| On C6th, how often do you use your bottom C string (10th string)? |
| So often, I couldn't be with it! |
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15% |
[ 6 ] |
| Quite often/Regularly/It's part of my playing. |
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46% |
[ 18 ] |
| Now and then. |
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15% |
[ 6 ] |
| Rarely |
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12% |
[ 5 ] |
| Next to never really. I wished there was something else there |
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10% |
[ 4 ] |
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| Total Votes : 39 |
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| Author |
Topic: C6th... the 10th string |
J D Sauser
From:
Wellington, Florida
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Posted 5 May 2023 2:04 pm |
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I would like to know how often y'alls use that bottom C string (including with P-8 ).
Thanks!... J-D.
_________________
__________________________________________________________
Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it. |
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Jerry Overstreet
From:
Louisville Ky
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Posted 5 May 2023 3:53 pm
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Yes well the Night Life chord of course used with other tunes as well.
I have that boo wah or splat pedal at position 4. Just the way I started on it.
Also, since I raise string 4 half and whole A/Bb/B on a knee, I have pedal 8 free to tune strings 8 and 9 to make a C major triad in the lower registers.
Pedal 8 lowers string 8 from A down to G and string 9 from F down to E. This gives me a C major all the way across strings 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 and 5...any of those grips for power chords, blues, rock and whatever you might want a major triad in the low registers.
This is something I got from my buddy Boogie [RIP] He used it for Travis picking stuff, but I don't to that.
I'm considering lowering string 4 A down to G also for a C major all the way across, if it doesn't make the pedal too stiff.
I also have half of the so named Franklin pedal on pedal 8 lowering 5 and 10 on the front neck a whole tone. |
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Christopher Woitach
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 8 May 2023 8:43 am
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If I played 10 string C6 (I play 12 string Bb6), I’d use a D as string 10, and pedal 8 lowering 1/2 step to C#, which is the change Reece used on his Bb6 (mine, too). Very useful to me.
_________________
Christopher Woitach
cw@affmusic.com
www.affmusic.com |
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J D Sauser
From:
Wellington, Florida
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Posted 8 May 2023 3:04 pm
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| Christopher Woitach wrote: |
| If I played 10 string C6 (I play 12 string Bb6), I’d use a D as string 10, and pedal 8 lowering 1/2 step to C#, which is the change Reece used on his Bb6 (mine, too). Very useful to me. |
Yes, your bottom C in Bb6 would be a D on C6th, so like having "something else than that low C (in your case Bb).
Well, I think you have a hunch where I am going with this. But that's a follow up subject.
But yes, Maurice had a D on the bottom of his non-pedal S12 too, and he said he "could not be without that".
... J-D.
_________________
__________________________________________________________
Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it. |
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Bob Hoffnar
From:
Austin, Tx
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Posted 8 May 2023 3:47 pm
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I took the low C off my C neck years ago and replaced it with a D on the 7th string. My lowest string is the F. Works for me. I even talked with Buddy Emmons about it and said it was a great idea especially if you deal with written music. He told me he has guitars set up like that at home but if he doesn’t play the boo wah lick at steel shows they will string him up.
I got the idea from a pedal that Paul Franklin said to check out when I bought my first Franklin D10. The pedal moved a bunch of strings basically into that tuning. I left that pedal in so much I decided to tune that way.
_________________
Bob |
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J D Sauser
From:
Wellington, Florida
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Posted 8 May 2023 3:54 pm
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| Bob Hoffnar wrote: |
I took the low C off my C neck years ago and replaced it with a D on the 7th string. My lowest string is the F. Works for me. I even talked with Buddy Emmons about it and said it was a great idea especially if you deal with written music. He told me he has guitars set up like that at home but if he doesn’t play the boo wah lick at steel shows they will string him up.
I got the idea from a pedal that Paul Franklin said to check out when I bought my first Franklin D10. The pedal moved a bunch of strings basically into that tuning. I left that pedal in so much I decided to tune that way. |
Yeah, there's a big "hole" there between the C and E. It's bothersome in A-string rooted minors and the F-string rooted Major... and even on the "two below" position (as Jeff Newman labeled it) D minor "almost Dorian".
I've toyed with that, but it would make interchanging ideas with other C6h players almost impossible to me... so I keep jumping around with my bar over that "hole".
Thanks!... J-D.
_________________
__________________________________________________________
Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it. |
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Andrew Frost
From:
Toronto, Ontario
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Posted 8 May 2023 4:24 pm
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Intersting thread.
If I took off the low C to make room for another string somewhere, I'd have the low F on 10, and have it drop to D on Pedal 5 for the low root of D9, (instead of raising it to F# ). Having the F drop to low D would be useful, especially for a faux boo wah effect on that D7#9 w/ P5&6.
Last edited by Andrew Frost on 15 May 2023 2:00 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Roger Rettig
From:
Naples, FL
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Posted 9 May 2023 6:02 am
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Food for thought here!
I don't use the 10th much. I find it dull and lifeless, apart from when I'm attempting my version of thumb-style picking when it's useful.
I like the sound of putting the F on 10 and adding the D. I don't think too many of my grips would be affected, given the little I use it tuned to C. My grips mostly start with the 9th string.
_________________
Roger Rettig: Emmons D10, Quilter TT-12 & TT-15, B-bender Teles and Martins - and, at last, a Gibson Super 400!
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 9 May 2023 7:05 am
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| I don’t play C6, but that low C has always looked like a waste of string space to me. Play that if you want to piss off every bass player in the world. Maybe for playing solo style it would be useful. |
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J D Sauser
From:
Wellington, Florida
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Posted 9 May 2023 10:00 am
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| Fred Treece wrote: |
| I don’t play C6, but that low C has always looked like a waste of string space to me. Play that if you want to piss off every bass player in the world. Maybe for playing solo style it would be useful. |
It gives you a bass note alternative to the 7th string.
Example: If you play a 9th string rooted CMaj at the 7th fret, you'd have a IV same voiced IV Major7/9th 2 frets bellow with P7. The 7th string root is then a bit "thin", even more so if you play off a D or E key further up. THERE the bottom root on the 10th string, while a bit far away from the chord tones, gives it a little closer feel to the Key's 9th string root.
For soloing (single notes) I personally feel it's too "dead"/understrung and the 4th interval to the next string (F open) creates a big void which only can be filled by jumping 2 or 3 frets.... playing fast, and on those thick strings, I don't find it practical.
Like Maurice relative to his Bb6th with a C on the bottom, I have a D there. It's a minor 3rd below the 9th string, and besides being closer also creates a further pair of minor 3rds into the diminished lineup.
Obviously, there's also the P8 argument. Although I find that 70's "splat" sound to be highly dated and very quickly overdone, I could accommodate a 5 semitone drop from my D to A on most all pull guitars. To me it's important rather for my Quartal chord voicings (like Miles Davis' "So What"-chord) in combination with my 5th string whole step lower and P7 to have that bottom A. I don't "splat" much... yes, it raises eyebrows ONCE but most musicians quickly find it tacky.
Jazz tends to have some very "tight" lines... Bebop often extended chromatic lines... having big intervalic gaps between adjacent strings don't appeal to me much for that reason. But then, I doubt most use that string for soloing... I might be wrong though.
... J-D.
_________________
__________________________________________________________
Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 9 May 2023 12:05 pm
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I do a lot of rockabilly rhythm playing and walking-bass stuff on C6th, so I find it almost essential.
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Sam Conomo
From:
Queensland, Australia
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Posted 9 May 2023 12:53 pm That 10th string
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| Great to read the discussion on string 10 and and alternatives.i am following, don't let me stop ya,all from talking.i am very interested. Thanks ,north of the black stump,no man's land ,Sam. |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 9 May 2023 3:04 pm
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It's supposed to be felt rather than heard, I think
As for the "hole" between C and E, on a Day-setup uni you have the A pedal handy (equivalent to C-D)
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 10 May 2023 1:31 am
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Not often at all but there are times I tune the LOW F down to an E which allows for playing a BLUES vamp off the E string , like the old Bill Doggett song " Honky Tonk"
I've always viewed the C6th tuning as an E6 tuning at the 4th fret with 4 under. Go figure. 
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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fraser
From:
seattle wa
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Posted 10 May 2023 11:44 am
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I play solo c6th exclusively so I use the low C constantly and couldn’t do without
Fraser |
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J D Sauser
From:
Wellington, Florida
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Posted 10 May 2023 11:56 am
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| fraser wrote: |
I play solo c6th exclusively so I use the low C constantly and couldn’t do without
Fraser |
Thanks Fraser. Could you elaborate on when (against which string-root) you use it?
Do you use it as a bass string to chords, do you use it in single string soloing, do you used more for "Chet Atkins style thumb picking like Bobbe Seymore was known for?
Thanks!... J-D.
_________________
__________________________________________________________
Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it. |
|
|
|
J D Sauser
From:
Wellington, Florida
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Posted 10 May 2023 11:56 am
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| fraser wrote: |
I play solo c6th exclusively so I use the low C constantly and couldn’t do without
Fraser |
Thanks Fraser. Could you elaborate on when (against which string-root) you use it?
Do you use it as a bass string to chords, do you use it in single string soloing, do you used more for "Chet Atkins style thumb picking like Bobbe Seymore was known for?
Thanks!... J-D.
_________________
__________________________________________________________
Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it. |
|
|
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 10 May 2023 12:27 pm
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| Tony Prior wrote: |
| I've always viewed the C6th tuning as an E6 tuning at the 4th fret with 4 under. Go figure. |
You're in good company. Judging by his Basic C6 course, Buddy Emmons thought the same. 
_________________
Make sleeping dogs tell the truth!
Homebuilt keyless U12 7x5, Excel keyless U12 8x8, Williams keyless U12 7x8, Telonics rack and 15" cabs |
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scott murray
From:
Asheville, NC
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Posted 10 May 2023 5:34 pm
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for chord/melody playing, C6 can't be beat and the 10th string is absolutely essential. and steel standards like Night Life, Hold It, At E's, etc don't really exist without the 10th string.
that bottom end is what really drew me to C6 in the first place!
_________________
1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster |
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fraser
From:
seattle wa
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Posted 12 May 2023 8:55 am
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Hi J.D.,
I use the 10th string every which way. I think solo playing can tend towards monotonous so I try and switch things up often and the 10th string helps there. Bass lines, simple solos, repeating rhythmic patterns to set the tone, a single note here and there to set the root or bring focus back to a passage, blues lines, jazz lines, slide lines, as part of many chords or alternating with the rest of the chord, as part of two string figures that trend somewhat classical, as part of three string figures that trend funky, as a pale imitation of the Dj’s that use record players as an instrument and so forth. It’s hard to get the volume under control compared to the rest of the strings. I use it a lot more now that it stays in tune and the bar angle is more accurate. I can change it to C#, Bb, D and A on the new Excel.
Thanks
Fraser |
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J D Sauser
From:
Wellington, Florida
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Posted 14 May 2023 5:12 am
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| fraser wrote: |
Hi J.D.,
I use the 10th string every which way. I think solo playing can tend towards monotonous so I try and switch things up often and the 10th string helps there. Bass lines, simple solos, repeating rhythmic patterns to set the tone, a single note here and there to set the root or bring focus back to a passage, blues lines, jazz lines, slide lines, as part of many chords or alternating with the rest of the chord, as part of two string figures that trend somewhat classical, as part of three string figures that trend funky, as a pale imitation uof the Dj’s that use record players as an instrument and so forth. It’s hard to get the volume under control compared to the rest of the strings. I use it a lot more now that it stays in tune and the bar angle is more accurate. I can change it to C#, Bb, D and A on the new Excel.
Thanks
Fraser |
Thanks Fraser. Very interesting.
I tuned up to D mainly beause of chords, getting a bass roth to the realtive minor of the open FM7 (9th string rooted) and because how I “organize” C6th.
I can “stand” the tonal qualities of that string tighten up a bit better too.
Sill, I rarely use it over the 12th fret for single notes, and even for chords I rather go down from high frets positions and take the P7 “repeat” of the bottom strings layout above.
I added a low C on my 12 stringers because
a) I had settled on D & B (half below the high C) on top after trying different “crazy” options, and
b) I feel that now and then a little bass helps with the rather high pitched inversions of -lets say- a 7th string root (like a M79 with P7) chord. It also allowed me to put the “bawhoom”-low A drop I don’t use much back from off the D string to the C string in favor of a D-to-C# drop added to P8.
Would I play 10-string, I would have D on the bottom any time.
The tuning being near Diatonic with only the lack of an inside B string, there’s really only “black”-key note changes which can be added to “mess it up” nicely. 😈
I am really surprised at the poll outcome so far! I never expected tha so many would rely so much on that bottom C string.
Thanks and everybody please feel free to continue to place their vote.
Thanks!… JD.
_________________
__________________________________________________________
Was it JFK who said: Ask Not What TAB Can Do For You - Rather Ask Yourself "What Would B.B. King Do?"
A Little Mental Health Warning:
Tablature KILLS SKILLS.
The uses of Tablature is addictive and has been linked to reduced musical fertility.
Those who produce Tablature did never use it.
I say it humorously, but I mean it. |
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