Tuning Overview: G7 for Lap Steel

This distinctive tuning, aptly named "G7 for Lap Steel," is a time-honored choice for blues, country, and roots music, particularly suited for slide playing on a lap steel guitar. As its name suggests, it's essentially an open G Major chord with the crucial addition of a dominant seventh, imbuing it with that characteristic bluesy bite and a sophisticated harmonic edge.

The tuning lays out a full G7 chord across all open strings, making it incredibly intuitive for slide techniques. Any simple barre or slide across the fretboard will instantly produce a dominant seventh chord corresponding to that fret, opening up a world of blues progressions and expressive lead lines with remarkable ease.

Technical Analysis

The open notes for this tuning are G2-B2-G3-B3-D4-F4. This configuration directly spells out a G dominant 7th chord (G-B-D-F) across the strings, providing a rich and full voicing:

• 6th String: G2 (Root)
• 5th String: B2 (Major Third)
• 4th String: G3 (Root, octave higher)
• 3rd String: B3 (Major Third, octave higher)
• 2nd String: D4 (Perfect Fifth)
• 1st String: F4 (Minor Seventh)

This specific voicing allows for exceptional harmonic clarity and powerful dominant seventh voicings, which are fundamental to the blues idiom. Its inherent structure significantly simplifies playing common blues progressions, as the chord quality is maintained simply by moving a slide or barre up the neck.

Chords and Playability

With the open strings forming a G7 chord, this tuning is a powerhouse for styles requiring a strong dominant sound. Sliding a single bar or finger across any fret will instantly give you the corresponding dominant seventh chord. For example:

• Open Position: G7 chord (G-B-G-B-D-F)
• 5th Fret: C7 chord (C-E-C-E-G-Bb)
• 7th Fret: D7 chord (D-F#-D-F#-A-C)

This makes navigating the I-IV-V progression, a cornerstone of blues and rock, remarkably intuitive and fluid. The strategic repetition of the root and major third in different octaves adds considerable depth and fullness to the overall sound, making it a very satisfying tuning to play.

How to Tune (from Standard EADGBe)

Achieving this tuning from a standard EADGBe setup requires specific adjustments to most strings. Please pay close attention to the significant upward tension required for some strings. For strings tuned up 4 or more semitones, a heavier gauge string is strongly advised to prevent breakage and ensure optimal tone and intonation.

• 6th String (Low E): Tune up 3 semitones to G2. (Original note E2)
• 5th String (A): Tune up 2 semitones to B2. (Original note A2)
• 4th String (D): Tune up 5 semitones to G3. Caution: Tuning this string up 5 semitones significantly increases tension. A heavier gauge string is strongly advised to prevent breakage. (Original note D3)
• 3rd String (G): Tune up 4 semitones to B3. Caution: Tuning this string up 4 semitones significantly increases tension. A heavier gauge string is advised. (Original note G3)
• 2nd String (B): Tune up 3 semitones to D4. (Original note B3)
• 1st String (High E): Tune up 1 semitone to F4. (Original note E4)

Here are the target notes for each string when tuned to G7 for Lap Steel:

• String 6: G2
• String 5: B2
• String 4: G3
• String 3: B3
• String 2: D4
• String 1: F4