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  C#m7 vs. F#9

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Author Topic:   C#m7 vs. F#9
Rick Aiello
Member

From: Berryville, VA USA

posted 23 March 2005 12:17 PM     profile   send email     edit
Here's C#m7 vs. F#9 ... (lo to hi)

C#m7 ... E B E G# C# E

F#9 ... F# A# E G# C# E


The F#9 is written out as an E tuning ... for the sake of comparison.

Personally ... I like that big ol' strum 9th made available by altering those bottom two strings ... very impressive soundin'.

But I can see folks not wantin' to give up that ... 151 ... at the bottom.

Any advantages/disadvantages I'm not seein' ... ???


------------------

Aiello's House of Gauss


My wife and I don't think alike. She donates money to the homeless and I donate money to the topless! ... R. Dangerfield

[This message was edited by Rick Aiello on 23 March 2005 at 12:42 PM.]

George Keoki Lake
Member

From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

posted 23 March 2005 03:45 PM     profile     edit
Bud Tutmarc always used the C#m tuning. I often wondered why he did not use the F#9 as to me, it has far more posibilities. The fat 9th chord in the bass strings has a great sound. Dick McIntire can be heard on many of his recordings using the F#9 tuning...simply beautiful and ideal for a 6 string setup.
BTW...has anyone heard how Bud is doing these days ? I think of him often. Somewhere along the way I lost his e-mail address.
John Bushouse
Member

From:

posted 23 March 2005 04:46 PM     profile   send email     edit
I've been wandering back and forth between the two, except with seven strings. Having the F# on the bottom confuses me, as I'm used to having the 5 or the 1 on the lowest string. F#9 seems like having two separate sets of tunings on the guitar - an F# and an E (or C#) tuning.I can think in 6ths and 7ths, but for some reason 9th throws me off.
Mike Neer
Member

From: NJ

posted 23 March 2005 04:58 PM     profile   send email     edit
The tritone interval between the 4th (E) and 5th (A#) string is a tough one. Maybe a better choice for an F#9 tuning on 6 strings would be:
E C# G# E C# A#, leaving the low F# off. As you've spelled it E C# G# E A# F#, the bottom 3 strings create a very awkward arrangement. It would better as a 7 string tuning.
John Bushouse
Member

From:

posted 23 March 2005 05:59 PM     profile   send email     edit
For 7 strings (low to high), here's what I've been toying with:

C#m7:
E B C# E G# C# E
E B D E G# C# E( I don't know what that tuning should be called)
E B E G# B C# E

F#9:
F# A# C# E G# C# E

When you're talking about the "big ol' strum 9th" which strings are you hitting?

Of course, in either tuning, I'm struggling with giving up the major triad available on the top three strings in open G. But I do like the 6th combinations on the 1st and 3rd strings in C#m7 better.

Of course I think I can get a lot of benefits in G6:

G B D E G B D

Would this also be Em7 (aside from there only being one E vs. 3 Gs)?

Rick Aiello
Member

From: Berryville, VA USA

posted 23 March 2005 06:10 PM     profile   send email     edit
quote:
When you're talking about the "big ol' strum 9th" which strings are you hitting?

In the 6 string I listed above ... All of them ...

Again ... I don't play either one ... but I have a Ricky strung up ... to do these comparisons.

When I see a 7th chord comin' up on a song ... I drag my thumb across the bottom 5 strings ... and give the top string a "peck" with my finger pick ...

It is a sweet sound ...

I'm just throwing these up and listenin' to you folks that do use 'em ... I'm finding it very interesting ...


Tomorrow ... E7 vs E9 ... one of these I do "play" ...


John Bushouse
Member

From:

posted 23 March 2005 10:11 PM     profile   send email     edit
Rick, I find this very informative, and very interesting.
Jeff Au Hoy
Member

From: Honolulu, Hawai'i

posted 24 March 2005 03:30 AM     profile   send email     edit
We can take C#m7 and transpose it to become Am7:

C#m7 ---> Am7
E C
C# A
G# E
E C
B G
E C

Then we can add a 3rd atop the Am7 to keep the top string E:

E
C
A
E
C
G

And we get a bit closer to the C6 tuning.

...or...

Did we come to C6 via A major-->A6?

[This message was edited by Jeff Au Hoy on 24 March 2005 at 04:03 AM.]

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