Tuning with Harmonics.

Jeff Metz Jr. · From: York, Pennsylvania, USA

I am interested in learning how to tune the steel with harmonics. I am used to doing this on a regular guitar but I don't know the position on on the steel.
Does anybody have a simple explanation or a chart for how/where to tune with harmonics on the E9th Neck.
Thanks a ton
_________________
Mullen G2 SD10 , Lil Izzy Buffer, Goodrich 120 volume pedal, Boss DD-7, Peterson Strobo flip, Peavey Nashville 112

Georg Sørtun · From: Mandal, Agder, Norway

Easiest: chime on 12th fret.

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

Of course you know that the strongest harmonics are:

12th fret
7th
5th
4th

Just start chiming till you find which ones line up with each other on adjacent or alternating strings and dial the tuning in. I've never written it down, I just play around till I get most of them tuned.

If you've been tuning straight up, your guitar will resonate and sustain better with chime tuning.

Ned McIntosh · From: New South Wales, Australia

In the back of Winnie Winston's book there is a complete guide to tuning the E9th neck by harmonics. That was about all I used until I got a Peterson Strobo-flip tuner.
_________________
The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.

Howard Steinberg · From: St. Petersburg, Florida , USA

My 2 cents (pun intended): bite the bullet and get a tuner with offsets programmed in such as a strobo flip or sonic research. I always find that tuning with harmonics leaves something to be desired and causes obsessing around tuning. The tuner with offsets saves time and aggravation.
_________________
Justice Pro Lite (4-5), Justice D-10 (8-5)x2 , Quilter Steelaire, Hilton Pedal, BJ's bar.

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

The positions on a steel are the same as on a 6 string guitar, for similar strings (e.g. tuning the B string from the E string).

But, I agree on getting a tuner with the pedal steel settings programmed in (or one that you can program).

I was tuning using harmonics on the 9th and 10th string on the C6th neck, after some work on my guitar at the Franklin Guitar Co. Paul Franklin (Jr) happened to come in while I was tuning and told me something to the effect that was "wrong".

The Peterson StrobeOPlus HD is least expensive (new tuner) with the steel guitar programs.

CrowBear Schmitt · From: Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France

tuning by harmonics
was this how steelers tuned before tuners ?

the E9 tuning has 2 chords E & B
when you tune, you'll have refer to both
(as well as A w: pedals A & B engaged)
& eventually F# minor chord
& D

lever E lowers Es a half
lever F raises Es a half
lever G raises F#s a whole
lever D lowers Eb a half
lever V lowers Bs a half

you will be using frets 5 - 7 - 12 - & 4 !
you can get a harmonic on the 4th fret - certainly not as easy as on frets 5,7 & 12
look for it, it's there

here we go :

Open/no pedals for starters - pedals & levers will follow
using harmonics on each :
on left reference tone / on right string to tune

E : string 8 fret 5 / string 4 fret 12

B : string 10 fret 5 / string 5 fret 12

F# : string 5 fret 7 / String 1 fret 12 - string
F# : string 1 fret 12 / string 7 fret 5

G# : string 8 fret 4 ( yep 4) / string 6 fret 5
G# : string 4 ( yep 4 ) / string 3 fret 5

Eb : string 5 fret 4 / string 2 fret 5

E : string 8 w: A&B fret 5 / string 6 w: A&B fret 7

A : string 6 w: A&B fret 5 / string 3 w: A&B fret 12
A : string 6 w: A&B fret 12 / string 9 fret 7

C# : string 5 w: A&B fret 12 / string 10 w: A&B fret 5
C# : string 6 w: B&C fret 4 / string 4 w: B&C fret 7
C# : string 6 w: B&C fret 4 / string 5 w: B&C fret 5

Eb : string 2 fret 12 / string 4 w lever E fret 12
Eb : string 2 fret 12 / string 8 w: lever E fret 5

B(G# lever): string 5 fret 5 / string 7 w: lever G fret 4
G# : string 3 fret 12 / string 1 w: lever G fret 12

F : string 5 w: A&B fret 4 / string 4 w: lever F fret 5
F : string 4 w: lever F fret 12 / string 8 w: lever F fret 5

Bb : string 7 fret 4 / string 5 w: lever V fret 5
Bb : string 5 w: lever V fret 12 / string 10 w: lever V fret 5

D : string 9 fret 5 / string 2 w: lever D fret 12

---------------------------------------------------

when tuning strings 1(F#) - 2(Eb)- 7(F#) note that the root/reference is B ......NOT... E
F# being the fifth & Eb being the third of B :
the fifth of B gets the same treatment/value as the fifth of E
the third of B gets the same treatment/value as the third of E
last but not least (the plot sickens lol)
when tuning F# on string 4 w: pedal C : F# is the root tone since the ref is an F# minor chord
here again it will get it's own treatment/value

Jeff Metz Jr. · From: York, Pennsylvania, USA

Thanks CrowBear! Exactly what I was looking for.
Those that actually read my signature will know that I already own a few Stroboflip tuners.
Thanks for the help!
Jeff
_________________
Mullen G2 SD10 , Lil Izzy Buffer, Goodrich 120 volume pedal, Boss DD-7, Peterson Strobo flip, Peavey Nashville 112

Tom Gorr · From: Three Hills, Alberta

Any comments on your satisfaction with harmonics vs digital presets?

Ned McIntosh · From: New South Wales, Australia

So much depends on the ear of the listener!

Back before electronic tuners the pros used a tuning-fork and harmonics. How much classic steel-guitar was played using that tuning-method, I wonder? Most of it would be my guess - and all without compensators as well.

I have the DVD of Neil Young's "Heart Of Gold" concert in the Ryman and Ben Keith is seen and heard checking his tuning with harmonics in one scene, albeit briefly.

We're blessed with all this amazing technology these days, with tuners than are accurate to a cent or better, but we sometimes obsess about things when we ought to step back and take in the bigger picture. We play an instrument which allows us to express ourselves and be heard by other people, and no two pairs of ears hear things exactly the same. Who's hearing what?

I check my steel before a gig with the Stroboflip, but then I'll play a few harmonics and retune if they seem slightly "sour" or too "beaty" - although I may not necessarily tune for a "zero-beat" either. Winnie's method is as valid today as it ever was - and the electronic tuner is just more of a good thing. Use one or the other, or a mixture of both until you have a system that works for you.

The two methods don't compete, they augment each other. Your ear is the ultimate arbiter.
_________________
The steel guitar is a hard mistress. She will obsess you, bemuse and bewitch you. She will dash your hopes on what seems to be whim, only to tease you into renewing the relationship once more so she can do it to you all over again...and yet, if you somehow manage to touch her in that certain magic way, she will yield up a sound which has so much soul, raw emotion and heartfelt depth to it that she will pierce you to the very core of your being.

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