This page describes harmonized scales for the six string C6 lap steel tuning. From bass to treble the notes are C E G A C E.
Shown are scales harmonized in sixths and thirds. In a harmonized scale you play a pair of notes rather than a single note. Both notes come from the scale you're playing. For the harmonized sixth scale, the higher note is a scale note and the lower note is a note from the scale that is an interval of a major or minor sixth away. For the harmonized thirds scale, the pair of notes are notes from the scale separated by an interval of a major or minor third.
Harmonized scale are useful because you can often add some harmonic interest to a single note melody line by including the note that's a third or a sixth below it in the scale.
You can actually ignore the details and work out the scales on your own. My main point is that there are patterns to the harmonized scales. You need to learn how they connect to one another and how the harmonized pairs relate to the chords.
I've written two other documents that may be useful for learning C6 lap steel. One is an approach to Learning the C6 Fretboard. The other is a list of C6 Instructional Materials and Links. Feel free to contact me if you have any comments.
Below are the four basic ways to harmonize a G scale in sixths in the C6 tuning. Below each
tab I've indicated the pattern of slants. It's either straight (S), a forward slant (F), a
reverse slant (R), or a two fret forward slant (F2).
If you're familiar with High-G tuning (GBDGBD), then the first pattern is the same as the one
played on the 2nd and 4th strings in High-G, the second pattern is the same as the 3rd and 5th
string pattern in High-G and the third pattern is the same as the 1st and 3rd string pattern
in High-G. The fourth pattern is unique to the C6 tuning.
E |---3----5----7----8---10---12---14---15--
C |-----------------------------------------
A |-----------------------------------------
G |---4----5----7----9---11---12---14---16--
E |-----------------------------------------
C |-----------------------------------------
R S S R R S S R
E |-----------------------------------------
C |---7----9---11---12---14---16---18---19--
A |-----------------------------------------
G |-----------------------------------------
E |---7----8---10---12---14---15---17---19--
C |-----------------------------------------
S F F S S F F S
E |---3----5----7----8---10---12---14---15--
C |-----------------------------------------
A |---2----3----5----7----9---10---12---14--
G |-----------------------------------------
E |-----------------------------------------
C |-----------------------------------------
F F2 F2 F F F2 F2 F
E |-----------------------------------------
C |-----------------------------------------
A |--10---12---14---15---17---19---21---22--
G |-----------------------------------------
E |-----------------------------------------
C |--11---12---14---16---18---19---21---23--
R S S R R S S R
Often you stay on the same strings when playing harmonized notes. This gives you a smooth
transition between notes. However you can combine these patterns to minimize the number of
slants needed.
E |--------5----7-------------12---14-------
C |---7-------------12---14-------------19--
A |-----------------------------------------
G |--------5----7-------------12---14-------
E |---7-------------12---14-------------19--
C |-----------------------------------------
E |---------------------------12---14---15--
C |-----------------12---14-----------------
A |--10---12---14---------------------------
G |---------------------------12---14---16--
E |-----------------12---14-----------------
C |--11---12---14---------------------------
Below are two examples of how you might use a harmonized scale when doing a transition from
the V chord to the I chord:
E |-------------- |------------
C |--6--7-------- |---9--7-----
A |-------------- |------------
G |-------------- |------------
E |--5--7-------- |---8--7-----
C |-------------- |------------
Sometimes you might use notes that aren't in the scale. Here are two examples of a chromatic
walk-up:
E |-----5--6--7-- |------------
C |--7----------- |--12-13-14--
A |-------------- |------------
G |-----5--6--7-- |------------
E |--7----------- |--12-13-14--
C |-------------- |------------
Here's an example of how you might go outside the scale when doing a transition from a
I chord to a IV chord by going through the sequence I->I7->bVII->IV. The notes marked with
a "*" are outside the harmonized scale:
E |--7----|-10----13|-12-
C |-------|---------|----
A |-------|---------|----
G |--7----|-10----14|-12-
E |-------|---------|----
C |-------|---------|----
* *
Below is a table that summarizes how these intervals relate to the chords. The first column
is the interval - major or minor sixth. The second column is the scale degrees of the low
and high notes. The third column relates the two notes to a major chord and lists the how
those two notes function in the chord. The fourth and fifth columns relate these notes to
other chords.
For example, the first pair in the scale is a minor 6th interval, the low note is the 3rd
of the scale, the high note is the root of the scale, these can be considered to be the 3rd
and root of the I chord or the 5th and flatted 3rd of the VIm (so you might use these notes
with a I chord or VIm chord). The second pair in the scale can be used with a V7 or IIm. If
you're playing music that mostly has I, IV and V chords then you only need to pay attention
to the Maj-Chord column.
Interval Degree Maj-Chord Min-Chord Other-Chord
m6 3-1 I (3,1) VIm (5,b3)
M6 4-2 V7 (b7,5) IIm (b3,1)
M6 5-3 I (5,3) IIIm (b3,1) VIm7 (b7,b3)
m6 6-4 IV (3,1) IIm (5,b3)
m6 7-5 V (3,1) IIIm (5,b3)
M6 1-6 IV (5,3) VIm (b3,1) IIm7 (b7,b3)
M6 2-7 V (5,3) IIIm7 (b7,b3)
Below are the four basic ways to harmonize a G scale in thirds in the C6 tuning. Below
each tab I've indicated the pattern of slants. It's either straight (S), a forward slant
(F) or a reverse slant (R).
If you're familiar with High-G tuning (GBDGBD), then the first pattern is the
same as the one played on the 2nd and 3rd strings in High-G, the second pattern
is the same as the 1st and 2nd string pattern in High-G.
In the C6 tuning the 1st and 2nd strings are the same as the 5th and 6th strings
except they are an octave higher. Thus the pattern for the 1st and 2nd strings is
the same as the pattern for the 5th and 6th strings. The 2nd and 3rd strings have
the same relationship as the 4th and 5th strings so the pattern is the same on
those string pairs.
E |---3----5----7----8---10---12---14---15--
C |---4----6----7----9---11---12---14---16--
A |-----------------------------------------
G |-----------------------------------------
E |-----------------------------------------
C |-----------------------------------------
R R S R R S S R
E |-----------------------------------------
C |---7----9---11---12---14---16---18---19--
A |---7----9---10---12---14---15---17---19--
G |-----------------------------------------
E |-----------------------------------------
C |-----------------------------------------
S S F S S F F S
E |-----------------------------------------
C |-----------------------------------------
A |-----------------------------------------
G |--12---14---16---17---19---21---23---24--
E |--12---14---15---17---19---20---22---24--
C |-----------------------------------------
S S F S S F F S
E |-----------------------------------------
C |-----------------------------------------
A |-----------------------------------------
G |-----------------------------------------
E |---3----5----7----8---10---12---14---15--
C |---4----6----7----9---11---12---14---16--
R R S R R S S R
You can combine these patterns to minimize the number of slants needed.
E |-------------7-------------12---14-------
C |---7----9----7---12---14---12---14---19--
A |---7----9--------12---14-------------19--
G |-----------------------------------------
E |-----------------------------------------
C |-----------------------------------------
Below is a table that summarizes how these intervals relate to the chords. The
first column is the interval - major or minor third. The second column is the scale
degrees of the low and high notes. The third column relates the two notes to a
major chord and lists the how those two notes function in the chord. The fourth
and fifth columns relate these notes to other chords.
For example, the second pair in the scale is a minor third interval, the low note
is the 7th of the scale, the high note is the 2nd of the scale, these can be
considered to be the 3rd and 5th of the V chord.
Interval Degree Maj-Chord Min-Chord Other-Chord
m3 6-1 IV (3,5) VIm (1,b3) I6 (6,1), IIm7 (5,b7)
m3 7-2 V (3,5) IIIm7(5,b7)
M3 1-3 I (1,3) VIm (b3,5)
m3 2-4 V7 (5,b7) IIm (1,b3) IV6 (6,1)
m3 3-5 I (3,5) IIIm (1,b3) VIm7 (5,b7)
M3 4-6 IV (1,3) IIm (b3,5)
M3 5-7 V (1,3) IIIm (b3,5)
Updates:
04/12/05 - Initial version
04/03/06 - Moved to new server