Question about C6th tuning

Charlie Fitzsimmons · From: Ledyard, Connecticutt, USA

Being new to this, I thought there would be a standard C6th tuning, so I went out and bought strings and said I wanted a set for a "non pedal 8 string in C6th tuning"

I went home restrung and plugged in the Cindy Cashdollar beginner tape, she tunes up and says tune low to high
A C E G A C E G. The strings I bought are made to tune G A C E G A C E. Now, looking around the net, I find a bunch of different ways to tune to C6th, some with high plain strings on the 7th and 8th strings.

My question: What is the most common tuning for C6th? Am I probably best off to find a set of strings like Cindy uses in the video and stick with that?

[This message was edited by Charlie Fitzsimmons on 20 October 2004 at 09:35 AM.]

Craig Prior · From: National City, California, USA

Charlie:



  A C E G A C E G  (CC's tuning)


  | | | | | | |


G A C E G A C E  (Your string set)

Seems like there's a lot of cross-over there. You can probably get through most of CC's instruction by bringing things down a string.

Admittedly, when she incorporates that high G in her phrasing, that's going to be problematic, although you can take those phrases down an octave and play them on the lower strings.

As for the most common C6 tuning... I'm not really sure. I play a 6 string tuned C E G A C E (lo to hi). 8 strings are a mystery to me.

Craig.

David Doggett · Posted 20 Oct 2004 9:03 am

Many C6ers (including all pedal steelers) have an F on bottom rather than a G, and Cindy's top G seems optional. Jerry Byrd invented the tuning, look around and find out what he used. You can't possibly go wrong with that.

[This message was edited by David Doggett on 20 October 2004 at 10:04 AM.]

Earnest Bovine · From: Los Angeles CA USA

Most common C6 is probably



F  A  C  E  G  A  C  E

which is very close to your string set.

You can use the same strings for A6



F  A  C  E  G  A  C  E   (C6)


F# A  C# E  F# A  C# E   (A6)

Notice that if you put the bar at the 3rd fret of A6, you have CC's tuning, so you would be able to play all of her stuff.

Charlie Fitzsimmons · From: Ledyard, Connecticutt, USA

Well, it looks like I have a few options, just using this set of strings. My brain was stuck on trying to just raise the tunings up on all the strings. I could easily make the eighth string an F, or go with the A6th tuning and move every thing up a few frets and still work on CC's tape.

Thanks a lot for the help. This place is great.

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

Am I correct in assuming that originally the 8-string C6 stopped at the high E because most Hawaiian players always tuned the 1st string to E, while the G on top is something that has evolved in the Western Swing style?

Personally, I think the high G sounds much too thin, but we all have different preferences.. On the other hand, having the 5th on top is quite nice, so that's why I favor the A6 tuning,- 5th on top, but still an E.

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Andy Volk · From: Boston, MA

Charlie, many players prefer their highest string to be an E (3rd of a C major chord). Others (and pedal steelers) are very used to having a high G (5th of a C major chord). Probably 85% of what Cindy shows you in the video is going to work for you with an E on top. In the beginning, tunings are really much less important than getting the mechnaics down of using your bar and picks, learning to block and mute and play with good time and pleasing tone. When you get farther along, you can experiment to find the tunings you like best. In the beginning, just dig into one tuning and work on the aspects I just outlined. Good luck!

[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 20 October 2004 at 10:29 AM.]

Dwayne Martineau · From: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

That's a drag. The first thing I'd suggest-- get a string winder.

The correct tuning is whichever one suits your style-- and the song.

However, if you're just learning the 8-string C6th neck and the Cashdollar video is your main source (I have Vol.2, it's good; I love her boots)-- I would recommend saving yourself confusion and long-term grief and take an hour to switch to the fairly common ACEGACEG tuning.

This tuning is fairly intuitive and easy to learn. The 6-1-3-5-6-1-3-5 repetition is easy to wrap your head around.

Take off the low G string, move the rest of the strings down one spot, and buy a high G string (gauge: .011 to .013).

(You could also just tune all the strings UP, but the tension would get pretty high)

If you stick with your current tuning, you shouldn't run in to too much trouble learning from that video; most of it is played in the middle strings anyway.

Any single note that is supposed to be played on the the missing high G string can be played on your high E string, 3 frets up.



For example, the last note (B) in this E-chord arpeggio:








G------4--


E----4----   =   E----4--7--


C--4------       C--4-------


A---------       A----------

But, you'll miss out on some chords, here and there, and I find having that high G string (a high 5th note) really handy for western swing and Don Helms-style Hank Williams licks.

BUT, check out these Rebel tabs-- you can play almost all of the C6 songs without the G string...
http://web.archive.org/web/20030219010246/users.interlinks.net/rebel/steel/non-pedal. html

And, most importantly, you can still play Sleepwalk.

[This message was edited by Dwayne Martineau on 20 October 2004 at 10:50 AM.]

[This message was edited by Dwayne Martineau on 20 October 2004 at 10:52 AM.]

[This message was edited by Dwayne Martineau on 20 October 2004 at 10:53 AM.]

Ron Randall · From: Dallas, Texas, USA

Definitely use the string pitches CC uses in her videos. I used her videos over and over. http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/
Use this link to find the string gauges you need.

Good Luck
HAve Fun

Al Marcus · From: Cedar Springs,MI USA (deceased)

A6 with the 5th E on top is still very good and no thin strings, so tone is better.Top down.
E-C#-A-F#-E-C#....6 string
E-C#-A-F#-E-C#-A-F$.....8 string
E-C#-A-F#-E-C#-A-F#-D-A or B....10 string.
.........al

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My Website..... www.cmedic.net/~almarcus/

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Here's what I use:



Back Neck A6 or C6





  .015   E     E


   .018   C#    C


   .022p  A     A


   .026w  F#    G


   .034   E     E


   .038   C#    C


   .046   A     A


   .054   F#    G

When I want the 5th of the chord on top (like Cindy's C6th), I use the A6th tuning.

Rick Alexander · From: Florida, USA, R.I.P.

This is what I do to maximize my tuning options:

I use a triple 8 neck (57 Stringmaster)

The front neck is tuned to C6 (A C E G A C E G) like Cindy's tuning. This allows me to raise the lower C to C# and get an "extended" C6/A7 (A C# E G A C E G) - yes with a high G, but sometimes that higher "register" is a nice effect.

The middle neck is tuned to A6 (F# A C# E F# A C# E) like Herb Remington's tuning. I can easily retune and get the C6 (F A C E G A C E), the Bm7, and several others . .

The back neck is E7 (E G# B D E G# B E) I have used variations of this at one time or another, but currently I like this one.

With this setup, I can have a tuning for most any song and yes, any tutorial - whether it be Cindy's, Herb's, Jerry's or Bobby's (they're all good!)

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Rick Alexander
57 Fender Stringmaster T8, 57 Fender Champ, 59 Valco D8, 47 National New Yorker . .

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