D6 Lap Steel Tuning: A Rich, Harmonious Open Sound

This 'D6 Lap Steel' is an alternate tuning for a Guitar, specifically designed to bring out a full, resonant sound ideal for lap steel playing. It transforms your instrument into an open D6 chord, making it exceptionally versatile for genres like Hawaiian, country, blues, and Western swing, where smooth glissandos and rich harmonic textures are paramount.

Technical Analysis

The open strings of this tuning—A2, D3, F4#, A3, B3, D4—collectively form a D6 chord (D - F# - A - B). Analyzing the intervals relative to the D root, we find a foundational D major triad (D, F#, A) enriched by the distinct sound of the Major 6th (B). The arrangement of notes, particularly the octave Ds (D3 and D4) and repeated As (A2 and A3), provides a deep, ringing resonance, giving the tuning a robust and harmonious character.

• String 6 (Lowest): A2 (a Perfect 5th below the root D)
• String 5: D3 (the Root)
• String 4: F4# (the Major 3rd)
• String 3: A3 (a Perfect 5th)
• String 2: B3 (the Major 6th)
• String 1 (Highest): D4 (the Root, an octave above D3)

This configuration naturally lends itself to creating a wide array of chords with ease. A single slide bar across all strings will instantly produce various 6th chords up and down the fretboard (e.g., E6 at the 2nd fret, F6 at the 3rd fret, G6 at the 5th fret). Beyond full bar chords, the open D6 structure facilitates easy access to other related major, minor, and dominant 7th chords through simple slants and partial bar techniques, making it highly expressive for melodic and chordal playing.

How to Tune Your Guitar to D6 Lap Steel

To achieve the D6 Lap Steel tuning from standard E-A-D-G-B-E guitar tuning, follow these precise string adjustments:

• String 6 (Low E): Tune up 5 semitones to A2. Caution: Tuning up 5 semitones is a significant increase in tension. We advise considering a lighter gauge string for this position to avoid excessive stress on the instrument.
• String 5 (A): Tune up 5 semitones to D3. Caution: Tuning up 5 semitones is a significant increase in tension. We advise considering a lighter gauge string for this position to avoid excessive stress on the instrument.
• String 4 (D): Tune up 4 semitones to F4#. Caution: Tuning up 4 semitones is a significant increase in tension. We advise considering a lighter gauge string for this position to avoid excessive stress on the instrument.
• String 3 (G): Tune up 2 semitones to A3.
• String 2 (B): Keep as is; no change (0 semitones) to B3.
• String 1 (High E): Tune down 2 semitones to D4.

String 6: A2 (Lowest string)

String 5: D3

String 4: F4#

String 3: A3

String 2: B3

String 1: D4 (Highest string)