C6th Tuning

Gary Lynch · From: Creston, California, USA

Howdy,

After playing guitar for many years I bought a National Reso-Phonic and started using fingerpicks and bottleneck in Open G & D tunings. That was a challenge as it was about nothing like playing with fingers in standard E tuning on a 'regular' acoustic guitar. Then I bought a vintage Fender Champion lap steel and without any instruction started noodling around in Open G & D. It's another world and like starting over. After reading many of the post on the net it appears a new player maybe should tune to C6th and hang there for a real long spell learning scales and chords. I feel if I jump around in tunings I'll not really learn much of any of them.

Is C6th about the best way to settle in on a 6 or 8 string lap?

Thanks,
Gary

Thank you for the information. I guess my concern was to find a universal tuning to be able to play in many keys without retuning and not having a double neck instrument. I appreciate your help.

[This message was edited by Gary Lynch on 16 November 2006 at 10:45 AM.]

Edward Meisse · From: Santa Rosa, California, USA

The general consensus seems to be that C6 is the most versatile tuning. It does depend some on what kind of music you want to play. You can find some C6 instruction right here on the forum. Dewitt Scott's nonpedal C6 book and his backing the singer book. Don Helm's book is for E6 but that's just the same intervals a major 3rd higher. Jerry Byrd's comprehensive instruction book is available from Scotty's Music. It takes you through alot of different tunings finally settling on C6 and Jerry Byrd's favorite version of it, C6/A7.

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

Personally I believe the most important thing is to stick with the tuning of your choice long enough to learn it 'inside out'.
After using the open-D as my main tuning for over three years I'm still discovering new ways to find harmonies and (implied) chords, as my slanting technique improves.

No matter which tuning you choose you will have to make compromises, some tunings tends to lend themselves more towards certain styles than others, and which one you choose will be influenced by what kind of music you want to play.

I tend to think of it this way - all the notes are there no matter which tuning you choose, they're just organized in different manners, offering different possibilities..

C6 is without a doubt the tuning with most instructional material available for, so in that sense it's a good place to 'hang out'..

Steinar

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"Play to express, not to impress"
www.gregertsen.com
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