Jazz guitar style comping with C13 tuning (Jules Ah See)

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I believe the Jules Ah See C13 is unique in the sense that one can approximate jazz guitar style comping with it. I've been exploring it for a while and I believe with a good knowledge of functional harmony, including substitutions, that it is very possible to play 'rhythm guitar' in this context. It involves a great amount of slanting, but with practice and with a more staccato approach, we can get away with murder.

I posted a little exercise on my blog utilizing some of this thinking on Rhythm Changes (I Got Rhythm). Check it out:

http://www.lapsteelin.com/2019/04/13/comping-chords-with-c13-tuning-jules-ah-see-tuning-rhythm-changes/
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Nic Neufeld · From: Kansas City, Missouri

Thanks Mike! I'm a Jules C13 adherent, and because of a jazz band I somewhat accidentally landed in (trying to land a Hawaiian style band) I've been enjoying playing a lot of jazz standards in C13...with some limited comping, which I'm still trying to work out.

The Tapa Room Tapes have a lot of examples of great jazz-influenced if not purely jazz comping on steel guitar...Jules was at his prime!

I'll try to digest what you've worked out. But C13 combined with slants is a very versatile tuning.
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Molin Oleg · From: Saint-Petersburg, Russia

So interesting, as usual! Thank you, Mike! Do you use C13 tuning in two types - with low string G and C on the same guitar? I tried to make C from G (8 th string .54, scale length: 22.5 inches) and it started to be underpressed, was too loose, not enough tension.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

I use a .068 for my low C.
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Ian Kerr · From: Queensland, Australia

Hi Mike.Just studying your rhythm changes and applying them to pedal steel.The second last line has B7b9 to E7, A7b9 to D7 AND G7b9 to C7.All the b9 chords[B7b9,A7b9,G7b9] appear to have the flat 5 as well.Is this intentional on your part for a cooler sound?
Thanks.

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Yes, Ian, it is intentional, but the cycle can also be thought of as Gb7, F7, E7, Eb7 etc. itâ€™s really all just a chromatic descending tritone interval. You can choose which bass notes to attach to the chords.
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Ian Kerr · From: Queensland, Australia

Thanks Mike.Now I see where that flat 5 came from.Thinking tritones I can do the descending line on the same group of strings.
Cheers.

David M Brown · From: California, USA

Where's the "like" button for this thread?

Thanks for the info on a cool tuning.

Rich Sullivan · From: Nelson, NH 03457

Hey Mike,

I was not at all familiar with Jules Ah See's C13 tuning until I read this post, but it reminds me very much of Tom Morrell's E13 tuning. If you added 2 strings tuned to D's between the C's and E's, you would have Tom's tuning (pitched down 2 whole tones, of course.) I never really quite understood the functionality of that low E in Tom's tuning, but I think your post has turned the light bulb on for me. Cool.

Rich

Jim Fogarty · From: Phila, Pa, USA

Cool stuff.

If you play a more typical high G C6 or C13 (like Junior Brown), you can use this to, just by omitting the notes on the low C string.

On guitar, players like Jim Hall, Scofield and others all the way back to Freddie Green often comp with just 2 notes, to great effect.

Charlie Haden did it quite often as well, on upright bass.

Piano players and bass players will thank you for staying out of their range.

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