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Topic: Jerry Byrd's F# min9th - anyone have his book? |
Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 14 Apr 2009 9:33 am |
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Can't find my copy of JB's instruction book anywhere. Can someone who's got it please confirm that his F#min 9th tuning is ...
1. E
2. C#
3. G#
4. E
5. A
6. F#
7. C#
8. G#
Thanks! |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 14 Apr 2009 9:42 am
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Andy, it's F#9 and spelled E C# G# E A# F# C# G#
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 14 Apr 2009 10:03 am
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| Thanks, Mike. You're right as usual. 'Found the book (naturally) after I posted. JB lists it in two places - as F#min9 AND F#9. Would need to have an A natural to be minor. Must have been a typo. |
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Joe A. Roberts
From:
Seoul, South Korea
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Posted 26 Mar 2023 7:44 pm
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I am resurrecting this thread from the dead because this tuning has been on my mind lately (get a life, Joe) thanks to the on-going "Why Not 9ths?" thread. (https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=381461&start=25)
What is going on with this tuning? The first 6 strings are the usual F#9th tuning (E C# G# E A# F#, assuming the A natural printed is a typo) but what about Jerry's additions on 7 and 8:
John Ely's site (which, by the way, retains the A natural on the 5th string for a true minor 9th) has the additions configured as re-entrant strings; the C# on 7 is pitched above the A string, and the G# on 8 is pitched above the F# string.
It's hard to imagine Jerry Byrd used re-entrant strings, especially in such an unorthodox way, being lower pitched, and I don't know any other case where he did.
For the 7th string, could it be that the C# is a fat LOW C# pitched a half step above the 10th string low C on a C6th pedal steel?
And for the 8th string, perhaps the G# is pitched a half step below the super low A Jerry used in his full C6/A7th: E C A G E C# C A?
But is it even possible to get a string that low to work? The fat B on B11th already seems like enough trouble on a short scale steel (but is certainly useable with right gauge)...
This 8 string F#9th (or F#min9th?!) tuning is described as being a rich strum-tuning, but it's easy to imagine any strum with those fat, low G#, C# and F# strings being a little too rich, right?
I don't have the Jerry Byrd book, but does it mention string gauges? Or does anyone happen to know first-hand what the tuning should be?
Also, has anyone tried the tuning with an A natural for the true minor 9th setup?  |
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Levi Gemmell
From:
New Zealand
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Posted 27 Mar 2023 7:24 pm
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I'll check the Byrd book after work today if nobody else beats me to it, but I'm almost 100% certain he would not have used re-entrant strings - I'm with you on this one, Joe.
Herb Remington apparently used a re-entrant D# & F# on his seventh and eight strings for this tuning: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=1953693
Elsewhere he is also attributed as using a low A# for the seventh string but a re-entrant F# - "C#min11th" - https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=155609
I think Jerry would be referring back to Dick McIntire for this tuning, and I'm sure someone more knowledgeable will chime in but I definitely haven't heard anything like an identifiable re-entrant string on any of his recordings. Again someone else may confirm but did Dick may never have played an 8-string version of this tuning anyway.
And then, of course, there are people like Jeremy Wakefield and Tony Locke who actually use this tuning regularly, today!
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