The many faces of C6. Your favorite?

Dustin Rhodes · From: Owasso OK

So there are tons of variations on the C6 tuning and I'm wondering what different people prefer and why. Do you have a Bb in there? F on the bottom? G, E, or D on top? C# mixed in somewhere?

Jamie Mitchell · From: Nashville, TN

I'm no C6 expert, but I've been playing it with a D on top...

http://bengallagher.bandcamp.com/track/what-my-father-told-me

j

Dustin Rhodes · From: Owasso OK

Jamie Mitchell · From: Nashville, TN

C E G A C D

Andy Henriksen · From: Michigan, USA

ACEGACEG for me. I play 90% on the middle 6 (standard 6 string C6), but being able to go a tad lower, or a tad higher for some alternative inversions is nice.

I've tried the GACEGACE version, but I never quite know what to do with that lowest string, and I just end up missing the high G.

Stephen Abruzzo · From: Philly, PA

8-string; lo-to-hi Bb-C-E-G-A-C-E-D

6-string; lo-to-hi C#-E-G-A-C-D

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

As the dexterity of my fingers erodes due to duypetreme's contracture, I have gone back to 6 strings CEGACE from low to high. But my favorite was the 8 string tuning ACEGACED. It really stands head and shoulders above everything else when it comes to single string play.
_________________
Amor vincit omnia

Paul DiMaggio · From: Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada

AC#EGACEG, I use the same configuration on A6th.

Jeff Mead · From: London, England

I actually use A6 but if I was going to use C6 I'd use the ACEGACEG as it's exactly the same as my A6 but 3 frets higher.

It's a good one to start with as you have a nice easy major triad on the top 3 strings and the relative minor on 2 3 and 4,

Jamie Mitchell · From: Nashville, TN

Doug Beaumier · From: Northampton, MA

My favorites:

6-string:

E
C
A
G
E
C

8-string:

G
E
C
A
G
E
C
A

OR

C6/A7 combination:

G
E
C
A
G
E
C#
C
_________________
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

Bill Leff · From: Santa Cruz, CA, USA

Low to high: Bb E G A C E

Jack Aldrich · From: Washington, USA

From top (G E C A G E Bb G), sometimes with (C# A) on bottom (C6/A7). The basic tuning's a C13, actually.
_________________
Jack Aldrich
Carter & ShoBud D10's
D8 & T8 Stringmaster
Rickenbacher B6
3 Resonator guitars
Asher Alan Akaka Special SN 6
Canopus D8

Adam Nero · From: Wisconsin

ACEGACEG is my go-to.
_________________
2 cheap dobros, several weird old lap steels, and one lifelong ticket to ride on the pedal steel struggle bus.

Herb Steiner · From: Briarcliff TX 78669, pop. 2,064

ACEGACED
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?

Roman Sonnleitner · From: Vienna, Austria

ACEGACEG on 8-string, EGACEG on 6-string. I really love & need that 5th on the top string, and since I play with a band most of the time, the double bass has the low end covered, so I don't need the low strings that much.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Some people seem to be ignoring the "why" part of the question.

I don't have an 8 string C6th right now, but when I do I tune it F A C E G A C E because:

I use the Fmaj7 part of the tuning a lot
It's very easy to retune 4 strings for A6th E A C# E F# A C# E.

_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I use a lot of variations on C6, but the first 5 strings are always the same: E C A G E
After that, all additional strings are subject to change, although I am pretty set with the 2 or 3 variations I've been using of late.

I don't have any use for a high G string. I don't like the timbre of it and, although it could certainly make some things more convenient, I just like to move the bar around to different places rather than have all the voicings fall conveniently under the bar. May not make sense to you, but it does to me. It's definitely made me much more resourceful in finding unusual chords via slants.

But more importantly, I love bass notes.
_________________
Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Nate Hofer · From: Overland Park, Kansas

Not an expert but my go-to C6 version is C6/A7 low F tuning spelled low to high: F, A, C#, E, G, A, C, E

Why: Because it gives me much of the standard C6 material plus other options away from my "home" position or "bar playing" like:
• C# gives me nice dominant chord voicings
• F gives me a nice low major 7 chord grip that works well walking up to other grips
• Like B0B said, the string gauges are compatible with other tunings

Forum Index > Steel Without Pedals		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic