| Visit Our Catalog at SteelGuitarShopper.com |

Post new topic STANDARD TUNING Lap Steel
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  STANDARD TUNING Lap Steel
Roy Thomson


From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
Post  Posted 28 Jun 2009 12:28 pm    
Reply with quote

I have a lap steel on hand tuned to E Major for
teaching purposes and today cranked it to standard
guitar set up --E--B--G--D--A--E High to low.

I was surprised at what lies within this tuning
but it took a lot of patience and practice.

Used a little six string National.

Link to Mac The Knife Solo
http://www.fileqube.com/file/EceRqCGWM203681

Visit my site for email lessons Courses etc.

Happy Sunday to all. roythomson at eastlink dot ca

RT


_________________
Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Steinar Gregertsen


From:
Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.
Post  Posted 28 Jun 2009 3:21 pm    
Reply with quote

You get some great harmonies from the standard tuning Ron, that was very interesting to hear.

Sometimes, at freelance gigs, I find that a certain tune needs some lap steel(ish) stuff, and not having brought my Asher I just sit down and play my regular guitar lap style in standard tuning, using a bottleneck as a bar.
Funny thing is I automatically phrase different then I would have if I had played it bottleneck style, even in the same standard tuning.

But that's only fills and lead, mostly single notes, nothing as harmonically advanced as you drew from the standard tuning here. Very interesting stuff..
_________________
"Play to express, not to impress"
Website - YouTube
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Mark Bracewell


From:
Willow Glen, California
Post  Posted 28 Jun 2009 8:02 pm    
Reply with quote

Fantastic cocktail lounge sound! And very well played. I'll have another, and make it a double. I will try this for sure, thanks!
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Roy Thomson


From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
Post  Posted 29 Jun 2009 9:42 am    
Reply with quote

Thanks for listening and the comments.

The tuning is not "strum friendly" so it
takes some digging. I ClicTabed this "measure
by measure" as I arranged it ..otherwise I
would have forgotten it.

May do some more in the future.

All the best.

Roy
_________________
Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Twayn Williams

 

From:
Portland, OR
Post  Posted 29 Jun 2009 10:43 am    
Reply with quote

Nicely done!

"Standard" guitar tuning is an extended open tuning:

If you drop the low A from consideration, you're left with a perfectly viable em7 tuning: E-D-G-B-E. With the addition of the low A you have the 4th of the chord, or if you prefer, the 11th. This makes the tuning Em11:

E - root
B - P5
G - m3
D - m7
A - P4 (P11)
E - root

The more I look at this, the more tempted I am to put one of my lap steel into this tuning and give it some serious work!
_________________
Primitive Utility Steel
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Roy Thomson


From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
Post  Posted 29 Jun 2009 11:06 am    
Reply with quote

If you really want to have some fun...
just drop string 4 (D) to (C#) for an
A9th tuning.
You can play the Blues all week. Smile

Link to Birch Blues: A9 tuning
Standard Guitar Tuning ..Drop D to C#

http://www.fileqube.com/file/rucnml203921



_________________
Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Joel Bloom

 

Post  Posted 1 Jul 2009 7:43 am    
Reply with quote

I like it!! I play standard guitar tuning on all my lap guitars and just tune the A to a G (giving a 'strum-able' major chord on the middle 4 strings among many others). On Weissenborn I take this tuning down a tone. I find it great for solo pieces as well as backup ideas. Please feel free to visit my myspace link to hear this.
cheers-Joel
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Doug Beaumier


From:
Northampton, MA
Post  Posted 1 Jul 2009 8:49 am    
Reply with quote

Nice sound, Roy! I think of standard guitar tuning as G6 add2. I've never tried this tuning on a lap steel, but a couple of thoughts come to mind... strings 2,3,4 would make a major chord. 1,2,3 would be a minor chord. 1,2,3,4 would be minor7.
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Grant Cuthbert

 

From:
Sydney, Australia
Post  Posted 2 Jul 2009 1:33 am    
Reply with quote

well done. best sounding lap in that tuning ive heard
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Michael Papenburg


From:
Oakland, CA
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2009 11:18 am    
Reply with quote

As a small variation, tuning the A string up to B can provide some really interesting inversions. I used that tuning on a session once and really liked it. BTW, Nels Cline uses Standard Tuning on one of his lap steels.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Roy Thomson


From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2009 11:33 am    
Reply with quote

Interesting and informative comments and my
thanks.
There is a lot to be explored on the standard
set up. One could spend a life time with it.

Roy
_________________
Custom Tabs Various Tunings
Courses Lap Steel, Pedal Steel
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  
Please review our Forum Rules and Policies
Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction, and steel guitar accessories
www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Click Here to Send a Donation

Email SteelGuitarForum@gmail.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for Band-in-a-Box
by Jim Baron