Menu

Skip to content
Lap Steelin'

Lap Steelin'

Mike Neer's repository of steel guitar geekery

Links

  • Clinesmith Instruments
  • Deluxe 34 Stands by Mark Roeder
  • Jim Burden Bullet Bars
  • Steel Guitar Forum
  • steelinstruction.com – Mike Neer's books and lessons
  • V-Muse Lap Steel Guitars

Archive

  • December 2022
  • September 2022
  • May 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • November 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • January 2019
  • October 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • October 2017
  • July 2017
  • April 2016
  • November 2015
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • May 2014
  • January 2014
  • January 2012
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • January 2011
  • September 2010

Tag: C13

Comping chords with C13 tuning (Jules Ah See tuning) – Rhythm Changes

Posted on April 13, 2019 by Mike Neer




One of the distinct beauties and advantages of the Jules Ah See C13 tuning, which I use almost exclusively, is the availability of options for playing chord changes in a jazz guitar style. To clarify a bit further, comping chords in Jazz very often involves chord voicings which are abbreviated by leaving out several unnecessary chord tones, but using just enough to imply the intended harmony. In this approach we begin to understand the similarities between many of the chords we’re playing and often substitute one for another, enabling us to stay in position and avoid having to jump up and down the neck for each chord change.

The low C string (string 8) was brilliantly added to the tuning and really establishes a great uniqueness in its ability to deal with bass notes, which are most often avoided on steel guitar–but then again, so is chord comping, so we’re really exploring fresh territory here. In musical situations including a bass player, we would be wise to avoid using too many bass notes and walking bass patterns. But getting these changes under your bar will prove very useful in other situations, such as duos.

What I have notated and tabbed below is essentially the chord changes to the composition I Got Rhythm by George and Ira Gershwin (frequently called ‘Rhythm Changes’ by Jazz musicians). This, along with the Blues are two of the essential song formats for Jazz and knowledge and mastery of them is crucial. In the example I have provided, you will see that there are many chord changes that fall outside of the song’s usual substituted harmony, which is essentially (A) I vi ii V7, I vi ii V7, I I7 IV #IVdim V7 I, (B) III7 VI7 II7 V7, and then repeat (A) section. In my example, the first A section is straightforward, the second A section touches on a few substitutions from Coltrane changes, and the third A section uses a substitution often employed by Thelonious Monk: a descending cycle of chromatic dominant 7th chords beginning on the bVI (Gb).

Give this a go if you can. The rhythm is based on Red Garland’s comping rhythm, which was taught to me by Mike Stern and is one of the most valuable things I’ve ever learned from anyone. The tuning is (from high to low): E, C, A, G, E, C, Bb, C

Most of these chords are very easy to play in this tuning. An important task is getting good accuracy with the right hand, which comes with lots of practice, but it does come, I promise. Another important element is slanting. In this example you’ll see many unusual slants, such as the min9 chords in measures 6 and 8, but they can be played and played in tune. I do notice that it is a little easier to play many of these slant voicings in tune on my steels with tighter string spacing, but I can still manage on my other guitars with wider spacing. The fact that these chords do not ring out is also an important key to the sound. The sound should just be nice, clear stabs that are in tune. See the video below for an example.




Posted in Fresh baked thoughts | Tagged C13 Jules Ah See lap steel Rhythm Changes | Leave a comment

Recent posts

  • Building arrangements for steel guitar, pt. 1 December 16, 2022
  • Slanting the scale (playing triads of the scale using slants) September 16, 2022
  • Bud’s Bounce May 15, 2020
  • Announcement re SteelInstruction.com May 12, 2020
  • Bix Beiderbecke’s “In A Mist” duet for steel guitar March 26, 2020
  • Interview with Mike Neer by Andy Volk February 21, 2020
  • Mike Neer live webinar 12/7 “Triadic Mechanics” November 20, 2019
  • Comping chords with C13 tuning (Jules Ah See tuning) – Rhythm Changes April 13, 2019
  • Joe Pass Modern Blues #1 March 30, 2019
  • Billie’s Bounce by Charlie Parker January 29, 2019
  • Playing complex (jazzy) lines on lap steel and how to approach them January 21, 2019
  • Building chops–right (picking) hand rhythm October 27, 2018

Tags

"Lee Jeffriess" "Big Sandy" "Joaquin Murphey" "Noel Boggs" Spade Cooley" Rockabilly "Western Swing" bigsby bud isaacs c6 tuning C6/A7 c6/a7 tuning c13 tuning Curly Chalker david lindley dick mcintire don rooke emmons frankie kay harmony hawaiian steel hazmat modine helmet henry bogdan jazz jeremy wakefield jerry byrd jimmy day joaquin murphey joel paterson ken champion lap steel lap steel guitar lee jeffriess lucky stars mike neer moonlighters music theory ry cooder skip simmons slants sol hoopii speedy west spongebob steel guitar the henrys thelonious monk vance terry wayne hancock western swing wright custom
Proudly powered by WordPress
Theme: Flint by Star Verte LLC