My 8 String Tuning (help)

Richard Grasty · From: DEKALB Illinois, USA

DOES THE TUNING DGBDDGBD IM USING SEEM TO BE A NORMAL G TUNING FOR A EIGHT STRING LAP STEEL..IM A DOBRO PLAYER TRYING TO PUT TOGETHER A TUNING WITH A SHORT LEARNING CURVE BUT STILL SOUNDS GOOD FOR A COUNTRY SONG..I HAVE READ THE OLD POST ABOUT THIS BUT STILL CANT SEEM TO COME UP WITH THE TUNING THAT WILL WORK BEST.PLEASE EXCUSED THE CAPS MY KEYBORAD IS A LITTLE FLAKY.....THE DOUBLE D'S FOR SOME REASON LOOKS DUMB BUT GIVES ME SOME NEW G GRABS..THANKS TO ANYONE THAT RELAYS..

RICK DOBROPLAYING@YAHOO.COM
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Howard Parker · From: Maryland

Tune strings 4 and 8 to an E and you'll have the classic 8 string dobro G6 tuning.

h
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03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
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Brad Bechtel · From: San Francisco, CA

I agree with Howard.

1. D
2. B
3. G
4. E
5. D
6. B
7. G
8. E
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Howard Parker · From: Maryland

I re read the initial post and failed to answer one of the questions:

NO...G tunings are not typical of lap steels. You'll not find any instructional material, strings, etc.

IMHO...you would be better served by tuning to a standard C6 tuning. This tuning uses the EXACT same intervals as the tuning laid out above. Tune as follows.

1. G
2. E
3. C
4. A
5. G
6. E
7. C
8. A

This will give you the standard 1-3-5 of open G dobro tuning with the 6th on the bottom for the country stuff. Plenty of help with this tuning. String sets are instruction are readily available and you'll recognize lots of patterns from the dobro.

Oh...It'll just sound so much better.

fwiw and my .02

h
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Howard Parker

03\' Carter D-10
70\'s Dekley D-10
52\' Fender Custom
Many guitars by Paul Beard
Listowner Resoguit-L

Richard Grasty · From: DEKALB Illinois, USA

THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE INPUT,AND AM GOING TO TAKE ALOOK AT THE C6 TO SEE IF I CAN PICK UP ON IT...AGAINTHANKS
_________________
ROLANDS CUBE GX80
SCHEERHORN DOBRO WITH PICKUP
AND A ROOM FULL OF STUFF

Steve Lipsey · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

I just made the same transition and ended up with C6 after considering (and trying) G6 - the thing to know is that as long as you use a "high fifth" version of a 6th tuning, you will have the same patterns as the dobro, just in a different register. So with C6, just pretend that the 7th fret is your old 12th fret and everything works fine.

G6 would give you a much lower register, A6 a much higher one, that is really the only difference. What you lose with C6 is that essentially your guitar starts at the 5th fret of your dobro...what you gain is easier access to higher sounds. And, of course, you gain being consistent with everyone else out there.

The lap steel sound tends to benefit from the high register, if you want those old open low dobro notes, go play your dobro....or use a "low fifth" version of the tuning, but then you lose your 1-3-5 high string pattern.

The low fifth version can easily be changed back and forth to an A6 tuning with the 1-3-5, but that is a very high register if you play in G..

And also, you can buy lots of C6 string sets and not have to make your own G6 set up...

Richard Grasty · From: DEKALB Illinois, USA

Hey Steve thanks for you input,I guess it would the best way to go...Is this the same C6..

1st E - .015

2nd C - .018

3rd A - .022

4th G - .024SF

5th E - .030SF

6th C - .036SF

7th A - .042SF

8th G - .054SF
Is this a good string set up for the tuning of C6??How long did the change from the open G to the C6 take to learn a few songs??thanks again rick
_________________
ROLANDS CUBE GX80
SCHEERHORN DOBRO WITH PICKUP
AND A ROOM FULL OF STUFF

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Richard, I like that C6 tuning right there.
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Richard Grasty · From: DEKALB Illinois, USA

Is there a advantage to have the G's on top, other than ACEGACEG?? RICK
_________________
ROLANDS CUBE GX80
SCHEERHORN DOBRO WITH PICKUP
AND A ROOM FULL OF STUFF

Mike Neer · From: NJ

Not to me. I prefer the E on top. Many folks like the G on top. as it stands now, your 8 string C6 is symmetrical--the top 4 strings are the same as your bottom 4.
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Steve Lipsey · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

your gauges are for the high-E C6, not the high-G C6 - you want to add an .011 or .012 on the top and leave off the bottom one.

I use these, available right here on the forum:
http://www.steelguitarshopper.com/products/Jagwire-High-C6th-Herb-Remington%2C-stainless-wound.html

I actually replace the .011 with a .012 or .013, but I like a beefy first string...

didn't take long at all to learn it as if i was playing normal open-G (just ignore the A string and you have DGBD (lo to hi). But also, you should try NOT to play it like a dobro...think in terms of playing more across the neck than up and down it, try to feel the major/minor 3rds and how they allow you to see ways to play harmonized 3rds and 6ths....those are the secret to the thick steel sound...if you think like a dobro you will sound like a dobro, so why bother?

Steve Lipsey · From: Portland, Oregon, USA

and I'm thinking now of changing that top G to a D (lower than the C below it) to give a tuning more like a pedal steel.....just play the dobro licks a string down, not using the top string, but further up the neck, not exactly the same but very close.

And you can change the low A to a Bb to give you an easy real 7th chord...

I keep going back and forth on doing those, I probably will at some point...

This tuning thing is a real mind-bender when you are starting out...

Steve Ahola · From: Concord, California

I agree with Mike about C6. I had always played just open G on dobro and open E for lap steel, but I've found that C6 really grows on me. I've been using the 6 string C6/A7 variation with the bottom C raised to C# (C#-E-G-A-C-E). It took awhile to get used to that "weird" note on the bottom but the chord produced by all 6 strings is an A dominant sharp ninth chord, which I always called the "Jimi Hendrix" chord, but it also has jazzy applications when played on the V or other scale tones.

Steve Ahola

P.S. I believe it was Jerry Byrd who came up with the C6/A7 tuning. Here is a YouTube clip uploaded by basilh with Jerry playing a 7 string dobro tuned E-C-A-G-E-C#-A (high to low):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_oaEw0p3js
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