7 String. Worth the effort of making the change? What helped?

[mangotango]

Title says it all. I am contemplating the idea of acquiring a 7-string for gigs accompanying soloists (horn-players) in a duo format, or maybe solo chord-melody stuff. Anyone who has made the change up to a 7, could I ask you please to share your thoughts as to:-

- the pitfalls?

- the rewards?

- anything that might help to make the move less arduous?

[Dookychase]

The first couple of weeks was the hardest. You're looking at that top string and still thinking its the low E.
I played with it for a couple of weeks, got aggravated and set it down. I didn't play it for about a week.

When I picked it up again it felt better and the top string was not as confusing. I tune it to low A so any chord with a 5th string root can be played the same way on the seventh string.

Its a journey that's fun. I play at home and sometimes with another guitar player at church. I'm not that good of a player but I had to have one of Jimmy Foster's guitar. Its the St. Charles model, 15 inch.

If you haven't done so already, look up Jimmy Foster on youtube, he has some videos explaining the transition to 7 string.

Good luck

Before I bought Jimmy's guitar, I bought a cheap Dean solid body( $ 150.00) from Musicians Friend to make sure I would continue with it.

[AndyPollow42]

If your gonna do that why not an 8 string? Im gonna get one soon because Musicians Friend is selling them starting at $350. But any more than 8 would probably just be too silly.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

If your gonna do that why not an 8 string? Im gonna get one soon because Musicians Friend is selling them starting at $350. But any more than 8 would probably just be too silly.

Don't you need hands like a bunch of bananas for that?

[GuyBoden]

If your gonna do that why not an 8 string? Im gonna get one soon because Musicians Friend is selling them starting at $350. But any more than 8 would probably just be too silly.

I'll up the stakes, what about 9 strings.

[GuyBoden]

Some really great music here, played on a 27 string guitar:

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

I'll up the stakes, what about 9 strings.

You could be joking, but I noticed this fellow only plays the bottom two strings open. (Not sure about the third string.) That type of droning works from some music, but it sure don't sound like Bucky.

[edh]

Some really great music here, played on a 27 string guitar:

Why not take up the harp? :

[Slide]

Dookychase said:
"The first couple of weeks were the hardest. You're looking at that top string and still thinking its the low E."

I have been trying to learn 7 string for a while now and had the same problem. I also sometimes find my fingers on the wrong set of string, up one set or down, but I am starting to get used to it. I love having the extra range of the low A string or B if you prefer. I have read of a number of musicians who played 7 string for a while then quit. I don't think I will quit, I am committed, or maybe should be. I now have three including a flattop Ibanez from 2001.

I am beginning to add the 7th string to a lot of songs I already know on 6 string. Sometimes it helps to play without looking at the neck.

[vintagelove]

While I have 0 experience on a 7 string, I could definitely see if you were playing a lot of Latin/Bossa (root 5th) styles (maybe walking with chord stabs too, never put any thought into it), especially in a guitar duo, it would make a lot of sense.

[ronjazz]

I learned by playing in the dark to avoid the confusion of seeing the 7th as the 6th.
If you do decide to pursue it in a duo format, I'd like to recommend a looper pedal.
This, used well, will allow you to improvise over your own accompaniment that you
play for the head or behind your partner's solo. You need to have good time and reflexes,
especially if you should decide, as I did yesterday, to add a percussionist for a trio gig.

I now am pretty much exclusively earning my living as a 7-string guitarist, playing jazz,
Latin and African music, and I recently acquired the Godin multiac nylon 7-string: highly
recommended.

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

The La Bella 7 string set (Black Nylon Tape Flat Wound) has a steel wound string for the 7th string. That might be the visual cue you need!

[ronjazz]

That also might make it worse.

[petermelton]

As others have mentioned there's definitely a transition period but I think it's absolutely worth it. I got through mine fairly quickly by practicing walking bass lines and comping the changes to tunes I knew really well. I teach a lot too and I'm at the point where I can switch between 6 an 7 with out a problem. I don't see any reason to give one up for the other but there are definitely benefits to getting used to a 7 string. Aside from the obvious advantages when playing duo with horn players and singers, it really opens a lot of doors for chord melody playing in the upper register. It's really nice to have an actual bass note within reach when you're above the 7th fret. I started with a pointy Schecter that I got for $200 and have since moved to a CB Hill archtop that I love. Definitely worth it.

[mikeSF]

sounds like fun. the rewards are many: extended low range, more possibilities high on the neck for chords with bass notes, new voicings, don't have to split the gig money as many ways to pay a bassist.

It took me a solid month to really de-program my 6-string brain and begin to function on the 7. During that time, i stopped playing the 6 completely just to avoid confusion. Also, looking away from the fretboard was very helpful since it eliminates the aforementioned visual anchoring cues. Soon it became second nature as if i had always been using the extra string.

I recently added a Boomerang III looper to my duo(with vocalist) rig and that adds a few possibilities for maintaining rhythm for soloing or even adding some countermelody or harmony parts.

Good luck and have fun with it!

[BigDaddyLoveHandles]

Just image you are a bass player and your usual axe is a P-Bass. Then you strap this on...

[destinytot]

My 2cents on the OP...
Worth the effort? Absolutely.
What helps? 1) Not looking at hands; 2) Tuning 7th string to B; 3) Playing with fingers and pick.

Made this video for someone who was considering buying an Eastman:

[ronjazz]

Tuning the 7th to a B for jazz really doesn't work as well as a low A, at least for the way most jazz players will utilize it, for bass lines and accompaniment. The low A is very easy to deal with, as one transfers the 5th string basses to create a larger bass range. I experimented with the B tuning, but found that chord voicings were very limited. I think what you've done with the Kress tuning is really great, but the 7-string for jazz styles functions more practically with an A. As Van Eps said, you get the magic of the guitar and a real bass range, or a "lap piano", as he called it.

[ah.clem]

I'd say it was worth it; my main interest is CM and/or accompanying a singer. In my opinion, low A is the way to go for that. A teacher really helps (I have a great one). I think you will make a mistake if you just think of the 7th as another A and voice chords using the shapes from a 5th string root. You can get some really great, open sounding chords with the 7th string if you think about voicing differently. For example, in my opinion,

this major shape

3XX245X

sounds much better and fuller than

3XX545X

and this minor shape

3XX134x

sounds much fuller than

3XX534X

on the 7 string.

Also, I am learning to use a lot more triads (or diads) with the 7 string than I used to use with the 6 string (Van Eps style). It's very interesting.

There are lots of other examples of using the 7th sting to give you more open voicings.

I am not a fan of loopers, myself. A nice chordal accompanyment with a chord solo is what I like to hear and am striving to achieve. There are a couple of 7 stringers in the town that I live in that do duo gigs with a singer and this is the style they play, no pedals. If you are a fast, single line player then I guess I can see it - Howard Roberts has some nice videos on Youtube demonstrating converting his bop lines down an octave to do soloing using the 7th string, but he does a mix of chord solos with long, solo lines in between - I'm not a fan of that. When he's playing with another guitar player, he does a lot of single line playing.

I agree that you should start out with an inexpensive 7 to see if you like it - I was fortunate to be able to borrow an excellent carved instrument from my instructor for about 3 months, then I bought an Eastman 905-7. When I am sure I need to move onto a custom built instument, I will do so, but I did also recently purchase the new Ibanez 7 string as a couch/traveling guitar and I have to say, it is a really fine instument for the money.

Anyway, obviously just my opininon, but I am loving the learning and the sound of that low A when walking a bass line.