I am using the term evangelizing in the same context that Apple Computers used in the job descriptions of their publicists (no religious connotations suggested.)
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Greg Gefell


From:
Upstate NY
Post  Posted 29 Jun 2012 11:16 am    
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I have a guitar with the top 8 strings of a pedal steel E9 tuning. I haven't seen too many other people who include the diatonics in a non pedal tuning. If you don't need a wide open strum chord and can learn a few new grips, there's a lot of music to be found in that tuning.

You can think of it as E9 or B6 depending on which grips you play.
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Steve Ahola


From:
Concord, California
Post  Posted 1 Jul 2012 7:42 pm    
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Greg Gefell wrote:
I have a guitar with the top 8 strings of a pedal steel E9 tuning. I haven't seen too many other people who include the diatonics in a non pedal tuning.

That would probably also work well for a non-pedal player who wanted to transition into E9 PSG. (I think I would miss having the low B and D.)

Steve Ahola
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David Mason


From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
Post  Posted 2 Jul 2012 12:39 pm    
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I just got an MSA 12-string SuperSlide, and I've been looking around at tunings. It's pretty obvious that no matter what the root, a sequence of

3
2
1
6
5
3
2
1

etc. will make for some fun between the 5-6 and 2-3 in particular. Besides b0b's and Brads Page of Steel, there are a bunch listed on Scotty's Music page. This one, listed as a "E13th+9th", is credited to Bobby Koefer, John Ely (Asleep at the Wheel) and Leon McAuliffe:

1 - E
2 - C#
3 - B
4 - G#
5 - F#
6 - D
7 - G#
8 - E

This next is the Herb Remington E9th that got reconfigured by Emmons putting the chromatic strings on top:

1 - E
2 - C#
3 - G#
4 - E
5 - Bb
6 - F#
7 - D# HIGH
8 - F# HIGH

Given that the MSA has 12 strings, I could pretty much fit 'em all in, thus (arrows optional):


3 G# -> A
2 F#
1 E
6 C# -> D
5 B
3 G# -> A
2 F#
1 E
b7 D -> C#
5 B
3 G# -> A
1 E

I am curious - in the 9th tunings that omit the middle root, is it strictly for lank of strings or are there slant possibilities? I haven't charted that one out yet, and it may be a long while - Reece's 12-string tuning contains an awful lot of music and includes the "chromatic" strings on top, the "D" on the bottom is still working on me.

D
B
G
E
C
A
G
E
C
A
F
D
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Steve Ahola


From:
Concord, California
Post  Posted 2 Jul 2012 10:13 pm    
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David Mason wrote:
I just got an MSA 12-string SuperSlide, and I've been looking around at tunings.

Given that the MSA has 12 strings, I could pretty much fit 'em all in, thus (arrows optional):


3 G# -> A
2 F#
1 E
6 C# -> D
5 B
3 G# -> A
2 F#
1 E
b7 D -> C#
5 B
3 G# -> A
1 E


That looks like a winner to me! That is exactly what Doug Beaumier is using on his 1940's Alkire 10 string (minus your bottom 2 strings)

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=228795

Quote:

I am curious - in the 9th tunings that omit the middle root, is it strictly for lack of strings or are there slant possibilities?

For me it is not just the lack of strings- my right hand technique is not that accurate yet and with too many strings bunched together too closely I get into trouble. Sad Just a personal preference for me...

Steve Ahola
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Brian Henry

 

Post  Posted 3 Jul 2012 3:41 am    
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Steve - I really like the look of your combination on 8 stings. -I must try it.
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