best tuning for learning six string lap/dobro?

Darrell Criswell · From: Maryland, USA

What would be the relative merits of C6th, G6th, or open G tuning for someone that has both a dobro and lap steel six string. Which would be the easiest and most versatile? Or would an E tuning be good?

Mike Neer · From: NJ

They are two different animals. I think the starting point should be Dobro tuning (G) and a different tuning for the lap steel, depending on what you intend to play. C6 covers much stylistic ground, from the traditional to anywhere you want to take it.

Tunings like E or D are cool, but are very guitaristic.
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Jim Williams · From: Meridian, Mississippi, USA - Home of Peavey!

I have dabbled with several lap steel tunings and I always come back to C6. For the kind of music I like to attempt to play (old country, slower "pretty" type stuff and some hawaiian tunes, it is just my favorite, but I honestly think you can play most anything on it. My first real attempt at lap steel was with Dobro G tuning while I was waiting on a dobro to come in I had ordered. To be honest I didn't like that tuning at all on the steel, but got hooked on the steel instead of the dobro and switched to C6. I now play my steels several hours a day and hardly ever pick the dobro up unless I'm somewhere at a jam session and there is nobody there to play it.

There is also tons of instructional courses, videos books youtube clips, etc on C6 steel. If you choose C6 I would suggest either Dewitt Scott's Basic C6 book or First Lessons Lap Steel from Jay Leach as good starting points. Then get a copy of Doug Beaumier's 25 songs for Lap steel and practice like crazy. Mike, who responded above also has a wonderful website with loads of C6 stuff and educational materials.
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GFI SM10 3/4, 1937 Gibson EH-150, 2 - Rondo SX Lap Steels and a Guyatone 6 String C6. Peavey 400 and a Roland 40 Amps. Behringer Reverb Pedal.

Jerry Berger · From: Nampa, Idaho USA

I just received Doug Beaumier's book on 25 song's for lap steel, today. IMHO it is one of the best beginner lap steel books that I have ever seen. Now all I have to do is wait for the shipment of my lap steel. Whoa!

Sam White R.I.P. · From: Coventry, RI 02816

I tuned my Lap Steel the same tuning that is on my Dobro and it is great. Its tuned GBDGBDG.My Lap Steel is a Dynalap 8 string and I do not use the bottom string as of now. I do not have a use for it yet. I can play about 25 songs on it already and I just keep picking them up when I think of one.
Sam White
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Dynalap lap 8 String Lap Steel Fender frontman 25B speaker changed Boss TU-12H Tuner.Founder and supporter of the Rhode Island Steel Guitar Association Founder of the New England Steel Guitar Association and the Greeneville TN Steel Jams and now founder of the North Carolina Steel Guitar Jams. Honorary member of the Rhode Island Steel Guitar Association,Member of The New England Steel Guitar Association.
Member of the Florida Steel Guitar Club,and member of Mid Atlantic Steel Guitar Association

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Totally agree with Mike that when you're comparing a Dobro to a lap steel, it's apples vs oranges.

Unless your main goal is to reinvent the wheel, G is likely the best tuning for Dobro. It's by far the most common, and the huge majority of learning material is dedicated to G tuning.

Another vote for C6 on lap steel, for the same reasons. There are a handful of useful tunings you can retune to from standard C6 by either raising or lowering a string or two, without the need to change string gauges. Unfortunately, a low-bass E or D tuning is not among them.

With the availability of relatively inexpensive lap steels, either new or used, obtaining a second instrument for E/A or D/G tuning(s) is desirable, in my opinion.

Agree with Jim & Jerry that Doug's C6 courses are excellent in all aspects.

Alan Brookes · From: Brummy living in Southern California

If you look at the intervals between the strings and ignore the pitch, G open and C6 are the same except that C6 has an extra string thrown in there. So, anything you can play in G you can play in C6 but you have to be careful about hitting that extra string by accident, and, of course, your thick slides are going to sound different.

But it's the purpose of playing that's important. C6 is more often used by people who want long notes with a lot of sustain, such as in Hawaiian and Country music, whereas G is used more for Bluegrass, where you need very little sustain and a lot of shorter notes with a quick delay.

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

It's not all about short notes in bluegrass. Ballads and gospel tunes are typically quite melodic with long phrases.

A case in point. Mike with Emmylou.

As they say, "listen and learn".

h
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Howard Parker

03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard
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Howard Parker · From: Maryland

Jerry and Alison cover James Taylor.

h
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Howard Parker

03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard
Listowner Resoguit-L

Mark Eaton · Posted 8 Apr 2014 1:15 pm

It seems that on The SGF there is an endless succession of threads in the Steel Without Pedals section over the years about using different tunings on the typical 6-sting dobro than the most popular one around, low-to-high, GBDGBD.

As if there's some better way of building the proverbial mouse trap.

Alternate tunings are wonderful and of course have their place, and it's nice to be comfortable with having some of them in one's arsenal, but I look at alternate dobro tunings in the same way that I see alternates to EADGBE on standard guitar; they can be tremendously useful at times, but I don't plan on abandoning standard guitar tuning any time soon, just as I'm not getting rid of Open G on the dobro.

And why is it so often referred to "bluegrass tuning?" That reminds me a little of referring to all the non-bullet shaped tonebars for dobro as "Stevens type bars." It's a generic catch-all phrase.

Along with Howard's examples, here is Jimmy Heffernan playing some non-grass in Open G, "In My Life" by The Beatles. Which by the way is a great lesson to purchase to get the full-length learning video and TAB. Heff's lessons are typically 'grass numbers, but I like what he says at the beginning of the full length video after you have it downloaded - this is something you can learn to play for your mother-in-law to enjoy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STCU3wKJ7E0
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Mark

Mark Eaton · Posted 8 Apr 2014 1:23 pm

...and oh yeah, in my Sennheiser headphones Jimmy gets exquisite tone on that Beard Mike Auldridge Signature guitar.

"Tone is in the hands" but these are just incredible instruments, there's a reason you pay the big bucks - and I just don't think it would have the "cojones" tuned to C6th with skinny bass strings.
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Mark

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

Nice juxtaposition of phrasing styles. Played by Mike & one of the current stars of the dobro, Rob Ickes, along with mando ace, Andy Statman.

A Live recording just months before Mike's passing, at the celebration of the NEA National Heritage Awards, of which Mike was a recipient.

Nakos Marker · From: Washington, USA

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

It depends on what you want to do. For a traditional bluegrass dobro sound, nothing beats open G tuning. And Sol Hoopii played swing on open A (the same thing one step higher) back in the day. So it can be done. But if you're really not interested in that bluegrass dobro sound, I would highly recommend C6 as being much more versatile. I only play resonator these days. I did have a Republic tricone tuned to C6 (E-C-A-G-E-C from top to bottom). It sounded great. I have since moved to 8 strings which allowed me to expand my C6 in a way that suited my style of play. There are many directions in which to expand if you are so inclined. On the other hand, if you want to expand on G tuning, you are most likely going to go into one form or another of G6. So I think that unless the traditional bluegrass sound is your goal, you would rather have the C6.
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Amor vincit omnia

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

Respectfully disagree.

If you're going to learn dobro why use a lap steel tuning?

Not much similarity between the two instruments except each has six strings.

Open G dobro branched out from bluegrass decades ago. Get a hold of Rob Icke's jazz "Slide City", Billy Cardine's gypsy jazz on "Six String Swing" or the positively rockin' Jerry Douglas on "Traveler".

Go out and listen to some 21st century dobro. Very Happy

h

Mark Eaton · Posted 9 Apr 2014 1:34 pm

Howard, I have often wondered over the years what percentage of links I provide ever actually receive a visit from our fellow members.

I'll try another one. Here is Rob Ickes and pianist Michael Alvey on the jazz/pop standard composed by Kurt Weill, September Song. Rob is in good old Open G on a Scheerhorn 6-string resonator, GBDGBD. To my ears, this lacks nothing - a beautiful piece of work by these two guys:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-SWgKYvEMnM
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Mark

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

I loved Rob's album "Road Song". I don't have it in from of me. I think Alvey was the pianist.

"Song For My Father" was my favorite track.

I thought is was sublime.

Yes...Open G. Very Happy

Edited with The Link!

Mark Eaton · Posted 9 Apr 2014 2:53 pm

You might recall the story but if not, Michael Alvey is a long-time Nashville professional keyboard player and at one point landed a steady gig as it were as an elementary school music teacher (wow-what a concept!).

Some of us have had opportunities to be our kids show-and-tell subjects, I did that a couple times. Rob's daughter was in grade school at the time where they live outside of Nashville and she brought dad to school one day for show-and-tell and so that he could demonstrate the dobro. The teacher Mr. Alvey had zero clue about Rob. Here was a guy that had already won a bunch of awards for his playing but his daughter's music teacher had no idea who he was.

Eventually they struck up a friendship and the Road Song CD was born. Just piano and dobro, and Robinella on a couple vocals.

A number of years ago with my former church band director who was classically trained, we would do instrumental pieces at various times during some of the services, just she on the keys with me on dobro. The timbre of the two instruments work really well together, but you rarely ever seem to come across the combo.
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Mark

Howard Parker · From: Maryland

I always thought that was a great story.

Modern dobro lore.

h

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