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Topic: My new Cajun steel tuning |
David Higginbotham
From:
Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 21 Jul 2013 9:18 am |
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With a constant challenge to get as many changes in a single tuning that fits Cajun music, I think I stumbled across one of bOb's previous post to be the best! I have made some adjustments to suit my personal preference, but thanks to bOb for being so helpful over the years 
Dave
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 24 Jul 2013 10:14 am
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Hi Dave,.. I guess I really don't understand?... Most Cajun stuff is pretty straightforward is it not??.. Majors/relative minor, a minor 2 or seventh here and there etc.. Why a tuning thats "made" for Cajun stylings??... isn't E9 sufficient?. I have played lots of cajun songs over the years on E9.. Now please remember I am NOT in a Cajun band, and don't know every nuance of the form thats for sure, but I have heard lots of steel on Cajun songs over the decades, and it seemed like simple old E9 to me... Not being a smart ass at all, just wondering why a non standard tuning is needed... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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John Groover McDuffie
From:
LA California, USA
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Posted 24 Jul 2013 1:58 pm
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| I second Mr Carlucci's question and have another: Why the "re-entrant" arrangement of strings 7 & 8? (I assume the E #8 is tuned to is a whole tone about the D that #7 is tuned to.) |
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David Higginbotham
From:
Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 24 Jul 2013 6:38 pm
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Hey Bob, no offense taken at all my friend! 
The majority of Cajun music is very simplistic in regards to chord progressions. As it pertains to steel, the challenge is the picking style. The original songs were recorded using open tunings and most of us try to stay that route in our playing. During a gig, the primary instrument (Accordion) sets the precedent for the key which could be Bb, C, or D. To play an open tuning on steel you need to tune to open F, D, or A accordingly. Many accordion players change accordions during gigs therby changing the open tuning. Yes, all of this can be played on E-9th tuning. But, it doesn't visit the original style of the recordings or stay in the realm of the "true" Cajun style of music.
There is only one steel player here that plays everything tuned E-9th and that's Richard Comeaux. He is an amazing player to say the least!  All of the rest of us try, at least in most part, to stay with an open tuning available. My goal with this tuning was to accomplish as much as possible on a S-10 with 3&5. I have an open G with strings 3 thru 7 and an open F tuning with strings 2,4,5,6 with the LKL and C pedal engaged. To achieve and open A chord I use a capo on the second fret. I use the LKL frequently in my playing as it's the same change as the 7th pedal on C-6 on strings 3&4.
The changes and chromatic strings 1&2 I use when playing E-9th style for any country or swamp pop songs during a gig and some on the Cajun waltzes.
This tuning allows me to achieve most of 4 different tunings without playing a D-10 and allows me to change at any giving time incorporating the tunings without switching necks. Many times in the same ride, I may play half G and half E-9th style.
John, as for the redundant 7&8 string, I first noticed this looking at Ralph Mooney's tuning. I initially wasn't going to hook the A pedal to the 7th string and alternate picking strings 7&8 depending upon which chord I was in and pedal down or up. But, after playing both strings together and engaging the A pedal as needed I found it really added dimension to the sound. That and I really didn't need a low D note on the 10th so my best choice was to add another E after the D which a steel player here named Jesse Stutes first started years ago as part of his G tuning.
But, above all else, I really like a challenge and trying new tunings is always fun and keeps my interest in music! This tuning is new to me and is likely to be tweaked further as I explore it. 
Thanks for the questions guys and please feel free to critique anything that you find questionable.
Here are some examples of picking styles that E-9th just wouldn't sound correct in playing:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=175179&highlight=cajun |
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John Groover McDuffie
From:
LA California, USA
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Posted 24 Jul 2013 8:09 pm
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I didn't call the 7th and 8th strings redundant. The term I used - re-entrant - is a term for a tuning where the strings aren't ordered strictly according to pitch. The classic example being the 1st 4 strings of an E9 steel. If arranged in order of pitch the 1st would be the G#, followed by the F#, E, and D#. Since the 3rd string is higher in pitch that the 1st 2 strings (and the 4th higher than the 2nd in addition) it is a re-entrant tuning. I'm not sure of the origin of the term.
So anyway why did you not make the E string #7 and the D string #8? Is it so that you have a more strummable group of strings in the middle of the tuning? |
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David Higginbotham
From:
Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 24 Jul 2013 9:02 pm
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John, Redundant was my choice of word and you were correct in terming it re-entrant. The choice of reversing these two was simply because of habit. I'm far more accustomed to the D being in that order and after years of playing I found it a bit too challenging to alter the order and skip the 7th for the 8th . I don't use the 8th often and concentrate more on the 7th. But. the combination of the two fits well when needed. Otherwise, the D with the raise to E is my standard tuning. Good catch tho and a logical question as to why!
Dave |
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Bob Carlucci
From:
Candor, New York, USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2013 3:01 pm
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well David, here's my take on it,tell me if I am wrong.. I studied the very cool links you provided.. Great stuff!
All the players[all GOOD players too!] were using licks and rythmic comping that most good, accomplished E9 players would use... I heard a more aggressive palm blocking technique than is normally used in the modern era, where many players pick block..
I also heard a "lower" range in the notes.. In other words, good staccato, old school palm blocked major chords and "honky tonk" steel licks, but in a lower register than you might hear on a "regular" E9 guitar..
I played along with all the songs, and sounded similar.. That aggressive palm blocking and that rythmic "bounce" always came naturally to me on steel being a drummer early on in my teens....No problem there.
I WILL say , however that many of the licks, and comps I used when playing along, were higher than what I heard on your links, because of my tuning.. Perhaps this is what you mean..
Theirs was a fuller, thicker sound, mine was more sharp and cutting.. I think a good E9 player would do as well with lets say an extender 12 string E9.. Much of the playing I heard WAS the same style a good E9 would come up with... The main difference I could hear was extended range in the bass.. Because of this, the blocked notes, and the palm blocked staccato chording had a fuller thicker sound than they would on a standard E9, even though the "feel" was the same.
I basically heard good major chord palm blocked steel, with added bottom in the sound..... bob
_________________
I'm over the hill and hittin'rocks on the way down!
no gear list for me.. you don't have the time...... |
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David Higginbotham
From:
Lake Charles, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 25 Jul 2013 4:19 pm
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Bob, I really appreciate your analogy on the style of playing. We all play by ear, no tabs available, and come up with different runs on the same songs. I found my style of playing is simply things that I've copied from all of these great players. And they've copied from other great players before them. We all try to add a touch of our own and we can hear a short clip and know exactly who's playing. That's how distinct the styles are here.
The lower bass sound can be attributed to the fact that on my clip, I was tuned to a similar tuning that I have now with an extended 12 string, Danny was playing on C-6, Murnel is playing a 12 Universal, Richard has an extended range 10 string E-9th that he plays, Issac was playing a standard open G tuning.
I will tell you that a capo used on an E-9th tuning placed on the 1st or 3rd fret making it on open F or G tuning and using strings 4,5,6,8 would give you the lower bass tone you're hearing in these clips. Murnel plays like that on a regular basis!
Thanks for enjoying the music we have down here. It is a great heritage and I'm glad to know that many in other parts of the country enjoy it.
Dave |
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