I need another tuning for a triple 8 steel. I already use C6th and E13th , should I consider a minor tuning?

I like the music of Hank Thompson, Carl Smith, Ray Price ...so mostly 1950s country and western but also 1940s western swing.

Which tuning would be useful along with the 2 others, who used it, maybe on which recording?

Rick

I would go along with Rick in recommending
the A6 th tuning as a third option. I have
found that I can play more all round music
in A6 th. than any other tuning that I have
tried. After one gets accoustomed to playing
A6 th. it is easy to go to C6th with a G on
the top string. With that the C6 songs can
be played from the second string down, and
when using the top string it's like playing
in a lowered A6. Many of the Hawaiians use
this tuning while bringing in some nice open
string effects in conjunction with adlibs at
the second fret.

E
C
A
G
E
C
A
G

There's also IMO a very desirable variation of the C6th tuning that Jerry Byrd used to gain more chord options; it's the C6th/A7th tuning:

E
C
A
G
E
C#
C
A

Strings 8, 6, 5, 4 & 3 form the A7th while all other strings form the C6th notes. It changes the grips, and the tuning is no longer a "strum" tuning, but it offers more chord possibilities.

Plus with this variation, you can retune the C# to a D and get a C major pentatonic that offers nice scale/mode patterns.

I got started on E7 and A6 years ago when the Fender brochure was recommending those tunings for their Stringmasters. To my ear, it is easier to get more "country" (as distinct from Western Swing) chords. Jerry Byrd also used this tuning on several of his albums.

However, the tuning is rather limited for pop, swing or jazz. I have occasionally tuned the 5th string to C# to get an E6th that has more possibilities.

My A6 and C6 have identical intervals between all strings. I simply like the convenience of being able to use the A6 lower tuning when I run out of frets going to the left on the C6 and don't want to play above the 12th fret. As indicated, the A6 can also be changed out easily to the B11 tuning. I also want to experiment with the E13 tuning, expecially b0b's setup with the root and 3rd above the 6th (third) string. (See his links to Tunings on the opening page of the Forum).

By the way, the E7 I'm using, from smallest to largest strings, is:

E, B, G#, E, D, B, G#, E.

[This message was edited by Fred Layman on 26 June 2000 at 10:18 PM.]

E
F#
D
B
A
F#
D
C

The timber of the D tuning splits the difference betwee the C6 and E13. This makes it ideal for a single-neck instrument - only another steel player will notice that your Jerry Byrd licks are too bright and your Don Helms licks are too dark.

On my double neck I use D13 and A6. The D13 covers all of the Hank stuff, hot swing and blues. The A6 covers the mellow Hawaiian and old-timey sounds. If I had a third neck, I'd probably tune it to C Diatonic:

E
C
B
A
G
F
E
C#