What Lap Steel Tuning Is Best for Playing Blues

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Best tuning for beginning lap steel?

• Thread starter PatrickE_FenderADV
• Start date Dec 24, 2012

• #1

I just picked up a '54 Gretsch lap guitar, I have been doing research online and finding mixed results. What is the best/easiest tuning to learn to play stuff on lap? I am not looking for one type of style (country vs. Hawaiian vs. rock), but more of a universal approach. I will eventually be looking for more of a rock style or Americana playing like Jeremy Lawton From Big Head Todd & the Monsters.

Is it best to start in A, E or G?

I heard Kimock is quite the lap player too... So hopefully he'll pop in here.

• #2

C6. Trust me, it has everything there. I know about 7 or 8 tunings (or more) fluently, but C6 is the most versatile.

While you're at it, have a look at my blog.

• #5

I agree with C6; everything's there where you need it

• #6

I have a lappy on the way. Also looking for some help. I'm looking for very basic stuff. I don't really know the technique or the tunings associated with it (maybe someone could spell out this C6 tuning for us?). I saw a TAB on Neer's blog but found it strange that there were chords with different frets listed. How do you play these on a lap steel with a straight slide???

Also, my vibrato is terrible! If I'm trying to play anything with a bit of tempo to it I tense up and it just sounds terrible. (this happens when I play regular slide sometimes as well...)

I've played guitar for years and years now but am going to give this a whirl and see how it goes. Anyhow, not trying to TOTALLY hijack a post but figured I'd jump on and see what kinds of advice I could find.

• #7

I have a lappy on the way. Also looking for some help. I'm looking for very basic stuff. I don't really know the technique or the tunings associated with it (maybe someone could spell out this C6 tuning for us?). I saw a TAB on Neer's blog but found it strange that there were chords with different frets listed. How do you play these on a lap steel with a straight slide???

Also, my vibrato is terrible! If I'm trying to play anything with a bit of tempo to it I tense up and it just sounds terrible. (this happens when I play regular slide sometimes as well...)

I've played guitar for years and years now but am going to give this a whirl and see how it goes. Anyhow, not trying to TOTALLY hijack a post but figured I'd jump on and see what kinds of advice I could find.

The C6 tuning for 6 strings is (beginning with string 1): E C A G E C

Lap steel players have been spelling their tunings from high to low for many years. There can be a lot of confusion about this, that's why I stated it up front.

As far as chords on different frets, one of the essential techniques for playing steel (as opposed to just slide) is slanting. You simply slant the bar either forward or in reverse, depending upon which harmonies you are going for.

Here is a little clip of a solo from a Hank Williams record as it was played by Jerry Byrd (sorry for the distorted audio quality). You can see how frequently the slanting actually happens in the course of this little solo. It is not a difficult technique, once you get the hang of it, and it is only for harmonies.

Geoff, thanks, man!

Last edited: Dec 26, 2012

• #8

Ok, that's pretty sweet! I'm brand new to the lappy so I had no idea that this technique was out there. As for the tuning and strings, are you using a standard set of guitar strings or are the gauges different given the different tunings? I'm assuming that I want pretty heavy strings for better tone, correct?
Thanks!

• #9

Ok, that's pretty sweet! I'm brand new to the lappy so I had no idea that this technique was out there. As for the tuning and strings, are you using a standard set of guitar strings or are the gauges different given the different tunings? I'm assuming that I want pretty heavy strings for better tone, correct?
Thanks!

You want to actually buy lap steel strings--a regular set of guitar strings won't work because of the gauges. Order from here: http://www.juststrings.com/sit-sc-c6th-6.html

• #10

I agree with starting in C6. I've been a guitarist for over 25 years and I've dabbled in lap steel off and on with little real success. A few months ago I took another stab at it with C6 and it suddenly made more sense to me. I have a couple of Neer's(Mike Neer) instructional videos to keep me busy and I also have Cindy Cashdollar's. BTW Mike, the Almost to Tulsa video is great and a lot of fun.

I started on piano back in high school, so *seeing* the lap steel neck in C isn't that difficult. The high E also gives me a road mark that I borrow from standard guitar tuning. They say it takes a couple of years to suck at steel, so I'm right on schedule.

The steelguitarforum is also a great place to soak in the sights and sounds of steel guitar. I don't post much. I sit back and listen and learn.

• #11

Great info here. I should be getting my guitar Monday or Tuesday (had to send it back due to damage in shipping...oh well) but I can't wait to dive in and see what I can see.

For now, do you know the actual gauges of strings for C6 tuning? I won't be able to get a set of strings in time and I'm not sure what will be on it when it gets here.

Thanks again guys!! And, Mike, I'll most likely be buying some instruction from you!

• #12

1st E
.015 plain steel

2nd C
.018p

3rd A
.022p

4th G
.024w

5th E
.030w

6th C
.036w

In all honesty, most, if not all, of the lessons I offer are for the intermediate player. If you were to pick something over your head, it might frustrate you.
My recommendation would be to learn a few good tunes. There are plenty of tabs available for free and you can see lots of stuff on YT.
After you begin to hear what the tuning sounds like, you can try pulling off some of the stuff from Hank Williams recordings.
The learning process can seem a little slow, and then BAM, one day a lot of things just seem to fall into your lap (no pun intended).

Last edited: Dec 28, 2012

• #13

1st E
.015 plain steel

2nd C
.018p

3rd A
.022p

4th G
.024w

5th E
.030w

6th C
.036w

In all honesty, most, if not all, of the lessons I offer are for the intermediate player. If you were to pick something over your head, it might frustrate you.
My recommendation would be to learn a few good tunes. There are plenty of tabs available for free and you can see lots of stuff on YT.
After you begin to hear what the tuning sounds like, you can try pulling off some of the stuff from Hank Williams recordings.
The learning process can seem a little slow, and then BAM, one day a lot of things just seem to fall into your lap (no pun intended).

OK, I will fiddle about a bit with it. I have a pretty good grasp of theory and standard guitar. I've played slide in standard and open E tuning a bit. I feel like I'll pick up some things fairly quickly. I will most likely use it for slower, "prettier" tunes to start.

Also, what is standard Dobro tuning?? I'm told I can get that tuning from the same set of strings that C6 uses. True?

• #14

Another thing I'm seeing by looking at this tuning is how to play different chords. I see that the top three strings create a minor triad and the bottom three, a major triad. Pretty simple there.

As for technique though, if I were to play all 6 strings I'd get a C6 chord (hence the tuning) but I'm wondering this - when moving this up, say 5 frets to F, do people play this entire voicing and use a finger behind the slide to press down on the A string (so that it doesn't contact the slide and ring) so that it's just a major chord, not a 6? This is a technique I've seen on regular slide guitar (although I'm not great at it yet! haha).

Just curious. (can you tell I can't wait to get this thing???)

• #15

OK, I will fiddle about a bit with it. I have a pretty good grasp of theory and standard guitar. I've played slide in standard and open E tuning a bit. I feel like I'll pick up some things fairly quickly. I will most likely use it for slower, "prettier" tunes to start.

Also, what is standard Dobro tuning?? I'm told I can get that tuning from the same set of strings that C6 uses. True?

That is not true, actually.

Dobro (typically) tunes gbdgbd (sometimes called "high g" fwiw) and most players use pretty thick strings (e.g. I use a 16 on the high D string on mine).

I use an 8 string c7 set from John Pearse for my lap steel in C6. The strings are way to thin on the bass side to tune down into the dobro register.

But that's ok IMO - both turnings rock. I've started to really like C6 on my lap steel, and high G just feels right on my acoustic dobro (the added bass is nice for an acoustic gig).

• #16

I just picked up a '54 Gretsch lap guitar, I have been doing research online and finding mixed results. What is the best/easiest tuning to learn to play stuff on lap? I am not looking for one type of style (country vs. Hawaiian vs. rock), but more of a universal approach. I will eventually be looking for more of a rock style or Americana playing like Jeremy Lawton From Big Head Todd & the Monsters.

Is it best to start in A, E or G?

I heard Kimock is quite the lap player too... So hopefully he'll pop in here.

I wouldn't know about "universal", I'm a rock and blues player, mostly as a vacation from the fretted guitar.
If these guys say C6, I'd trust them.
E or E7 is fine for my purposes, but I'm not trying to do anything fancy, I just like that sliding sound.

• #17

While C6 is the most versatile tuning , it can mess with your head when you just started to play. I'd sugest Open E or G or any other alternative tuning you already use on guitar.

• #18

While C6 is the most versatile tuning , it can mess with your head when you just started to play. I'd sugest Open E or G or any other alternative tuning you already use on guitar.

I took the long way around and learned about 5 or 6 tunings over the course of about 5 years before I got to C6, all more guitarist-friendly. I don't recommend this--all it did was keep me further away from learning how to play steel guitar as opposed to slide guitar. It is a completely different beast, as I'm sure you know, and even though I got pretty good on open E and C#min7 and G, etc., it still was pretty far from what is possible with C6 or A6 or any of the steel guitar tunings that are not so guitarist-friendly. It's worth the extra suffering to learn.

• #19

Another thing I'm seeing by looking at this tuning is how to play different chords. I see that the top three strings create a minor triad and the bottom three, a major triad. Pretty simple there.

As for technique though, if I were to play all 6 strings I'd get a C6 chord (hence the tuning) but I'm wondering this - when moving this up, say 5 frets to F, do people play this entire voicing and use a finger behind the slide to press down on the A string (so that it doesn't contact the slide and ring) so that it's just a major chord, not a 6? This is a technique I've seen on regular slide guitar (although I'm not great at it yet! haha).

Just curious. (can you tell I can't wait to get this thing???)

I've never heard of anyone doing a behind the bar string pull to get a six string strummed major chord in c6 tuning. The standard approach would be to either stum the bottom three string with the thumb and pick the second sting tonic to get that sound, or play anonther voicing or inversion. C6 is not really a "strum" tuning like open E and the like. You'll be playing lots of partial chords, which you'd be doing anyway with any tuning since you don't have four or five fingers to play all the notes in a chord.

As Bob Brozman said, "playing steel guitar is like playing guitar with one broken finger that won't bend."

• #20

The C6th is great but I like the A6th best. It'll do just about all of it. It also depends on the dominating keys your band is playing in.

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Source: https://www.thegearpage.net/board/index.php?threads%2Fbest-tuning-for-beginning-lap-steel.1189845%2F

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