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Topic: Sell me on A6 tuning |
David DeLoach
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2018 8:10 pm |
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One of my 8 string necks is tuned to C6
A C E G A C E G (low to high)
Besides a change in pitch, why should I try an A6 tuning?
F# A C# E F# A C# E (low to high)
Both tunings are 6th-root-3rd-5th-6th-root-3rd-5th.
Enlighten me oh steel masters! |
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Keith Hamm
From:
Three Rivers, California, USA
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Posted 26 Jun 2018 8:16 pm A6
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| For me, I started on dobro, root,third, fifth, and the western swing guys used it. |
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Posted 26 Jun 2018 8:49 pm A6th
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If you've ever played E9th pedal steel, it is very natural and almost exactly the same notes as with your A+B pedals down.
To me it relates well to standard Guitar bar (a) chords
If you play a lot of songs in the key of C, D and E It allows bar positions near the center of the neck
_________________
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYG9cvwCPKuXpGofziPNieA/feed?activity_view=3 |
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Guy Cundell
From:
More idle ramblings from South Australia
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Steffen Gunter
From:
Munich, Germany
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Posted 27 Jun 2018 3:02 am
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You now play C6 in the High-G version which is identical to A6 but up 3 frets.
If you put A6 on neck 2 you could:
– change your C6 on neck 1 to the Jerry Byrd C6/A7 which gives you more possibilities.
To stay in you L2H list: G-A-C#-E-G-A-C-E or A-C-C#-E-G-A-C-E
Then you still have the Western Swing A6 with the 5th on top on neck 2:
F#-A-C#-E-F#-A-C#-E
BUT (!) you can easily change to B11
F#-B-C#-D#-F#-A-C#-E
or C#m9
F#-B-D-E-F#-G#-C#-E
Just in case you are interested in classic Hawaiian or Jazz tunes …
_________________
My YT channel: www.youtube.com/user/madsteffen |
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Norman Evans
From:
Tennessee
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Posted 27 Jun 2018 4:29 am
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| Try retuning your C6 with the same strings low to high (A,C#,E,F#,A,C#,E,F#). I like this tuning much better than having a low F#. YMMV |
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Pete Burak
From:
Portland, OR USA
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Posted 27 Jun 2018 6:34 am
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I like both tunings and think I will eventually have instruments with both tunings, but for playing Sleepwalk in C for example, I have to agree with Dom that it is nice to have my E9th Pedals down positions at hands reach.
I have a few YouTubes of the A6th tuning on my YouTube page using this 8 string Steel, but here is Sleepwalk in C (it modulates to Eb).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YvVGBawQAR0 |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 27 Jun 2018 7:08 am
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Every tuning has advantages and disadvantages depending on what you want to hear and what keys you’re playing in. Many like the lower register timbre of A6 but it’s often advantageous to have a third on top. I personally prefer an e note as my highest note regardless of the tuning. A6th moves some common C6th chord voicings down to a lower string set. Desirable? You decide.
_________________
Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com
Last edited by Andy Volk on 27 Jun 2018 10:17 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 27 Jun 2018 10:04 am
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Several weeks ago I tuned a little lap steel A6 and did a collection of 15 Gospel songs. It's a fun tuning and here it is high to low: E--C#--A-- F#--E--C# This is a clip of Sweet Beulah Land.
http://picosong.com/w9ubP
If you have an 8 string you can add A and F# on the bottom
My six string can be retuned to C6th easily. There are other options.
Email me if interested in arrangements for A6. 
_________________
Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel |
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Phillip Vaught
From:
Dallas,Texas, USA
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Posted 27 Jun 2018 11:18 am asleep at the wheel
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Eddie Rivers nuff said
_________________
Georgeboards s8 colorshift, roland cube, goodrich, perfect touch, ernie ball, deluxe 34, Pandora px3. cegacegd |
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Scott Duckworth
From:
Etowah, TN Western Foothills of the Smokies
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Posted 27 Jun 2018 1:36 pm
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Here are my tunings. The reason I use the A6 some is on gospel songs I can stay in what I call the "sweet spot" on the neck, fret 3 to about fret 8-10.
_________________
Amateur Radio Operator NA4IT (Extra)
http://www.qsl.net/na4it
I may, in fact, be nuts. However, I am screwed onto the right bolt... Jesus! |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 27 Jun 2018 2:26 pm
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Most of my instruments are 6-strings with a 22.5" scale. I dislike the sound and feel of anything higher than an E on the 1st string. Plus, I prefer having the root note on the 6th string. C6 is my tuning of choice on the 6-strings.
On my lone 7-string instrument, A6 achieves both objectives. It seems tailor-made for 7-string steels. |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 27 Jun 2018 8:27 pm
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This may be a guitar player thing, but it just seems easier to visualize the steel fretboard in terms of E and A chord positions. Takes the guesswork out of where home plate is, no matter what key the song is in. That idea carries over to E9 pedal steel too.
Jack makes an interesting inference with his comment. I wonder if there is a tuning that optimizes the tonal quality of a particular instrument according to its own physics. For example, does C6 actually sound better than A6 on your D8 Stringmaster? Why? Front neck or back neck? |
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Paul Seager
From:
Augsburg, Germany
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Posted 28 Jun 2018 1:10 am
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I have a twin 8 with a 22.5" scale. Like you I couldn't see a real reason to use A6 over C6, particularly as most educational material is on C6. Anyway, I enjoy Eddie Rivers' videos on the Western Swing Rules Youtube channel and he made a comment that A6 sounds "gutsier". I had some heavier gauge strings so I tried it and, yes I agree with him. I've been using it now for about 6 weeks and the transition hasn't been too difficult.
My outer neck, which I've never quite known what to do with is now my C6 neck. There are some tunes, like Sleepwalk that I play in C and I am too lazy to transpose them. However, it occurred to me that all the tunes I play on C6 are very 6 string oriented so I now tune the low A to a Bb which gives me a 7 chord whenever I need it.
Let me add that I've tried and don't get E13 at all; I've experimented with other tunings but nothing appealed. However since adding A6 and the minor change to my familiar C6, I'm feeling quite at home with two necks now! |
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Brooks Montgomery
From:
Idaho, USA
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Posted 28 Jun 2018 6:15 am Re: asleep at the wheel
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| Phillip Vaught wrote: |
| Eddie Rivers nuff said |
Yessir!
_________________
A banjo, like a pet monkey, seems like a good idea at first. |
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C. E. Jackson
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Posted 28 Jun 2018 7:51 am
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| Roy Thomson wrote: |
Several weeks ago I tuned a little lap steel A6 and did a collection of 15 Gospel songs. It's a fun tuning and here it is high to low: E--C#--A-- F#--E--C# This is a clip of Sweet Beulah Land.
http://picosong.com/w9ubP
If you have an 8 string you can add A and F# on the bottom
My six string can be retuned to C6th easily. There are other options.
Email me if interested in arrangements for A6. |
Great playing, Roy.
I use A6 tuning for all single neck steels.
Hi-Low: E C# A F# E C# A F# (8 string)
No problem for playing in A6, A, or C6
Here is my arrangement of Sweet Beulah Land when tuned to A6.
SWEET BEULAH LAND
Here is my arrangement of Beyond The Reef when tuned to A6.
BEYOND THE REEF
David, I recommend A6 tuning on 6, 7, or 8 string steels.
C. E. Jackson 
_________________
My Vintage Steel Guitars
My YouTube Steel Guitar Playlists
My YouTube Steel Guitar Songs
A6 tuning for steels
Last edited by C. E. Jackson on 28 Jun 2018 2:38 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 28 Jun 2018 8:28 am
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Hi there C.E.
Nice work on your clip with proper expression.
I first heard this Gospel song by Squire Parsons on a
Gaither program. It may be still available on YouTube?
Kindest Regards
Roy
_________________
Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel |
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 28 Jun 2018 10:05 am
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What I do is tune the low string up a half-step to G and then you got Junior Brown's tuning except in A and as such it has more balls than the same tuning in C and renders having a C6 tuning on another neck redundant. Essentially you now have a 6th and a 7th in the tuning which is for all practical purposes a 13th chord. As soon you add that tritone to the tuning, you get lotsa handy relative chords, extensions, alterations and what you don't have, you can get with slants. I've had this tuning on a single 8 CruzTone for years. Also having the 5th on top doesn't sound wimpy like it does on C6. To me it's a wonderful middle ground in range and flexibility amongst all the other popular 8 string tunings.
https://youtu.be/OqYJKYWtbVw |
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Steven Welborn
From:
Ojai,CA USA
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Posted 28 Jun 2018 10:23 am
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"My outer neck, which I've never quite known what to do with is now my C6 neck. There are some tunes, like Sleepwalk that I play in C and I am too lazy to transpose them. However, it occurred to me that all the tunes I play on C6 are very 6 string oriented so I now tune the low A to a Bb which gives me a 7 chord whenever I need it.
Let me add that I've tried and don't get E13 at all; I've experimented with other tunings but nothing appealed. "
I'm still relatively new to non pedal. But seems to me the E13 on one neck is a good complimentary to a A6 or C6 on inside neck. A nice 13th voicing is right there under the bar without having to slant and where it sounds richer at lower registers. I noticed some early players i.e. Bobby Keoffer switch mid solo to top neck to get that 13th chord. Plus the 13th chord (7-3-6) is a 7b9 chord a 1 1/2 step up.
Bobby's solo @ 1:32
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WSlskCq9Qk |
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David M Brown
From:
California, USA
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Posted 28 Jun 2018 3:24 pm
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| Guy Cundell wrote: |
McAuliffe, Boggs, Remington......
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Billy Hew Len
also had a version where he had the low strings at G and Bb. |
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Andy DePaule
From:
Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
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Posted 28 Jun 2018 6:45 pm Sell me on A6 tuning
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Okay you say "Sell me on A6 tuning".....
Bring it to my house and I'll change your C6th to A6th for $3.97 but we might break a string if they are too old 
_________________
Inlaid Star Guitar 2006 by Mark Giles. SD-10 4+5 in E9th; http://luthiersupply.com/instrument-gallery.html
2017 Mullen SD-10, G2 5&5 Polished Aluminum covering. Custom Build for me. Great Steel.
Clinesmith Joaquin Murphy style Aluminum 8 String Lap Steel Short A6th.
Magnatone Jeweltone Series Lap Steel, Circa 1950? 6 String with F#minor7th Tuning.
1956 Dewey Kendrick D-8 4&3, Restoration Project.
1973 Sho~Bud Green SD-10 4&5 PSG, Restoration Project. |
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 29 Jun 2018 9:01 am
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I could probably sell you on changing the tuning if you were using C6 with an E in top but as you are already using the version with G on top, there is no difference other than 3 semitones of pitch. If the songs you are playing work for you, no need to change.
If I were playing C6 it would be with high G - same as you. The reason I play A6 instead is because as a guitar player, A6 is more intuitive - I know I'll find E on the 7th fret - in C6 I'd be counting on my fingers.
Also with a double neck, one of the most common second tunings (and the one I use) is E13. To me the relationship between A6 and E13 is more intuitive than between C6 and E13.
Also, as has been pointed out, if you ever get into E9 pedal steel, you get most of the A6 tuning with the AB pedals down which has got me out of trouble a few times. |
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David Mason
From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
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Posted 29 Jun 2018 6:27 pm
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| Quote: |
| I personally prefer an e note as my highest note regardless of the tuning |
- Andy Volk
And, I personally have never been able to get a .010" to .012" size string to sound LOUD enough and balanced, hence I've had to mess with the overall EQ to get something there, but it's then too trebly overall somehow. (For what it's worth, I don't warm to strings bigger than 0.066" either).
This is initially kinda garbled, but if you scroll a bit here's a correctly-tabbed out listing of the four 6th tunings you get with the top string arbitrarily set at "E" with a 0.015" string.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=303746&highlight=four+tunings
The "E" is the root, the "E" is the third, the "E" is the fifth, the "E" is the sixth. I didn't do it to be some woofy world domination master-theory thing, just how to make the big happy noise instead of the little squeaky noise. I use A6th because it FITS GOOD between 0.015" and 0.066", even down to a tenth-string "A", but (secret!) it doesn't really matter. I just like a looser stringy sound better than a shiny-tight me-robot sound. |
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Dom Franco
From:
Beaverton, OR, 97007
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 29 Jun 2018 9:10 pm
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| My Stringmaster is a 24.5†scale neck. An .016 for high E would be tight enough to slice cheese. |
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