I experimented with various tunings in the years following my discovery of C6th tuning in 1937 but all of them were “unplayable.” Having gone to a 7-string guitar in the mid-40’s so I could add the much needed “C” that was eliminated when I raised the 6th string to C#, I then had C and C# to work with.

I kept “hearing” a chord in my head that I know would give me a new dimension and after much twisting and turning of tuning keys and changes of string gauges, I found it—this was sometime in the early 50’s. I ended up with the “alphabet” and the formula came out from bottom to top as:

E-F-G-A-B-C(D)-E

I have the D in parenthesis because it completely made the whole thing un-palyable and was only in the way-and besides-I’d need an 8-string neck. So- off it came- or should I say “out it went” and so it ended up with “E to E without the D.” And my “lost chord was there on the 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd and 1st strings. And I still had my E and C on top.

It took me awhile to realize that I really had something! I could do all I ever did in my C6th tuning and much more. It was great for popular songs, because I could play most everything in 3 part harmony with my ever-present “slants” and it was equally good for Hawaiian and even country.

I kept it under wraps for 2 or 3 years which was easy because I was about as much in demand as yesterdays newspaper---- but I kept working with it. One day my phone rang and it was Ferlin Huskey. “I’m doing a session soon and I want you to play steel”---I said – “are you sure you called the right number??.” “Damn right!!” And I want you to play “Jerry Byrd” and don’t let anybody try to change anything.” I said – “well O.K.—I’ll be there.”

At the session he came over to me and said- “now I want you to play Jerry Byrd on this next song- it’s titled Next to Jimmy.” I said “give me a few minutes to see if I can remember what Jerry Byrd did.” I then worked up the first recording I ever did in that tuning. And it is still talked about. I am continually reminded of it. Know what?? I have not the slightest idea of what I played. I’d play and go home and forget about it. That’s the way we did it back in our time.

He adds that if you want to hear that recording don’t ask me---(Scotty maybe??)

Thanks for all you do to keep us "in tune" with Jerry! Does Jerry have any tab in the Diatonic tuning? I'd like to see an arrangement or two on paper to see how to apply it...

Thanks!

Jeff

Jerry has 199 arrangements for steel guitar. I don't know if any are for his diatonic tuning or not. You can obtain his catalog by writing to him at:

Tom Bradshaw in his most generous manner tried to find it for me as well. I wonder if he recalls doing that ?? But The closest I have come to hearing it again is Jack's post to the Record Lady and I'm working on that but as the legend goes, I've failed there too !!

As Jerry stated; It has become legend for him as well and it should. It is a rare and beautiful insight into his musical mind. Only a Master could concieve and create things like this. Guys like me and Ray may only listen and marvel at his work. Just as with painters, musicians have those very few who can put their souls into their instruments and make us cry inside at the beauty of the music. I consider myself lucky and fortunate to have lived in his world and heard his music !!

I downloaded "Next to Jimmy" from the recordlady website with no problem. It's great steel playing! There's actually a lot of cool songs on her site....

I wonder if it would be possible to get interest aroused here on the Forum, No Peddlers section, and others as well, to get a CD produced in the same manner as we are doing on the PRICE-LESS Project with Bobbe Seymour.

An instrumental of Next To Jimmy is a must for me. You might even title the album NEXT TO JERRY !! Tell me how much and I will send you the money now !! A CD of songs proposed or recommended by Forum fans of Jerry's should be a viable project. You could verify that with orders before it began so no one would have to go out on a limb and especially not Jerry.

Please see if it is practical and possible with Jerry and let us know if he could do it.
I think this may be a once in a lifetime thing that many of us would look forward to owning as a treasure forever. I could give my grandson a copy of it and tell him, this is where my music came from.

Where on her site did you find that song?

thx

Is this at recordlady.com? Under media history? I don't see any page numbers?

thx

bob..

click on the above hyperlink and you should be able to scroll down to the "site index," where it lists the archive pages.

there are a lot of songs on each page, but next to jimmy is page 11, and rose in december is on 16. if you have a dial up internet connection, it will take you longer to download....

hope this helps!

Now I know this is No Peddlers and I don't want to get in anyones face and especially not b0b's but I don't know where else to post this.....

Years later, I found it on the E9th set-up using the first and basic pedals only. It lies at the third fret and spells out like:
E-F-G-A-B-D. The lowest note was with pedal A raising a whole tone on the 10th string. Then the B and D highest notes are raised to C and E and complete the diatonic series. I'd been playing the diatonic tuning on pedals for years not recognizing that it was the same thing Jerry was doing with bar slants.

Then I understood how he and Kayton Roberts were so adept at playing things we associated with pedal steel guitar on non pedal guitars. A point which b0b so aptly made as well in this thread. If you wanted to, I think it might be said that a lot of the fundamentals of pedal guitar were found trying to emulate Jerry. Of course it has exploded from there but the basics are the proof of the pudding.

The first changes that Bud Issacs used in his famous introduction to PSG are also the same changes I have just described. It may also be noteworthy that while JB found the D note unuseable in his first experiments with the diatonic tuning, it is solid in the PSG structure and vital as well.

b0b: I hope this will not disturb you but as an aside, you know better than most that I have the infamous Foot In Mouth problem.
I wanted to tell you that when I was writing for Fender/Fretts, I also did the same to Jerry.

I made a comment that we could only regret what the steel guitar world was loosing by Jerry not accepting pedals. That prompted a response from Jerry titled Trials Of A Professional and it was published a month or so after my poorly chosen remarks.

I did however attempt to make that up to him recently and sent him my personnal copy of Fretts where he was the cover photo out of their regard for him. He was kind enough to send me a handwritten letter which I will treasure until I pass on and then it will go to Herb Steiner who has all the other copies of my Fretts writings.

Carl wrote:
-----------------------------
JB's diatonic tuning is as you probably know:

1. E
2. C
3. B
4. A
5. G
6. F
7. E

This may help. For a moment assume strings 3 and 6 do not exist. What you have is a C6th tuning. And that is exactly what JB uses, when he plays this tuning and needs the "6th" sound.

Now look at strings 3, 5 and 6. You have a G Dominant 7th chord (V7) in the Key of C at the same fret.

Now look at strings 2, 4 and 6. you have the F sub-dominant chord (IV)in the Key of C at the same fret.

Now look at strings 1, 3 and 5 or 3, 5 and 7. You have an E minor cord (III min).

With the exception of the II minor chord, you have all 7 chords in a given Key at any fret. IE, I, IIIm, IV, V, VIm and V7 (psuedo dim).

Note: you have that IIm chord down 2 frets from the I chord. (strings 1, 3 and 5 or 3, 5 and 7).

By proper "gapping" it allows you to use this in a most affective way. And while strumming is most of the time NOT done, JB ocassionally does strum for a very nice affect.

Sit down with this tuning and pick out these chords in a given key staying at the same fret, (save the IIm). And become very familiar with them. In time you will see the beauty of a Diatonic tuning.

Of course NO human on earth could ever do it like Jerry. But shoot, he don play no mo anyway, so what the heck

If you have access to JB's album "HI FI Guitar", use this tuning and learn his rendition of "Come a Little Closer".

If you do, this tuning will open up many of its incredible secrets.

God bless you with your efforts,

carl
--------------------------------

Now, I've got the theory, I just need a piece of tab or two to go along with it!

Jeff (and Carl!) this is very helpful. The little bulb above my head is staring to power up.

For a six string tuning - would you swap the F for an E?

[This message was edited by Andy Volk on 01 December 2001 at 12:55 PM.]