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Topic: Whatever happened to C11 and D11? |
Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 21 Mar 2023 8:25 am |
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An observation…
B11 is one of the more popular tunings for 8 string lap steel, B F♯ B D♯ F♯ A C♯ E.
It seems to me that C11 (C G C E G B♭ D F) and D11 (D A D F♯ A C E G) should be at least as popular, especially since neither requires as heavy a string on the bottom, and both give a bit more treble on top.
Why aren’t the higher tunings more popular? Do any of you use C11 or D11 regularly?
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Current Tunings:
6 String | G – G B D G B D
7 String | G6 – e G B D G B D (re-entrant)
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database |
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David M Brown
From:
California, USA
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Posted 22 Mar 2023 5:54 am
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| For me B11 is best as it still has the F# A C# E of A6 on top. |
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Mark Eaton
From:
Sonoma County in The Great State Of Northern California
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Posted 22 Mar 2023 8:33 pm
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I have never used either of those tunings. I have a hard enough time avoiding C6 sounding
like swing or Hawaiian - when I’m not going for that vibe. But I like the the look of that D11 - may have to give it a shot.
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Mark |
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Allan Revich
From:
Victoria, BC
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Posted 22 Mar 2023 9:01 pm
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| David M Brown wrote: |
| For me B11 is best as it still has the F# A C# E of A6 on top. |
That answer makes a lot of sense. Thanks.
I should probably add that I don’t play any of these tunings. I can see how versatile they are, but get lost with more than 7 strings or 5 notes in a tuning.
_________________
Current Tunings:
6 String | G – G B D G B D
7 String | G6 – e G B D G B D (re-entrant)
https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database |
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Nic Neufeld
From:
Kansas City, Missouri
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Posted 23 Mar 2023 1:47 pm
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I think B11 wins out over C11, C#11, D11, A#11...etc...for two reasons.
1.) That was the original (popular) 11th tuning. Songs were played in that tuning, plenty of tabs and sheet music written for it. So it wins by tradition and popularity. And that itself may be partly because of the following:
2.) It is an effortless retune from A6 or C6. I don't know if such was the case but I wouldn't be surprised if B11 was developed as basically somebody doing "slack key" experimentation with either of those tunings (or another early tuning that had similar intervals).
That said there's absolutely nothing wrong with shifting it up or down, as long as your string gauges comply! A tuning shifted up or down is going to play the same way. There are reasons on a doubleneck that I would still prefer standard B11 to complement C6/C13 on the other neck (as you can do some cool things with the tunings together in key of C), it wouldn't work as well for me in C11 (but honestly, I just have one specific song in mind there)
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Waikīkī, at night when the shadows are falling
I hear the rolling surf calling
Calling and calling to me |
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