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Topic: Does anyone have recordings of Alkire tuning players? |
Mike Neer
From: NJ
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Posted 5 Jun 2013 5:30 am
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I'd really like to hear some accomplished players on this tuning, if you know of any.
Thanks. _________________ Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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b0b
From: Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2013 6:25 am
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I have a CD by Claude Brownell, but my computer won't recognize it. I'll try to read it on another one next chance I get. _________________ -𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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William Lake
From: Ontario, Canada
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Doug Beaumier
From: Northampton, MA
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William Lake
From: Ontario, Canada
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Posted 5 Jun 2013 9:24 am
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Dunno. I can't get it to play. Tried different browsers.
Maybe he doubled on underarm guitar. Not unheard of _________________ Bill |
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Roy Thomson
From: Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 5 Jun 2013 9:37 am
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Hi Mike,
At the time I was working with the E-Harp Tuning I corresponded with Claude Brownell who did a Demo Tape
(cassette) of his playing and approach to this tuning. He just talks and plays the chords, licks, partial songs etc to show the versatility of the set-up. As I recall he tuned down a few steps. He maintained the same intervals but he had more bass in his sound. In order to do this he had to extend the scale which meant a longer guitar. I still have the tape which helped me a great deal.
I have a tape of Mae Lang who plays E-Harp. She used to attend and play at the annual HSGA. I have not heard from or of her for some years so I do not know if she is still with us or not???
I have cassette tapes of Jack Moore, Frank Nardel and
Eddie himself. These each have about 10 songs. Old Jazz pop standards.
Lastly I have 2 CD's of Eddie and his Orchresta that go back to the 40's. His guitar sound on single string work is much like a Clarinet and sometimes a Sax. He was very good at chordal phrases and this is where we get his Steel sound. He was different from Alvino Rey who played in the same era, I believe??
If you were here I would let you borrow and all this for as long as you wished.
As a final note, Eddie did not use very much vibrato so he was far from Hawaiian in sound. In contrast, Mae Lang had one of the most Haunting vibratos I ever heard. Reminded me on the Los Indos Tabajaros at times.
Pardon my ramble but I always felt it unfortunate that the E-Harp declined as it is a great tuning. There are half tone intervals which make it a difficult one to play.
There are still a few players out there but you don't hear from them too very often. Claude was the last of the greats, I believe.
Hope this helps.
Roy _________________ Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel |
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Roy Thomson
From: Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 5 Jun 2013 10:45 am
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Here's Eddie with the orchestra and Sweet Georgia Brown.
http://picosong.com/FTbV _________________ Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel |
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William Lake
From: Ontario, Canada
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Posted 5 Jun 2013 10:52 am
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Yes. In his single note lines I hear a sax and sometimes a muted cornet. Certainly a different sound than we are used to from a lap steel. _________________ Bill |
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Glenn Uhler
From: Trenton, New Jersey, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2013 3:09 pm Eharp players
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Hi Mike,
Michael Van Allen had some of Eddie Alkire's albums for sale. He's about as accomplished an Eharp player as you can get.
There are also a few Eharp tuning recordings on Youtube. Perhaps you have seen them.
Sent you an email. _________________ 1974 Marlen S-12 1968 Tele 1969 Martin D-35H |
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Mike Neer
From: NJ
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Posted 5 Jun 2013 7:50 pm
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Roy, thanks for posting that track. That's the first time I've heard Mr. Alkire play.
I have a D-10 coming soon and I am looking for a second tuning, but I want to have a number of chromatic strings, much like the Alkire tuning. At first, I thought of a 12 string chromatic scale, but obviously 10 strings won't work. This may seem strange (and I'm certain it is) but I've had some personal revelations that I am interested in pursuing.
The Alkire tuning is still a possibility, and so is a diatonic tuning like Jerry Byrd's. This stuff can keep me up at night!
Glenn, if you sent an email to me, I didn't get it. _________________ Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Glenn Uhler
From: Trenton, New Jersey, USA
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Posted 5 Jun 2013 8:27 pm Eharp Info
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My copy of your email was in my mailbox at 7:30 EDT. Is the email address in your profile up to date?
I have all the old material from when I took lessons from Mr. Alkire in the early '60s. If there was something you were interested in, let me know. We can get together so you can look at it. _________________ 1974 Marlen S-12 1968 Tele 1969 Martin D-35H |
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Mike Neer
From: NJ
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Posted 5 Jun 2013 8:44 pm
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Thanks for the offer, Glenn. Yes, my email is current, but somehow your email never made it to me--maybe it's snail email? _________________ Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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William Lake
From: Ontario, Canada
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Posted 5 Jun 2013 9:13 pm
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Hey Mike. Got the scales & modes book today. Thank you. _________________ Bill |
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Roy Thomson
From: Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 6 Jun 2013 5:59 am
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Here is a Gospel tune Rock Of Ages I did on the
E-Harp tuning.
It has some pedal steel sound possibilities and many others. Too bad we don't hear it very much these days?
Link
http://picosong.com/FaqU
Good luck with your tuning search Mike and congrats on your new guitar forthcoming.
Roy _________________ Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel |
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Mike Neer
From: NJ
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Posted 13 Jun 2013 5:22 pm
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I got a chance to hear the fantastic Claude Brownelle and I was very impressed with what he was able to achieve with the tuning.
I think I am going to ask Todd Clinesmith to set up one of the necks of my D-10 for this tuning. If it doesn't work out, I can always make a change. But I really like the potential and I'm beginning to map out my own possibilities. _________________ Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Doug Beaumier
From: Northampton, MA
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Posted 13 Jun 2013 6:59 pm
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I too am very impressed with Claude Brownell's playing! I think he broke new ground on the Alkire tuning back in the 1950s. I hear licks and patterns in his picking that I've never heard on non-pedal steel. Unfortunately the Alkire tuning, like most diatonic tunings, was probably not user friendly for a lot of players and never really caught on. It looks difficult on paper. I've heard Eddie Alkire's recordings, and they sound pretty good, but Claude Brownell took the tuning to a whole new level IMO. No disrespect meant to Mr. Alkire, world class inventor, teacher, author, performer, and Steel Guitar Hall of Fame member.
Here's a picture of Claude, posted here on the Forum by Mitch Drumm a few years ago. Looks like he's playing a 10-string Cougar steel guitar.
_________________ My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Jerome Hawkes
From: Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 14 Jun 2013 3:21 am
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Can't wait to hear what you come up with mike... + the new d-10! _________________ '65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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