| Author |
Topic: Need help choosing a new home base key for my tuning. |
Greg Gefell
From:
Upstate NY
|
Posted 27 Jan 2009 7:16 am |
|
Most of the songs I'm called on to play lap steel on are in E, G, and D. Right now I'm playing 8 string E6. While the open strings are useful for some hammer on type stuff, I mostly find myself at the 12th fret when we're in E because of being to slide in and out of the surronding notes I want.
I'm wondering what alternate 6th tuning, A6, B6, C6, might be a better choice to keep the often used slides away from the nut. I'm also thinking I will enjoy the 5th on top that those alternate tunings will provide.
I come from 20 years of guitar before I ever touched a steel so thats why I chose E.
What have other guitar players here who have taken up steel found to be a good alternate base key?
_________________
https://www.facebook.com/ggefell/ |
|
|
 |
Rick Alexander
From:
Florida, USA, R.I.P.
|
Posted 27 Jan 2009 7:51 am
|
|
Hi Greg, you may get several different answers to that question.
I use A6 as a basic tuning. hi2lo E C# A F# E C# A F#
It makes sense because it's symmetrical and easy to conceptualize.
D with a straight bar is at the 5th fret and E is at the 7th.
G is at the 10th, but as you get into it you'll discover that the key of G works very well with A6 tuning.
In fact, all keys work well with it - and you have lots of good hammeron and pulloff possibilities.
I often tune the bottom F# up to G, making it technically an A13.
This way I can get dom7th chords with a straight bar . .
_________________
BIG STEEL |
|
|
|
Greg Gefell
From:
Upstate NY
|
Posted 28 Jan 2009 7:29 am
|
|
Thanks Rick. I never realized how easy it was to go from E6 to high C6. I tuned down temporarily without having to change any strings. I see what you mean about the easy to grasp symmetrical relationship. I like that 5 on top. I wish there was a way to keep it in E but a high B would really be pushing it!
I'll try A6 and B6 also to see which one I latch on to.
_________________
https://www.facebook.com/ggefell/ |
|
|
|
Ray Montee
From:
Portland, Oregon (deceased)
|
Posted 29 Jan 2009 8:36 am Perhaps I have it wrong.......................
|
|
From your post, as I interpret it, you 'sound' as tho' your locked-in to 3 or 4 specific keys. WHY might that be?
C6th has always been my 'at home tuning' but I've never locked-in to a minimal number of keys in which to play. I always found it a wonderful mental challenge to play in ANY KEY, up and down the neck.
The first time I had to play "Charmaine", I was all over the neck trying to find the appropriate chords. It was a mind boggler.
I think that is when I discovered the VALUE of playing positions along the neck. Makes no difference what key the band is playing in, go there, set up your pattern and NEVER LOOK BACK. There is MORE to playing C6th, than the 10 string, pedal steel style of picking. There's a lot there to be had. |
|
|
|
Greg Gefell
From:
Upstate NY
|
Posted 29 Jan 2009 9:04 am
|
|
Ray - I'm not opposed to learning and playing in any key. I also agree with you about position playing, and I try to do that to a certain extent.
I think it has more to do with playing in the common keys of the country and rock music my band chooses to use frequently. The keys I mentioned are more user friendly for the guitar players in the band and therefore we tend to center around those keys. Not always - but often.
So - If I'm going to be playing along with a main focus on those top 4 keys for example, then I would like to choose my tuning carefully so as to maximize where I want certain chords to fall under my bar.
To my ears there are definite zones of the neck that just sound better than others. Putting those often used chords in that zone is really what I'm looking for.
Hopefully that makes a little more sense.
_________________
https://www.facebook.com/ggefell/ |
|
|
|
