Favourite tuning?

[coldbrightsunlight]

Ooooo that sounds like a very interesting lap steel tuning. I've been using C6 tuning since I got it but I really enjoy how this tuning allows so many different intervals - which is mostly what I'm looking for. Will try it out (or something similar)

[Chankgeez]

Hello guys, slightly nervous about taking this as the subject of my first non-effect post. I feel a bit like the artist in that early Daniel Clowes comic: "An eagle's quill? Can you *believe* how outre I am?" Nevertheless, here I am plugging Leavitt tuning.

Leavitt was a guitar teacher at Berklee before it was Berklee. He played a regular guitar but had a particular fondness for lap steel, and towards the end of his long career started developing a new tuning that would enable lap players to get jazz voicings without recourse to slants, behind-the-bar bends and of course kneelever retuning systems. Leavitt tuning puts a diminished chord in the bass and sticks the top strings on a couple of wholetone intervals, thus:

C# E G Bb C D

It's kind of the opposite of Fripp's New Standard tuning, which is mostly fifths and stretchy. Simple as it looks, you can get a lot of hip inversions out of Leavitt's basic notes, at the expense of overall range (to spell it out, you don't get much below the D string of a standard-tuned guitar). Leavitt's friend and student Mike Ihde, a helpful guy, has a couple of book-and-CD offerings on the tuning, if anyone thinks "Aha"!

I got into Leavitt because of wanting to play jazz on slide guitar. I'm apparently pretty strange for trying it on a 'normal' guitar, but once you start using Freeze pedals and granular effects the limits it places on conventional licks don't count for much. The main problem for me is that I very often want to drop the bass from C# to C because doing so gives me a major chord on the bottom three strings. I'm looking at installing a Hipshot for that.

Incidentally, going back to the top of this thread, where there was some discussion of Orkney tuning, CGDGCD? The guy in those videos is Steve Baughman, who pretty much invented Orkney tuning (if you can invent a tuning). He has a few lessons on YouTube and will still sell you his earlier 'Power of Claw' video, which introduces clawhammer styles on a couple of tunings including Orkney. PoC is an excellent course, and clawhammer is crying out for reapplication outside of folk. Just sayin'.

NP

Excellent contribution to the thread!

My favourite tuning's still DADGAD.

What's the best tuning for Indian steel guitar?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H90k9934yUw[/youtube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H90k9934yUw

This was invented as a way to get more harmonic possibilities from a lap steel:

https://jedistar.com/alkire/



A little more complex than a six string though.

[Blackened Soul]

What's the best tuning for Indian steel guitar?

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H90k9934yUw[/youtube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H90k9934yUw

Warning: it's a PDF download, but you will like this Chank

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q ... CaBOSkJRSg

[Chankgeez]

You are correct.

I believe those're the liner notes to that VHS I used to (and may still) have.

[Blackened Soul]

I believe those're the liner notes to that VHS I used to (and may still) have.

I sometimes miss VHS.. I'm thinking about getting a deck for archival work someday...

Also on the steel topic within a topic.. I use the tuning they have in there [dropped down a whole step] a lot and alternate with the 3rd string up a half step for minor sounds. I'm getting close to putting together a bass steel 8 string which would add 2 more lower strings to this tuning

[Phosphene Audio]

CAEAAF


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSpI-vq92cI[/youtube]

[MrNovember]

Also on the steel topic within a topic.. I use the tuning they have in there [dropped down a whole step] a lot and alternate with the 3rd string up a half step for minor sounds. I'm getting close to putting together a bass steel 8 string which would add 2 more lower strings to this tuning

I'm toying with the idea of building some sort of lap steel. I sold my Gretsch mainly because I hated how it looked and wasn't using it much, but a lap steel with a couple extra strings (and an extra pickup behind the bridge maybe?) would be fun for experimenting and would get more use.

I've been playing a lot of tenor guitar and Mandocello, both of which are tuned to fifths. I'm really enjoying it and am tempted to string up one of my beaters to new standard tuning

[Chankgeez]

You should!

Interestingly, I'm subscribed to Debashish's YouTube channel, he uploaded this today:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSt9hCm0w_k[/youtube]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSt9hCm0w_k

[Adoom]

DADGAD Variants.

For one project, mainly DADGAD or AADGAD.

For another it’s DADGAD but everything dropped to A#

Others I use most frequently are:

AACEBC

A# A# C# F C F

C#A C#G#A E

C A D E A E

[Blackened Soul]

Lately I've been tuning my cello funny, hi to low: FCGCF it works were the 2 high strings are in 4ths from the middle string and the 2 low strings are in 5ths from the middle string

[Dowi]

DADGAD Variants.

For one project, mainly DADGAD or AADGAD.

I use this ones too, except I usually go with the DADFAD. That F adds a creepy character to chords when left resonant. I spent almost 6 months without changing that tuning last year

[coldbrightsunlight]

I have one in CGCFGD (so DADGAE) which I like, I think it gives some interesting options with the 2nd and 5th intervals on the FGD strings. But plain old DADGAD is a classic for a reason

[Dowi]

Yeah the DADGAD is great for slide too, it is interesting to slightly modify those classic alternate tunings to force new shapes and approaches.

[Phosphene Audio]

I set a guitar up in NST, though down a minor third, which makes the high string an E, much less likely to result in broken strings as a G.

That makes the low sting and A, and kind of floppy (.060), but plenty of folks go that low.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YU5-vCLlC6s[/youtube]

[coldbrightsunlight]

Cool riffs!

Weird coincidence I was watching a video on NST the other day. I think I'll set one of my guitars up in it for a while and see how it feels. I don't remember if I've ever tried it before