| Visit Our Catalog at SteelGuitarShopper.com |

Post new topic The 6th tuning has helped me play other instruments better!
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  The 6th tuning has helped me play other instruments better!
Dom Franco


From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
Post  Posted 3 Nov 2015 1:54 am    
Reply with quote

Playing a Non-pedal steel with A6th or C6th has opened my eyes to the possibilities of chord substitution on other instruments.
For example: When playing Piano or guitar and the progression goes from C to F, I now often think Dm7 (which is an F6th as well)

Knowing the relationship of C to Am (C6 and Am7) and G to Em, F to Dm etc. Because those chords reside on the same fret on adjacent strings, has made me a much more versatile Piano Player...

When playing with other guitarists and they strum a G, I often pick little arpeggios of Em7 and other tricks I learned from My lap steel playing.

I also discovered long ago that a cool passing "7th" chord lick is easily played by moving the bar down two frets from the tonic position. Translating this to guitar was as simple as strumming an "F6" When my buddy was playing a G7...

I am still learning new tricks even after 40 years.

One more example is the Major 7th chord. (a standard 6th tuning does not have a Major 7th) But a "rootless" major 7th is found 7 frets up (Or 5 frets down) at the Dominant 7th Fret.

(C maj7 is essentially an Em chord)

Now when I play Guitar or piano, I am envisioning my lap steel fretboard and the 6th, Major/Minor alternates available at any given position.

Dom
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Stefan Robertson


From:
Hertfordshire, UK
Post  Posted 3 Nov 2015 4:15 pm    
Reply with quote

great info Dom but one correction

If you have a Dom7th Chord or voicing you have a Major 7th as well. Just bend the string and raise your b7 a half step up to a 7. Now you have your Major 7th voicing.

Couldn't imagine living without it. So much colour.

I'm now starting to feel colour in my playing. Looking for the mellow buttery notes. Scales and modes are starting to miss that.

I swear someone needs to create a Jazz scales book. With only useful arpeggios styled scales. Cause modes sound a bit crap to be honest. No one uses it as bog standard it has no colour without passing tones and notes outside the original scale. Plus no one solos from Root to root. Jazz always starts on the 3 to the 9 or the 9 to the 3.

Why did I have to find this out on my own after wasting weeks studying almost useless modes. I hate the fact that when you learn them you have to leave out half of what you learn in jazz. Like the 5th or root. Unless its a part of some passing tone scales.
_________________
Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com

"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist"
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Dom Franco


From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
Post  Posted 3 Nov 2015 4:51 pm    
Reply with quote

I can't bend strings behind the bar, I use the heaviest gauges for tone and tuning stability.
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Ulrich Sinn


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 3 Nov 2015 8:03 pm    
Reply with quote

Quote:
I swear someone needs to create a Jazz scales book.


Stefan -

you're killing me! Smile
_________________
Redline Resophonic
MSA Superslide 12-string Reece Anderson tuning, dropped down to B
MSA “The Universal” in Reece Andersons Bb universal tuning, raised to B
TomKat Amp
how I earn a living
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Christopher Woitach


From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
Post  Posted 4 Nov 2015 8:35 pm    
Reply with quote

Dom

I completely understand what you're talking about! In my case, it went the other way. When I started playing steel, those same kind of concepts I'd learned on guitar really helped my steel chording, especially using tritone substitution on the Dom7 and if you have a D as your 1st string, and play a min7 using root b3 b7 and the 11 (1st string) as your ii chord, go up 3 frets with same chord as your V (it'll have a b7 #9 #5 b9) then move down 1 fret to your I chord (3 6 9 5) - the order depends on your tuning...

The steel is still full of mystery (especially with pedals) but working on non pedal too is opening my brain. I particularly love the 6th tuning, although I am only used to the 12 string Bb6

Downside? On a guitar gig the other night I started playing the tune as if the guitar was tuned in Bb6! I recovered, but.... Oops
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  
Please review our Forum Rules and Policies
Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction, and steel guitar accessories
www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Click Here to Send a Donation

Email SteelGuitarForum@gmail.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for Band-in-a-Box
by Jim Baron