Musings on 8 string tuning...

Richard Sevigny · From: Salmon Arm, BC, Canada

I've just bought a double 8 stringer. I wanted to haul less gear and still be able to access two tunings. I play with a classic rock band and also back up a folkie.

I'm probably going to use C6 for one neck (low > high FACEGACE) since I'm already familiar with 6 string C6 and it offers me the 4 chord without position change.

For the other neck I want use some variant of Open D (low>high DADF#AD, one step below open E), since that goes well with rock and blues.

There's a couple of solutions I'm looking at:

1: double up on two strings ie D & A. This could give me some interesting power chords, though not very practical for soloing.

2: add a 3 and 6 so low>high DF#ADF#ABD

3: as above but higher low>high DADF#ABDF#

Any input you can give me is appreciated.

Thanks,

Richard

Ron Bednar · From: Rancho Cordova, California, USA

Richard,
You might try Pete Grant's open D 8 string tuning.
.013 F#
.015 E
.017 D
.022p A
.026w F#
.025 D
.045 A
.066 D

The gauges are for reso so you will have to adjust those. Maybe Pete will chime in on the benifits etc.
Cheers, Ron

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Richard, I like your C6 for classic rock. It makes good sense.

I have ACEGACEG (L>H) on the back neck.

On my front neck I have G7

1. G
2. D
3. B
4. G
5. D
6. B
7. G
8. F....one tone below string 4.

I use G since it's the most familiar tuning to me. I like the dom7. There when I want/need it, out of the way at other times. good strum tuning also. I put the root on the first string so I have the same intervals on strings 1-4 as the D tuning.

With the C6 that you have, it would be very easy for me to grab a minor (6) chord jumping to the first 3-4 strings, without having to avoid the first string the way I have it now.

So many tunings.....so little beer....

[This message was edited by HowardR on 09 May 2006 at 02:52 PM.]

Stephan Miller · From: Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

That open D tuning is great for rock and blues, and a real alternative to the 6th tuning you've decided on for the other neck.

Why drop a sixth into the open D at all? Do you need 8 strings on the second neck? You could just stick the F# on top and play a 7- string open D.

Or try (lo-hi) D-A-D-F#-A-D-C-E.....gives you your open D chord intact, and the C and E put a dominant seventh and ninth-- as well as a minor triad and minor sixth-- under your bar when you want them.

--Steve

[This message was edited by Stephan Miller on 09 May 2006 at 02:59 PM.]

Richard Sevigny · From: Salmon Arm, BC, Canada

T'anks for the replies guys

Ron, I saw Pete's tuning over at Brad's website. He says it was designed for Celtic music. Basically the Open D I use now on 6 string with a 2 and 3maj. I may still play with it.

Howard, I hadn't actually gotten around to C6 for rock. When I get the 8 stringer though... run for cover

stephan, my logic for adding the 6 to the D tuning was to be able to grab a minor triad without switching necks.

I thought about dropping a string or two, but I'm greedy and wanted to catch all the notes I can get. Your second suggestions looks interesting. I may also try it.

Keith Cordell · From: San Diego

For rock I would recommend Darick Campbell's sacred steel tuning. B*E*B*E*G#*B*C#*E. I LOVE that tuning for open major comping and it compliments C6 beautifully.

David Doggett · Posted 9 May 2006 7:28 pm

I recently got a Stringmaster D8. I put a standard C6 on the back neck. On the front neck I have an E7. It could just as well be D7, but E7 works out better for open string stuff with rock and blues guitar bands. I don't see the point of having a 6th tuning on both necks. On E7 you get minors with slants, or by playing open modal chords with no 3rd. Instead of trying to play triads all the time, use simpler two string harmony by skipping a string.

------------------
Student of the Steel: Zum uni, Fender tube amps, squareneck and roundneck resos, tenor sax, keyboards

Richard Sevigny · From: Salmon Arm, BC, Canada

Keith, the sacred steel tuning looks like an E6 variant to me.

Dave, you may be right. Two 6 tunings might be overkill. I'll seriously think about the 7th...

...unless I decide to take the 5th..

Chuck Fisher · From: Santa Cruz, California, USA * R.I.P.

or a low fifth below the tonic like a bass A, allows alternating bass notes under chords. bas aa 7 string, maybe a 9th or raised 9th as a high string

Richard Sevigny · From: Salmon Arm, BC, Canada

So I finally got my new toys (pics to follow)...

For those of you who couldn't stand the suspense any longer...

Back neck FACEGACE (came tuned that way... someone read my mind?)

Front neck... originally thought about DADF#ACDF... 'til I tried it and it sounded hokey..

Lowered the F to E (which I think gives me a D9 chord) and it sounds good to my ears.

Now I have to practice practice practice and get used to the narrower string spacing

Stephan Miller · From: Silver Spring, Maryland, USA

Richard-- congrats on the doubleneck!

After reading your last post, I'm gonna give the advice thing one more shot...since it looks like your front-neck tuning is the same as the second one I recommended to you, except that you placed the C inside the open D tuning. This means constantly playing grips to avoid the C, and cancels out that nice easy full strum of the open D. Put the C as the 2nd string, and you have the open chord strum PLUS a dominant chord strum whenever you want. The out-of-sequence string may seem too strange to take seriously, but it opens up some cool single-note and chord-picking stuff, in addition to the other advantages, and you still have your dom. 7 and 9, as well as the minor triad (with the 6th on the bottom as needed). Plus the major 3rd on strings 1 and 2, 2 frets up from the open chord.

Good thread-- I wonder if I would have thought about this version of D9 otherwise... now I think I'll have to try it out, as (lo-hi) D-A-D-F#-A-D-C-E.

YMMV.... but good luck and happy pickin'.

--Steve

Richard Sevigny · From: Salmon Arm, BC, Canada

Interestingly enough, Stephan, it came tuned more or less in open D with the C Lower than the middle D. That string was the first string (next to the low D). I played with it for a day or so before putting on a new set of strings.

I tend to play grips for chord triplets, and most of my lead runs are single line or doublets that are sometines three strings apart, so I'm more comfortable with grips
than I am with picking notes "out of order" (that's 30+ years of guitar pickin' I'd have to undo to get there)

That being said, your suggestion has merit. The top two strings would be identical to the C6 tuning I'm using. Maybe I'll try it on my next string change.

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