Hawaiian tuning

Randy Reeves · From: LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA

I came into possesion of several sheets of 30's Hawaiian sheet music.
they are anotated as well as showing what looks like Tabs.
there are no clues as to tuning.
my question, what is your best guess as to the tuning used (six string) during the time period between , say, 1925 and 1935?

the songs are in the key of A.

'Oaken Bucket', 'Hilo Goodbye', My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean. to name a few.

the sheet music was published by two companies; Bronson and the Oahu Co.
those are familiar lap steel names.hmmmm.

John Bushouse · Posted 9 Mar 2007 10:48 am

Either high A or low A. I've seen Oahu sheet music in both.

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

I have a Nick Manoloff "Electric Hawaiian Method Book" from 1939, it's in highbass-A.

Steinar
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Randy Reeves · From: LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA

thanks. I knew this was the place for answers.
Ironically, Manoloff's name appears in one book.

off to Brads Page of Steel for the diagram.

George Keoki Lake · From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

Probably 90% of all steel guitar methods/publications were written for the A Major tuning prior to WW2. The "clue" can also be noted in the fact the majority of the songs were arranged in the key of A and involved a lot of open (self accompaniment) strumming a bit similar to slack key today. Smile

Randy Reeves · From: LaCrosse, Wisconsin, USA

thankyou George. all the songbooks that I spoke of are in the key of A. I rechecked.

Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

I had a friend (now deceased) who was taught the "number system", Oahu course.
He played in A major low bass, and that included the chords on the low bass strings, so he was sort of a one-man-band.
He actually played quite good, and I learned some of the tunes he played at that time, (mid 40s). One was titled "blue Hawaiian moonlight" which isn't the same as the one played these days. It was likely written for that course by an arranger for Oahu.

George Rout · From: St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada

You can readily tell if it's Hi or Lo bass tuning by looking at the bass accompanient notes (5th & 6th strings). If these alternate (with strums) between the 5th and 6th (picking), they are always Lo Bass tuning. If you don't understand what I'm describing, I'll attach a piece of old tab. I have tons of that music. Geo

George Keoki Lake · From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

There were so many folios written in the A Major Tuning by such publishers as Wm J. Smith, Kamiki, Bronson, Keoki K Awai, the list goes on and on. The majority were written for the Low Bass tuning....(Hi to Lo: E C# A E A E) which gave the performer sort of a "one-man-band" sound, being able to play melody and strumming accompaniment at the same time. Only problem: The songs had to be written in the key of A. Even then, many of the chords were incorrect as the performer was restricted to major chords only. Frankly, most of those arrangements sounded lousy and were really designed for the pre-electric age.

Oahu Publishing and Ernie Ball Publishing were two of the later outfits to eventually recognize the E Major, C#m, F#9th and D9th tunings.

However, as I mentioned earlier, most, if not all publications prior to WW2 (and even those published during the early forties) were in A Major. Very few steel guitarists use the traditional A Major any longer, although George Rout has never abandoned this old tuning and does quite well particularly when using it on his Dobro.

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