How to Tune a Lap Guitar
A lap guitar is a type of steel guitar which is played in the player's lap or on a small stand, using a slide bar on the neck, rather than the fingers. Lap guitars, or lap steels as they are commonly known, differ from pedal steel guitars in that the strings are statically tuned, and are not individually adjustable by foot or knee levers as the player performs. As with any guitar, there are hundreds of different tunings, but standard guitar tuning and open "G" chord tunings are commonly used in popular and traditional music for 6-string lap steel guitars.
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Things You'll Need
- Chromatic pitch pipe or electronic tuner with audible tone
- Lap steel guitar
Instructions
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Standard Guitar Tuning
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1
Blow into the pitch pipe or set the tuner's audible tone for a low "E" note.
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2
Play the low "E" or sixth string on the guitar, turning the matching tuning key until the note matches in pitch.
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3
Blow into the pitch pipe or set the tuner's audible tone for an "A" note.
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4
Play the "A" or fifth string on the guitar, turning the matching tuning key until the note matches in pitch.
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5
Blow into the pitch pipe or set the tuner's audible tone for a "D" note.
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6
Play the "D" or fourth string on the guitar, turning the matching tuning key until the note matches in pitch.
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7
Blow into the pitch pipe or set the tuner's audible tone for a "G" note.
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8
Play the "G" or third string on the guitar, turning the matching tuning key until the note matches in pitch.
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9
Blow into the pitch pipe or set the tuner's audible tone for a "B" note.
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10
Play the "B" or second string on the guitar, turning the matching tuning key until the note matches in pitch.
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11
Blow into the pitch pipe or set the tuner's audible tone for a high "E" note.
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12
Play the high "E" or first string on the guitar, turning the matching tuning key until the note matches in pitch.
Tuning to Open G
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13
Blow into the pitch pipe or set the tuner's audible tone for a low "D" note.
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14
Play the sixth string on the guitar, turning the matching tuning key until the note matches in pitch.
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15
Follow the same procedure for other strings, sounding the notes "B" for the fifth string, "G" for the fourth string, middle "D" for the third string, "B" for the second string, and high "G" for the first string, and turning the corresponding tuner to bring the string to matching pitch.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Several attempts may be necessary in sounding tuner or pitch pipe notes and bringing strings to pitch.
Experiment with all kinds of lap steel tunings, finding those that feel comfortable and suit the style of music you enjoy.
As a reference, standard guitar tuning from low to high is: EADGBE.
Open G tuning from lowest to highest is: DBGDBG.
Avoid tuning without a tuner. Tuning too high may cause strings to break.
Keep your face away from guitar in the event of breaking strings. Strings are under high tension, and may cause eye or face injuries when breaking.
