How to get to C6 on my National?

Patrick Cullie · From: Lyons, Colorado, USA

Sorry for seeming thick, but i've been playing in G and D for years on dobro and nationals. i've recently taken up pedal steel and want to start to explore the C6. Using my National, do i lower the 6th string all the way to C? seem slow. and do I raise the D all the way to G? it will snap for sure. I could get lighter guage strings but I want to be able to get back to E, D, or G tunings w/o too much trouble. Or should I just drop down to B6 or A6 (would that be A/C#/E/F#/A/C#)?
thanks for your help.

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Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

Normally you'd use a lighter set of strings on the bottom three strings to get to C6/Am7 tuning.
Compare the two tunings:




D --> E


B --> C


G --> A


D --> G


B --> E


G --> C

You can see that if you take a string gauged for your low B, you can raise that to the low C much easier than the low G string.
I'd recommend checking out the gauges listed for Hawaiian or nonpedal guitar on the Just Strings web site.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Yeah when I was using regular Dobro Tuning low to high>G B D G B D> and I wanted to go to the 6th tuning> I would make it an A6. So go up a whole tone on the low G B D; now you have A C# E> then middle G goes down a half tone to F# and B goes down a whole tone to A and high D down a half tone to C#.
So A6 low to high> A C# E F# A C#
And it's a good tension on the strings and plays fine.
Ricky

[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 08 May 2001 at 07:36 PM.]

Patrick Cullie · From: Lyons, Colorado, USA

ricky - that was the solution i was looking for. thanks guys!

Ricky Davis · From: Bertram, Texas USA

Hey Patrick; your quite welcome my friend and I'm sure it will work out for ya well.
Have fun.
Ricky

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