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Topic: newbie having a difficult time deciding on tunings |
Stan Brown
From:
California, USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2017 5:54 pm |
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I have an old Epiphone Elektar double neck 8 string- 53/54 as best I can tell based on logo (has great tone!)
There seem to be many combinations and suggestions for tunings-
This tuning seems to work for me on the lower neck - I think it's officially an A6 tuning, but, I don't really know, I found it as an iuntitled mage online of various chords in the open position- tuned up to it and over all I like it!
all 8 strings make a B11 (A-B-C#-D#-F#-A-C#-E L-> H)
the minor chords sound...so-so
I'd like a tuning for the top neck that has a bit more minor voicing (if one exists)
my background is years of guitar (acoustic, folk, bluegrass, electic, slide, and banjo....) and my main driving desire is to be able to add steel parts on recordings (singer/songwriter), so at 64 I brought the lap stelel out of the closet (bought years ago from someone in Austin) and have decided to see how frustrated I can make myself
Thanks in advance for anyone willing to take a minute or two |
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Nathan Laudenbach
From:
Montana
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Posted 12 Jan 2017 7:04 pm
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C6th is great, it has the minor sound when you want it and is nice contrast to the strummy B11th tuning.
plenty of music out there written for C6th tuning. |
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Stan Brown
From:
California, USA
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Posted 12 Jan 2017 8:02 pm
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Thanks- I've tried C6 and (please fdon't take offense) it sounds too....polynesian for me...) Maybe I should try falt'ing the 3rd and see how that sounds
my ears seems trained to guitar (50+ years now... you'd think I was getting good at it.....(?)? when I move from a C to an An or a G to an Em it's distinctive
I don't hear the strong distinction on the steel
i hear it on pedal (but they have the pedal to drop notes a 1/2 step).... I've tried pulling/angling the steel back.... but ...I don't know
Maybe I'm expecting too much
or my ears havel just gotten old (64) |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 12 Jan 2017 8:33 pm
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| Quote: |
guitar... when I move from a C to an An or a G to an Em it's distinctive
I don't hear the strong distinction on the steel |
You need to skip certain strings to hear a strong major or minor chord sound. For major chords, you need to skip the 6th tone. For example, on C6 tuning, omit the A string for major chords. Include that string for minor chords. That 6th tone comes in handy for playing 3rds, two note harmonies, harmonized scales. If you strum across all of the strings on C6 or A6, yes, it will sound Hawaiian, but most of the time you'll be picking the strings more selectively to get partial chords and harmonies.
_________________
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 |
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David M Brown
From:
California, USA
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Posted 13 Jan 2017 3:11 am
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First, this may seem counterintuitive, but one of the old Hawaiian tunings based on minor may work. It doesn't have to sound hawaiian if one doesn't play in a Hawaiian-esque style.
So for 8 string why not try:
E B D F# G# B C# E
or from your B11 (A-B-C#-D#-F#-A-C#-E)
G# B D F# G# B C# E
or a similar variant
The top 2 strings are still E and C# like your B11 tuning (which is a cool tuning!), so playing melodies will transfer easily, and that tuning gives 2 minor chord options in the open tuning itself, B D F# for Bm and G# C# E for C#m.
One other thing - 6th tunings can also be looked at as minor 7th chords.
A6 = F#m7; C6 = Am7
Doug Beaumier is right, though, you'll need to have you right hand grips together to get the best out of any of these tunings. |
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Stan Brown
From:
California, USA
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Posted 13 Jan 2017 6:15 am
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| Thank you gentlemen! I'll try your suggestions tonight. |
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