| Author |
Topic: Tuning "A Summer Place" Santo & Johnny |
Jerry Derr
From:
Denver, Colorado, USA
|
Posted 8 Sep 2022 4:07 am |
|
Hello. I hope this shows up in the right place. I play lap steel guitar and have a question about a Santo & Johnny song. NOT SLEEPWALK! I recently heard their version of “A Summer Place” and would love to be able to play it. My question is of course about the tuning. I always play in C6 but I’m not finding this song in it. I tuned to A6 for the first time and noodled around but that didn’t sound right either. I tried Cm7 tuning as well. It’s a simple song, mostly single notes. The double notes are what’s frustrating me. Any guesses what tuning might be used in this song? Thank you!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbCVbH6siZE&t=5s
_________________
I started playing lap steel in September 2017. It's already been a long strange ride! I do keep learning! My primary guitar interests these days are Weissenborn with Open D and my lap steels with C6. |
|
|
 |
Garry Vanderlinde
From:
CA
|
Posted 8 Sep 2022 10:44 am
|
|
| I've had the same problem. Santo played in A6th and C#m7. He did not play C6th as far as I know. There are different opinions on his actual intervals. Trying to play Santo in C6th can be near to impossible sometimes. |
|
|
|
Miles Lang
From:
Venturaloha
|
Posted 13 Sep 2022 5:05 am
|
|
Other than the I chord, I don’t hear Santo playing anything other than single notes and octaves in Summer Place. In the second chorus, the violins are doubling the steel line, creating the harmony parts, but Santo isn’t playing all the voices. Can you post a time code for the part you’re having trouble with?
I’m leaning towards his A6 tuning on this one
_________________
Santo Fan Club - from the island of Coney to the sands of Rockaway
Jill Martini & The Shrunken Heads
All aloha, all the time |
|
|
|
Stefan Robertson
From:
Hertfordshire, UK
|
Posted 13 Sep 2022 5:58 am
|
|
C#m7 is mainly E13
However doesn't matter. Should be easily played on C6 as well. Starts off on F6 with F as the melody note
then goes up to D6 rinse and repeat
Pretty basic playing if there is a specific part maybe you can say and I'm happy to help.
_________________
Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com
"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist" |
|
|
|
Stefan Robertson
From:
Hertfordshire, UK
|
Posted 13 Sep 2022 6:07 am
|
|
C#m7 had C6 in it anyway. Its just in E and its called how they looked at the tuning.
I hear 2 chords F6 and D6
and octave work and mainly single note stuff.
You can play in any 6th or 13th tuning.
ooh that vibrato is haunting. 
_________________
Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com
"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist" |
|
|
|
Cody Farwell
From:
Sunland, CA
|
Posted 14 Sep 2022 3:02 am
|
|
A6 works.
The first chord (Bb) is the top 3 strings at the first fret. Song is in the key of Bb |
|
|
|
Stefan Robertson
From:
Hertfordshire, UK
|
Posted 14 Sep 2022 4:17 am
|
|
| Cody Farwell wrote: |
A6 works.
The first chord (Bb) is the top 3 strings at the first fret. Song is in the key of Bb |
I'm hearing an F6th sub in place of the Bb major triad. Which is the same F as melody note.
_________________
Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com
"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist" |
|
|
|
Cody Farwell
From:
Sunland, CA
|
Posted 14 Sep 2022 10:58 am
|
|
| Stefan Robertson wrote: |
I'm hearing an F6th sub in place of the Bb major triad. Which is the same F as melody note. |
I am not hearing that.. The notes are nearly the same, but I think it's sounding like he's playing at the first fret and picking from the middle of the guitar- which is a key technique to get his timbre.
Playing at the 8th fret in A6 has a very different tone. Also, I'm not hearing a C in that first chord. |
|
|
|
Stefan Robertson
From:
Hertfordshire, UK
|
Posted 14 Sep 2022 12:51 pm
|
|
I’m Hearing the guitar play Bb major but I think the steel is playing the notes low to high A-D-F
I agree there is no C
Standard 3rd - 6th - Root (as the melody note)
I think he’s definitely playing in a c#m7 as I agree it fits perfectly at the first fret on E13 which is nearly identical. Similar tone and feel
_________________
Stefan
Bill Hatcher custom 12 string Lap Steel Guitar
E13#9/F secrets: https://thelapsteelguitarist.wordpress.com
"Give it up for The Lap Steel Guitarist" |
|
|
|
Cody Farwell
From:
Sunland, CA
|
Posted 14 Sep 2022 2:32 pm
|
|
Ok, I can agree that it was probably that C#m tuning as it avoids a slant if playing in A6. What made me sure was at 1:42 in the track, he plucks a wrong string while doing that octave run & hits a note (D) that would only make sense in C#m tuning.
All that nonsense aside, here's a quick take of me playing it after learning it today. My guitar is in A6 tuning, but I tuned the 3rd string down a half step- from A to G#.
https://youtu.be/b4Ua6slh2rE
Also Stefan, the more I listened to it, I don't hear an A on that first chord either. I think it's just the 2 notes D & F. |
|
|
|
Bill Groner
From:
QUAKERTOWN, PA
|
Posted 14 Sep 2022 4:18 pm
|
|
Oh man Cody, that is SWEET! Nice job. 
_________________
Currently own, 6 Groner-tone lap steels, one 1953 Alamo Lap steel, Roland Cube, Fender Champion 40 |
|
|
|
Jim Mckay
From:
New Zealand
|
Posted 14 Sep 2022 8:32 pm
|
|
| Cody Farwell wrote: |
All that nonsense aside, here's a quick take of me playing it after learning it today. My guitar is in A6 tuning, but I tuned the 3rd string down a half step- from A to G#.
https://youtu.be/b4Ua6slh2rE
|
Great playing there Cody. Could be played in most any tuning but you got the tone perfect.
_________________
Canopus d-8
Excel Jerry Byrd frypan
T-8 Stringmaster |
|
|
|
