C6 Tuning question

Pete Martin · From: Washington, USA

Hi all.

Newbie here on 6 string lap steel, but have played mandolin guitar and fiddle for a very long time. I have extensively studied theory and play lots of Western Swing, Bluegrass and for a good number of years now, bebop. Know jazz chords, voice leading, Barry Harris 6thdim chords, etc. Want to dabble around with Western Swing straight steel.

Been playing C6, C E G A C E. I would really like to have a dominant seventh and (at least partial) diminished without slants so I have a couple of questions.

Was wondering if anyone had tried tuning Bb E G A C E. This way have a well voiced 13 with b7on the bottom and 6 on top.

I also saw some play C# E G A C E. If any of you use this and would care to comment, I’d be appreciative of your opinions.

Thanks for listening. I’ve been reading lotsa posts here and really enjoying the forum!

Pete

Stanislav Paskalev · From: Bulgaria

CEGBDF will give you straight bar dominant sevenths and some diminished options.

Nathan Golub · From: Durham, NC

The easiest use of C# on the sixth string gets you the dominant seven chord two frets back from your home base position. So in the key of F, you get the F chord at fret five, then at fret three play strings 6 5 4 3 for a C7, then resolve back to fret five.

Or, from the home base fret, go up three frets and play those bottom strings to get the seventh chord of the home base chord. So fret five for F, then up three frets to eight and play 6 5 4 3 for F7, then go up two more frets to ten for the IV chord Bb.

Pete Martin · From: Washington, USA

https://youtu.be/Fz139mprDCU?si=dSqmOzowUyp77ViP

Just saw this about B11 tuning. Most of the sounds I want are here with no slants. I’ll try this one!

Jack Hanson · From: San Luis Valley, USA

Don't be afraid to attempt to play slants. It's a huge part of the C6 vocabulary. For an easy 6th to 7th slant, play strings 5 & 3 at the 7th fret. Then, twirl the top end of your bar on the 3rd string from the 7th to 8th fret, keeping the 5th string stationary on the 7th fret. Easy-peasy G6 to G7. Alternatively, you can pull the 3rd string up a half step with your ring finger behind the bar. With a little practice, both methods will become second nature. Good luck!

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Slants are the essence of C6. I cannot begin to tell you how much gold is in there if you spend the time to acquire and master the skills. It really isn’t as hard as you think it is after you get the hang of it. Tough in the beginning, simple in the end. Give it a try and don’t give up.

The most important thing is to start with the right tools. A bullet for 6 string should be around 2.75-3.00” with a thumb indent. Finding the right bar is step number 1. Much more difficult without a bullet bar.
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Fred · From: Amesbury, MA

I'd recommend playing around with the C# on the 6th string. In addition to the obvious A7(#9) there's also Eb13 under the straight bar. And you still have most of the slants.

Dean Gray · From: New South Wales, Australia

Pete Martin, it’s so cool to see you here on the steel guitar forum. Your educational material for mandolin and particularly the chord tone scale exercises have been super helpful. As well as your Barry Harris 6th diminished videos.
I’m sure you will find cool things in the B11th tuning. Please share them with us!
I am mostly at home in A6 with the 5th of the triad on string 1. B11 shares this, and it’s a quick retune between the two. I’ve gone to the dark side, with an 8 string pedal steel in A6. Diminished chords via 2 pedals and dom 7 with a knee lever. Some might say it’s cheating….. I don’t care, it’s a D8 with E9 on top so it gets me a lot of gigs!
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Tim Toberer · From: Nebraska, USA

Pete Martin · From: Washington, USA

I am planing on playing 6 strings for a while and see if I get any good. Then if so, I’m thinking a double neck 8. While I suck bad right now, it is VERY fun!
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Nic Neufeld · From: Kansas City, Missouri

Lotta great suggestions.

Would definitely second Mike's "don't fear the slants". They sound awful, I know...until they don't...just keep at it.

Your own idea of just going to Bb on the low string is how Alan Akaka teaches C13 tuning to people who don't have a 7 or 8 string. It's a perfectly good tuning and you can easily just tune up and down to it from regular C6.

Likewise tuning up your low string as others mentioned to C# gives you C6/A7, what I call a split tuning that lets you get seventh chords. Jerry Byrd used this a lot.

If you get a 7 or 8 string, Jules Ah See C13 is a great tuning that is just an extra Bb and low C on the bottom. Plenty of other tunings are possible but if you've started out in CEGACE C6, would kind of recommend sticking with it and just using the variants like C13 and C6A7 for now so you don't have to start over with a radically different new tuning.
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Jim Newberry · From: Seattle, Upper Left America

Hi Pete, glad to have you here! I'm a neighbor and I can help you if you need anything. I'll send you a PM.
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Paul Seager · From: Augsburg, Germany

When I first started on steel I was overwhelmed by the idea of slants and tunings until I actually found a need for them! I began on 6-string C6 and slowly, for each song I learned to adapt. So if I was playing a song that had an occasional 7th chord, then I would slant. But if a song depended on a lot of 7th chords, I would drop the lower C down to Bb or, change the A up to Bb. Whatever suited the song best.

Later, I acquired 8 string instruments with first one, then two and most recently three necks. My preference now is A6 over C6 (I like having the 5th on top) coupled with B11. They share the top four strings meaning that I tend to learn melodies or practice my soloing on the top four and choose or switch between necks for necessary chords. But I still use slants not least for effect - they can sound cool!

It's an evolutionary process and my point is don't feel you have to "one or another" technique or tuning - work with the song!
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