| Visit Our Catalog at SteelGuitarShopper.com |

Post new topic Orig. tuning "Walking after midnight" Patsy C?
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  Orig. tuning "Walking after midnight" Patsy C?
Jesse Pearson

 

From:
San Diego , CA
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2003 7:28 am    
Reply with quote

I have heard 2 versions of Patsy Cline doing "Walking after midnight". One version has great steel guitar and the other has no steel and sounds like they were trying to grab the rock & rollers. I really like the steel version. Does anybody know who the steel player was and what tuning was used? I can do it in C6 and E6 tunings. Thanks...
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Larry Phleger

 

From:
DuBois, PA
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2003 8:04 am    
Reply with quote

I believe Don Helms played steel on the original recording.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Jesse Pearson

 

From:
San Diego , CA
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2003 9:05 am    
Reply with quote

Don Helms, wow that's cool. My turn table won't play 45's any more so I haven't been able to listen to it beyond audio samples. I hope Don was playing his Gibson non pedal? I've found it sounds o.k. in the key Ab(8th fret) on the C6 neck, at least a guy can sing it in that key and the strings still sound good.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Andy Volk


From:
Boston, MA
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2003 9:10 am    
Reply with quote

Yes, it was definitely Don. The only two tunings Don has ever used on non-pedal are E6th & B11th. He primarily uses E6th with a high G#.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Jesse Pearson

 

From:
San Diego , CA
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2003 9:18 am    
Reply with quote

Yep, Billy on the Steel players site says it's Don with his Gibson non pedal E13 (E6) tuning. What great playing over a great song. Thanks...
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Bobby Lee


From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2003 9:52 am    
Reply with quote

Don calls his tuning E13 but there's no D in it. I think it's:
 G#

E
C#
B
G#
E
C#
A
Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Jesse Pearson

 

From:
San Diego , CA
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2003 10:55 am    
Reply with quote

Bobby, thats the right tuning, but it's said he didn't hardly ever play the bottom two strings.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Earnest Bovine


From:
Los Angeles CA USA
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2003 12:06 pm    
Reply with quote

I think I heard Don Helms on the jukebox last night (Hank Williams Ramblin' Man - is that Don on steel?)

The last 4 chords (all parallel motion descending by 1 fret, strummed) are not E6 tuning. It ends on Am6:
C
A
F#
E
C

I don't know what Don's B11 was, but here is a Jerry Byrd B11 from Scotty's site:
1 - E
2 - C#
3 - A
4 - F#
5 - D#
6 - C#
7 - A
8 - F#

On this B11, Don's ending would be strings 4,5,6,7, (and Cool at frets 18,17,16,15.
View user's profile Send private message
Jesse Pearson

 

From:
San Diego , CA
Post  Posted 27 Jun 2003 3:42 pm    
Reply with quote

Don's outside neck is tuned to B9, he calls it B13, but there is no 13th(G#)? It's the same as JB's B11 except the last 3 low strings L to h are tuned to F#, A, B. JB's B11 tuning has the last 3 lowest strings tuned L to H tuned to A, B, C# (JB's instructional book "Sand"). The 4 lowest strings gives you a 2nd inversion B7 chord and the top 4 highest strings gives you a F#m7/A6 chord. Heck, there are chords all over a straight bar on this tuning. Almost all of Don's classic leads were done on the E6 neck, he used the B13 for fills.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Jesse Pearson

 

From:
San Diego , CA
Post  Posted 28 Jun 2003 5:44 am    
Reply with quote

Don Helms E6, 8 string tuning has a nice Amaj9th chord in a close voicing on the 5 lowest strings which is nice for horn type arranging and strum chording.

[This message was edited by Jesse Pearson on 28 June 2003 at 06:46 AM.]

View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website

All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  
Please review our Forum Rules and Policies
Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction, and steel guitar accessories
www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Click Here to Send a Donation

Email SteelGuitarForum@gmail.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for Band-in-a-Box
by Jim Baron