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1

LAP STEEL TUNNINGS


SOURCE: https://papadafoe.com/lap-steel-tuning-database
There are probably hundreds of lap steel tunings being used
by players today. The lap steel tuning database contains
about 100 of the most common.

In earlier days, many musicians protected their tunings as trade


secrets, sometimes going so far as detuning their instruments when
they left the stage for a break, in case some sneaky lap steel player
tried to “steal” their tuning. Thankfully those days are gone, replaced
by a spirit of sharing. In that spirit of sharing, I created this web page
that covers most of the 6, 7, 8 string tunings a lap steel player is
likely to come across. I’ve also included a few 10 and 12 string
tunings. There are some great links at the bottom of the page for
anyone that wants to dive deeper.

Getting Started on Lap Steel

These five tunings for 6 string lap steel guitar are great
starting points for anyone just beginning the lap steel
adventure:

1. C6 – C E G A C E – The C6 tuning is by far the most common


modern tuning for solid body lap steel guitars. It is very
versatile and there is a lot of learning material available
online.
2. Open G – G B D G B D – This “high bass” version of Open G
is the most common tuning for Dobro style resonator guitars.
If you plan on playing acoustic bluegrass, or you’re a fan
of Larkin Poe and blues musician Megan Lovell, this is your
tuning.
3. Open G – D G D G B D (low bass) – This version of Open G
is popular with musicians who play standard guitar as well as
lap steel guitar. It is also popular for Weissenborn style
guitars as there is less string tension than the Dobro tuning
when using standard guitar string sets.
4. Open D – D A D F♯ A D – Open D is a popular blues tuning,
and one of my personal favourites. It is another tuning that
works equally well on lap steel, standard guitars, and
Weissenborn guitars.
2

5. Open E – E B E G♯ B E – Almost the same as Open D, but


tuned a whole tone higher. This tuning is popular with guitar
players.

Lap Steel Tunings

All tunings are listed from low to high (thick to thin),


Lower case note name indicates a reentrant string.

6 String Lap Steel Tunings

Most Popular 6 String Tunings:


 Open A – A C♯ E A C♯ E (high bass — possibly the earliest
lap steel tuning)
 Open A – E A E A C♯ E (low bass)
 A6 – C♯ E F♯ A C♯ E
 C6 – C E G A C E (probably the most popular modern tuning)
 Open D – D A D F♯ A D
 Open E – E B E G♯ B E
 Open G – G B D G B D (Dobro)
 Open G – D G D G B D (low bass)

Other Common 6 String Tunings


 B11 – B D♯ F♯ A C♯ E
 Bm11 – B D F♯ A C♯ E
 C6 – E C G A C E
 D6 – D A D F♯ B D
 D7 – D C D F♯ A D
 Dm – D A D F A D
 Dsus4 – D A D G A D (usually referred to as “Dad Gad”)
 E6 – E B E G♯ C♯ E (often referred to as C#m7)
 E7 – E D E G♯ B E
 E7 – B D E G♯ B E (an old “standard” because of the Mel Bay
book)
 E9 – D E F♯ G♯ B E
 G6 – B D E G B D (same as A6 but 2 semitones lower)
 G6 – G B E G B D
3

More 6 String Tunings


 Am11 – A C E G B D (G6 over C6)
 Open B – B F♯ B D♯ F♯ B (Baritone tuning, not recommended
for scale lengths less than 25 inches)
 B11 – C♯ D♯ F♯ A C♯ E (no root, Mike Holland)
 B11 – B D♯ F♯ A C♯ E
 Bm7 – B D F♯ A B D (could also be called D6)
 Open C – C G C E G C
 Open C – C G C G C E
 C6 – A C E G C E
 C6 – G C E A C E
 C6 – G C E G A C
 C6 – G C G A C E
 C6 – C G C G A E
 C6 – C G C A C E
 C6 – C A C G C E
 C7 – C G C G B♭ E
 C9 – C E G B♭ D E
 C9 – G C E G B♭ D
 C9/C♯ – C♯ E G B♭ C D (Leavitt Tuning)
 C13 – B♭ E G A C E (often referred to as C6)
 D5 – D A D D A D (modal tuning used by Ben Harper)
 D6 – A D F♯ A B D
 D6 – D B D F♯ A D
 D6 – F♯ B D F♯ A D
 Dmaj7 – D A D F♯ A C♯(Andy Volk)
 D7 – D A D F♯ A C
 D7 – D A D F♯ C D
 D7 – D A C F♯ A D
 D7sus – D A D A C D
 D9sus – D A D A C E
 D9sus – D A C E A D
 D9 – A D F♯ A C E
 D9 – D E F♯ A C E (John Ely)
 D13 – C D F♯ A B D
 D/Dm – f A D F♯ A D
 E7 – E E G♯ B D E (Sacred Steel)
 E7 – E B E G♯ B D
 Em7 – E G D G B E (drop G of standard guitar tuning)
 Emaj7 – E B E G♯ B D♯
 E6/9 – G♯ B E G♯ C♯ F♯ (referred to as E9)
 E9 – B D F♯ G♯ B E
 E9 – G♯ B E G♯ D F♯
4

 Em11 – E A D G B E (standard guitar tuning)


 E13 – B D E G♯ C♯ E (sometimes referred to as C♯m7)
 Open F – F C F A C F
 Fmaj7 – F A F A C E
 Fmaj7 – F C F A C E
 F#9 – F♯ A♯ E G♯ C♯ E (Dick McIntire)
 G6 – E G B G B D
 G6 – E G D G B D
 G6 – E B D G B D (Greg Booth)
 G6 – G D E G B D (Papa Dafoe)
 G6 – G B D E G B (C6 Intervals)
 G7 – G B D F G D
 G9 – G B D F A D
 Gmaj9 – G B D F♯ A D (Bob P. Lee, also called “D over G”)
 G11 – G B D F A C
 Gm/G – G B D G B♭ D
 Gm11 – G B♭ D F A C
 G13 – E G B G D F
 G13 – C E G B D F

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