| Author |
Topic: Interesting Tuning |
Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 17 Feb 2019 1:57 pm |
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I’d like to say that I invented this, but b0b posted about it in 2012, and I believe that he found earlier references to it. https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=228821&sid=5235ff4f7e131ee4218f042c0b750c8c
1 - D
2 - A
3 -F#
4 -D
5 - B
6 - G
It’s pretty cool for a steel n00b like me who plays a lot of blues.
It gives you a G major on the low 3 strings, a D major on the high 4 strings, a D6 on the high 5 strings, and a B minor on open strings 5, 4, and 3.
With your 1 chord on the strings of the open G triad, your 5 chord ends up on the same fret over the D triad, which is also kinda neat.
Wondering if anybody else uses this tuning regularly, or has tried it out and either liked or disliked it? It doesn’t appear on any of the websites or web pages that list common and favorite tunings for lap steel or dobro.
I’m also using a variation of it on my 7 string DGBDF#AD - basically the same plus a low D.
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Current Tunings:
6 String | G – G B D G B D
7 String | G6 – e G B D G B D (re-entrant)
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database |
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 17 Feb 2019 7:57 pm
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I use those same intervals tuned up a whole step:
1 - E
2 - B
3 - G#
4 - E
5 - C#
6 - A
It's an Amaj9 tuning but I believe bOb calls it E over A.
With your D over G tuning, in addition to the chords you mentioned, you have a Gmaj7, Gmaj9, Bmin7 and a dominant 7 grip (2,3,5) that skips the 3rd. I'm sure there are others that I'm not smart enough to see yet. I started using it after reading one of bOb's posts a while back and it has become my favorite six string tuning. Very versatile for a lot of different styles. |
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Paul DiMaggio
From:
Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
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Posted 18 Feb 2019 7:20 am
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| I use the D over G on my resonator a lot. I sing a little and having access to full minors is a bonus. It is also a quick retune from high bass G. I have recently tuned my s8 to the E over A tuning and I put an A&B on the bottom. Good for blues and rock. |
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Jerry Wagner
From:
California, USA
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Posted 22 Feb 2019 6:13 pm
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Not saying this tuning is "The greatest thing since sliced Wonderbread" (If it's good, it's a wonder!), but I'm playing harmonics, slants, & all over the neck with it. Maybe I'm just an improving player?
The intervals in b0b's 6-string tuning are identical with my GM6/C7 7-string tuning; I've just added the flatted 7th (Bb) on the 7th string. One of the interesting aspects of this tuning, aside from the overall range, is the array of open (straight-bar) chords. b0b alluded to this in his comment:
"I like that it has a minor chord (Bm) on strings 5, 4, 3. Also the GM7 is surprising to hear from a dobro."
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 22 Feb 2019 6:46 pm
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I've reached the point where all of my steel guitars, save an E9th pedal steel I use for teaching, are tuned this way.
| Tab: |
number of
strings: 10 8 7 6
E
F# F#
D D D
B B B D
A A A A
F# F# F# F#
D D D D
B B B B
G G G G
D |
It makes it easy for me to go from one instrument to another.
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-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 23 Feb 2019 8:36 pm
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Cool stuff. I see that b0b’s 6 string tuning is the same as mine, which is comforting to a n00b like me. I can also see that his and Jerry’s 7 string tunings are more versatile than mine. For now I think I’m going to keep my seven string with the low D, I like having access to that low note, and I think that I have maxed out on my capacity to adjust to any more complexity.
Thanks for your helpful info!
_________________
Current Tunings:
6 String | G – G B D G B D
7 String | G6 – e G B D G B D (re-entrant)
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database |
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Bill McCloskey
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Posted 24 Feb 2019 8:59 am
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| check out forum member Luke Cyrus Goetze's work. He plays in this tuning. Be warned: you are going to want to get some benders after you hear him play |
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Mark Evans
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 28 Feb 2019 3:49 pm
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If I’m correct, this would be an easy retune from open D? With only changes up from the 2 lowest strings...yes? Prob doable with the same string gauges?
I play weissenborn, so always looking for tweaks to get interesting tone changes.
Mark
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Larry Pogreba Baritone 'Weissenheimer
Late 30’s Oahu Tonemaster
Hermann Guitars style 1 Weissenborn
2017 Richard Wilson Style 1 Weissenborn |
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 28 Feb 2019 7:06 pm
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| Mark Evans wrote: |
| If I’m correct, this would be an easy retune from open D? |
Probably not. Tuning your 6th string up from a D to a G might hurt something.  |
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Mark Evans
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 1 Mar 2019 9:49 am
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| Bill Sinclair wrote: |
| Mark Evans wrote: |
| If I’m correct, this would be an easy retune from open D? |
Probably not. Tuning your 6th string up from a D to a G might hurt something. |
So if I drop my low string from a 58 to, say... a 40 gauge... might work?
I’d think the A up to a B would be ok
Appreciate the advice!
Mark in frigid Wisconsin
_________________
Larry Pogreba Baritone 'Weissenheimer
Late 30’s Oahu Tonemaster
Hermann Guitars style 1 Weissenborn
2017 Richard Wilson Style 1 Weissenborn |
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Bill Sinclair
From:
Waynesboro, PA, USA
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Posted 1 Mar 2019 11:17 am
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| Mark Evans wrote: |
So if I drop my low string from a 58 to, say... a 40 gauge... might work?
I’d think the A up to a B would be ok
Appreciate the advice!
Mark in frigid Wisconsin |
What is the scale length of your Weissenborn and what is the current gauge of your A string? You'll want your G string to be a little bigger than the A/B string. Maybe 42 or 44? |
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Mark Evans
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 1 Mar 2019 1:36 pm
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| Bill Sinclair wrote: |
| Mark Evans wrote: |
So if I drop my low string from a 58 to, say... a 40 gauge... might work?
I’d think the A up to a B would be ok
Appreciate the advice!
Mark in frigid Wisconsin |
What is the scale length of your Weissenborn and what is the current gauge of your A string? You'll want your G string to be a little bigger than the A/B string. Maybe 42 or 44? |
Scale is 25â€
John Pearse Weiss strings, 3120, 58/47/39/27/18/15
Guess I’ll have to rethink and plan it out. Essentially the top 4 strings are ok gauges for this, but the 2 lower ones not... which means I’d have to rescale the set?
ME
_________________
Larry Pogreba Baritone 'Weissenheimer
Late 30’s Oahu Tonemaster
Hermann Guitars style 1 Weissenborn
2017 Richard Wilson Style 1 Weissenborn |
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Mark Evans
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 2 Mar 2019 1:34 pm
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| Bill Sinclair wrote: |
| Mark Evans wrote: |
So if I drop my low string from a 58 to, say... a 40 gauge... might work?
I’d think the A up to a B would be ok
Appreciate the advice!
Mark in frigid Wisconsin |
What is the scale length of your Weissenborn and what is the current gauge of your A string? You'll want your G string to be a little bigger than the A/B string. Maybe 42 or 44? |
Solved it. Pearse has a Weiss set for G, with a 47 on that string. I dropped a 40 for the B and put an 18 on the high string for oomph. Hasn’t blown up yet harhar
I am digging this tuning. Melodic note phrases all over. I find myself playin New Riders of the Purple Sage from their first recording. A hoot!
_________________
Larry Pogreba Baritone 'Weissenheimer
Late 30’s Oahu Tonemaster
Hermann Guitars style 1 Weissenborn
2017 Richard Wilson Style 1 Weissenborn |
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Jamie Mitchell
From:
Nashville, TN
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Posted 3 Mar 2019 11:35 am
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| Bill Sinclair wrote: |
I use those same intervals tuned up a whole step:
1 - E
2 - B
3 - G#
4 - E
5 - C#
6 - A
It's an Amaj9 tuning but I believe bOb calls it E over A.
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that's my tuning on 6 string, but i shift the bottom string to B and D for funky stuff.
I view it as open E with some chord extensions on the bottom. nice flexible tuning, for me. |
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Jamie Mitchell
From:
Nashville, TN
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Posted 3 Mar 2019 11:44 am
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| Mark Evans wrote: |
| Bill Sinclair wrote: |
| Mark Evans wrote: |
| If I’m correct, this would be an easy retune from open D? |
Probably not. Tuning your 6th string up from a D to a G might hurt something. |
So if I drop my low string from a 58 to, say... a 40 gauge... might work?
I’d think the A up to a B would be ok
Appreciate the advice!
Mark in frigid Wisconsin |
you're gonna have a really weak low string if you try to accommodate both tunings of those low strings. personally, I feel like the Wesienborn/acoustic lap stuff benefits from really heavy low strings (and strings in general). the low string on my acoustic thing moves between a low B and C. i use the heaviest acoustic string D'Addarion makes, a .70 |
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Mark Evans
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 3 Mar 2019 12:30 pm
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| Paul DiMaggio wrote: |
| I use the D over G on my resonator a lot. I sing a little and having access to full minors is a bonus. It is also a quick retune from high bass G. Good for blues and rock. |
Agreed
After just a couple days horsing around with this tuning, I’m digging how easy it is to find song structures - especially minor chords. Nicely intuitive with a bunch of sonorous arpeggios and turn around nuggets.
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Larry Pogreba Baritone 'Weissenheimer
Late 30’s Oahu Tonemaster
Hermann Guitars style 1 Weissenborn
2017 Richard Wilson Style 1 Weissenborn |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 5 Mar 2019 8:10 pm
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| Mark Evans wrote: |
| Paul DiMaggio wrote: |
| I use the D over G on my resonator a lot. I sing a little and having access to full minors is a bonus. It is also a quick retune from high bass G. Good for blues and rock. |
Agreed
After just a couple days horsing around with this tuning, I’m digging how easy it is to find song structures - especially minor chords. Nicely intuitive with a bunch of sonorous arpeggios and turn around nuggets. |
Right! The more I learn about using major 9 tuning the more elegant they seem. With Gmaj9, I get G major & D major, plus B minor triads. Then you have Gmaj7, Bm7, and D6 too, and with all that, I still feel like I’m just scratching the surface. The other nice thing is that the strums are all very forgiving. Accidentally het the A string in a minor blues? No prob, it’s still a nice 7th. Accidentally hit the B string while strumming a D? You could do a lot worse than playing a 6. Obviously, one would rather have enough control to NOT hit wrong strings, but it’s nice to know you can so easily get away with it once in a while with this tuning.
_________________
Current Tunings:
6 String | G – G B D G B D
7 String | G6 – e G B D G B D (re-entrant)
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database |
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