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Topic: 7 String C6 Tuning |
Tony Oresteen
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 1:41 pm |
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I am getting ready for a 7 String lap steel guitar and the first tuning I will use is C6. Do I add a high G or a low A to my 6 string tuning?
First number is the String, the letter is the Note, 2nd number is the ISO Octave.
Which do you find more useful?
Thanks!
_________________
Tony
Newnan, GA
Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8 |
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Cartwright Thompson
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 1:51 pm
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| Try tuning your seventh string to Bb |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 1:58 pm
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| Cartwright Thompson wrote: |
| Try tuning your seventh string to Bb |
That's how I set up my 1941 KEH-7:
Note: The 7th string (Bb) is pitched between the 3rd (A) and 2nd (C) strings. |
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Tony Oresteen
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 2:20 pm
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So that would make it a C6/7 ?
_________________
Tony
Newnan, GA
Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8 |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2022 2:36 pm
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| Tony Oresteen wrote: |
| So that would make it a C6/7 ? |
C13, I would reckon. |
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Tony Oresteen
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 21 Dec 2022 8:17 am
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Humm. Here's how I look at it. The C based chords are:
C: C E G
C6: C E G A
C7: C E G Bb
C9: C E G Bb D
C11: C E G Bb D F
C13: C E G Bb D F A
The core C6 tuning is: C E G A C E
We are missing the 9th note - D
We are missing the 11th note - F
Without the 9th & 11th there is no 13th chord (it is a 6th chord) so I do not see how you could call it a C13 tuning. With the Bb tuned below the root of C that is a very common inverted 7th chord voicing. EDIT: As suggested the Bb would be tuned higher that the root making it a normal C7 chord.
So I come back to C6/7 name for it.
Thoughts?
_________________
Tony
Newnan, GA
Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8
Last edited by Tony Oresteen on 21 Dec 2022 8:34 am; edited 1 time in total |
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Robert Murphy
From:
West Virginia
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Posted 21 Dec 2022 8:24 am
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| I tune my 7th string to D and it gives me a nice melody note plus add the G for an implied 5 chord added to the C+A for an implied 4 chord. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 21 Dec 2022 8:35 am
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Tony, C13 with a Bb for string 7. Bb C E G A C E
The next best 7 string tuning is A6, with A as the lowest string. A C# E F# A C# E
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Tony Oresteen
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 21 Dec 2022 8:36 am
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| Robert Murphy wrote: |
| I tune my 7th string to D and it gives me a nice melody note plus add the G for an implied 5 chord added to the C+A for an implied 4 chord. |
That's an idea, a C9 tuning. Thanks Robert!
_________________
Tony
Newnan, GA
Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8 |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 23 Dec 2022 10:43 am
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I too would go for C13 in that regard (yes, it is missing the 11th and 9th). C13 is what it is traditionally called, though. You can easily retune it to a pure C6 by flatting the 7th string to A, and you can retune it to C6/A7 by sharping the sixth string to C# (and flatting the 7th string to A again).
That said some people really love the high G. It's a preference thing.
A classic "intro" sound on a lot of Hawaii Calls type recordings is the dominant / V chord being strummed across a tuning like this with the low b7 going up the strings to the 13th...b7 1 3 5 13/6...its a pretty sounding chord!
_________________
Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 25 Dec 2022 9:00 pm
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A slightly different 7-string C6 tuning is this one,
E
C
A
G
E
C
G
The low G adds the “missing” low end to the standard 6 string C6.
_________________
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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David DeLoach
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 26 Dec 2022 6:20 am
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Which string do you think you'd use the most? The lower bass 7th string, or the higher treble 1st string?
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https://www.MasterGuitarists.com/ |
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Tony Oresteen
From:
Georgia, USA
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Posted 19 Jan 2023 7:31 pm
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David,
Having thought about it I decided that the high string would be more useful.
Then I took a left turn and went with A6 with a high E. Same intervals as the C6 but down a step & a half.
_________________
Tony
Newnan, GA
Too many guitars, not enough time to play
'72 Sho-Bud 6139, '71 Marlen 210
'78 Fender Stringmaster Quad black
PedalMaster D8 |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 13 Mar 2023 9:26 am
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| Allan Revich wrote: |
A slightly different 7-string C6 tuning is this one,
E
C
A
G
E
C
G
The low G adds the “missing” low end to the standard 6 string C6. |
And for those (like me) who want an even bigger bottom,
CGCGACE or CGCEACE
Although the CGCGACE tuning works for me, I think that the “standard” 7 string C13 of BbCEGACE would be hard to beat for versatility.
Last edited by Allan Revich on 15 Mar 2023 12:22 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Chris Sattler
From:
Hunter Valley, Australia
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Posted 13 Mar 2023 4:32 pm
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| Have you considered the 7th string as a C and the 6th string as a C#? On a six string it is an easy matter to just retune the bottom C to a C#. But you can have both with the extra string. I personally like 8 strings. |
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Tony Glassman
From:
The Great Northwest
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Posted 13 Mar 2023 5:00 pm
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| Buy a Scruggs tuning key, place it on the 7th string and toggle between C6th & C13th as desired. |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 13 Mar 2023 6:04 pm
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| Chris Sattler wrote: |
| Have you considered the 7th string as a C and the 6th string as a C#? On a six string it is an easy matter to just retune the bottom C to a C#. But you can have both with the extra string. I personally like 8 strings. |
C C♯ E G A C E was one of Jerry Byrd’s tunings, known as A7+C6. |
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Joe Kaufman
From:
Lewiston, Idaho
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Posted 16 Mar 2023 9:18 pm
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| I think AC#EGACEis a strong contender! |
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Andy DePaule
From:
Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
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Posted 17 Mar 2023 10:49 am Go high G because....
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Hi Tony,
Go for the high G because every retired gentleman like to play around with a snappy G string now and then!   
_________________
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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Andy DePaule
From:
Saigon, Viet Nam & Springfield, Oregon
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Posted 17 Mar 2023 10:54 am Plus +++++
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Plus having a 5th on the top shelf is great when you feel like getting high!
_________________
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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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 17 Mar 2023 1:25 pm
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| Joe Kaufman wrote: |
| I think AC#EGACEis a strong contender! |
The other variation Byrd’s C6+A7!
Deciding which one to use was solved by using an 8 string, tuned A C C# E G A C E.
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 23 Apr 2023 3:40 pm
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@Tony did you get your 7 string, and if so, what tuning did you settle on?
EDIT: Reread the thread, looks like you answered this question back in January,
| Tony Oresteen wrote: |
David,
Having thought about it I decided that the high string would be more useful.
Then I took a left turn and went with A6 with a high E. Same intervals as the C6 but down a step & a half. |
So, A C# E F# A C# E?
Are you still digging that 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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Tom Wolverton
From:
Carpinteria, CA
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Posted 24 Apr 2023 10:15 am A6 for me
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I much prefer A6 with the E on top. It seems to fit well with the vocalists I play with.
_________________
To write with a broken pencil is pointless. |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 24 Apr 2023 12:12 pm Re: A6 for me
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| Tom Wolverton wrote: |
| I much prefer A6 with the E on top. |
Ditto that. For a 7-string, it's A6 for me.
On my 6-strings, I usually favor C6 (1-3-5-6-1-3), but have specific instruments set up in G6, Bb6, and D6 (using the same intervals), too. |
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David M Brown
From:
California, USA
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Posted 25 Apr 2023 5:09 am
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One could tune to A6:
A C# E F# A C# E
and easily retune to C6 w/ Bb:
Bb C E G A C E
with the same set of strings.
Best of both worlds. |
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