E Mama E
(in E9th tuning)

Tablature for Lap Steel Guitar by David J. Stewart

Here is my MP3 recording of E Mama E | My Video

that you are welcome to share and use as you wish. The backing track is a wonderful arrangement that I made with Band-In-A-Box version 2010.5. I added some birds and waves to give it that special touch. Enjoy!

Although the C6th is by far the best and most popular tuning for Hawaiian music, there are some beautiful songs in other less popular tunings that are certainly worthy of learning. There's no sound like the E9th tuning, and E Mama E is as Hawaiian as it gets. The song starts in the key of C, then modulates to key of G and then finishes in A.

"( )" below means optional note, which here would give you a diminished chord.

E____________________________________*8___12___13___15___13___13__
B____7___7~~8___7___~10___9~___8____*8________________________13__
G#___7___7~~8___7___(10)_______8___*8_____11___13___14___13___13__
F#__________________~9____________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________________
D_____*Palm harmonics chimed one octave higher.___________________
 
 
E____12___11~~10_________10___14~~15___________________15_________
B____12___11~~10________10____14~~15________________15~~~_________
G#___12___11~~10_______10_____14~~15__________14~15~~~~~~_________
F#____________________10___________________15~~~~~~~~~~~~_________
E____________________10______________**15~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_________
D___________________10_________________15~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_________
 
 
**ABOVE: Play notes at 15th fret and let them continue to ring as you drop back to fret 
14 to pick string 3, then slide back up to fret 15 to pick 2 and 1.
 
 
E_______12____12____~13___12~~10___7~_____________7~~8___8__Repeat
B______________________________________8~______8_________8__first_
G#___11____11_____12______________________~9_____________8__verse_
F#__________________________________________________________over__
E_________________________________________________________________
D_________________________________________________________________
 
 
Time out from song...
 

 
A GREAT HAWAIIAN TECHNIQUE
 
I wanted to stop here and teach you a Hawaiian technique that is very nice. 
Here's an example I played to show you this technique. I recommend using a reverse bar
slant, but you can just keep the bar straight and slide it if you'd like. I think twisting
the bar feels more natural...
 
E_______12____12____~13___12~~10__________________________________
B_________________________________________________________________
G#___11____11_____12______________________________________________
F#________________________________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________________
D______*Palm Harmonics____________________________________________
 
**BELOW: First pick the 2nd string on fret 7, then slant the bar upward, raising only the 
rear part of the bar toward fret 8. The front part of the bar is still on fret 7 across 
string 1. Then you pick string 1 at the 7th fret and slide the whole bar down to fret 6, 
picking string 2 again...
 
E_________7~________7~8___8_____*8________________________________
B___**7~8_____6__8________8____*8_________________________________
G#________________________8___*8__________________________________
F#________________________________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________________
D_________*Palm Harmonics_________________________________________
 
Then after playing this, you do the same thing, but up at fret 12. Except this time 
you're going to drop back down to the 9th fret and pick string 3 instead. It sounds very
Hawaiian. Here's another example of this Hawaiian technique.
 
E_____________7____7___~8___7~~5_______2~_______2~3___3___________
B_______________________________**2~3_____1__3________3___________
G#_________6____6____6________________________________3___________
F#________________________________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________________
D____*Palm Harmonics______________________________________________
 
 
You can hear the following musical piece taken from my video here (or watch entire video)...
 
E___________12~_________7~8___8_____*8____________________________
B____12~13__________8_________8____*8_____________________________
G#______________9_____________8___*8______________________________
F#________________________________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________________
D____*Palm Harmonics______________________________________________
 
You can play these musical pieces without doing a reverse bar slant, but it feels 
awkward to me and not natural. It's your choice. Slanting the bar is also good showmanship
in front of an audience. You'll learn quickly that technique is everything while playing 
steel guitar, especially Hawaiian music. I don't claim to have "that sound," but I'm 
always working on it. Making videos and audio recordings helps me to hear what I'm playing 
and see what works and what doesn't, what sounds good and what doesn't. 
 
In today's modern world, there are a dozen ways to record. I prefer a USB computer 
interface and the program MixCraft, which allows me to change pitch and song key if I 
want. I only use the basic $75 program, but if you also want to be able to add effects 
(like reverb) after you record, then you need the pro Version of MixCraft. There are also some YouTube videos explaining how to use MixCraft, but it's fairly easy. 
 
I simply record from the "REC OUT" of my Roland MicroCube and use the reverb of the amp; 
however, I cannot change the recording later on. If I recorded dry with the pro version 
of MixCraft, then I could add reverb afterwards, or other effects. Simply put, the pro 
version of MixCraft gives you total control over your sound after you've recorded it; 
whereas the basic version doesn't allow you any editing. Still, the basic version does 
everything I need. I've never wanted to change my reverb after recording. 
 
Here's another way of playing a very recognizable Hawaiian riff...
 
E__________________7~8___8____OR_____7~~8_________________________
B____8__________8________8___________8~~8_________________________
G#_________8~9___________8___________9~~8_________________________
F#______8_________________________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________________
D_________________________________________________________________
 

 
BACK TO OUR SONG...
 
E____9___10_____*10_________________________**3M__________7___8___
B____9___10____*10_____2~~3___2___~5___4__3____3F_________________
G#___9___10___*10______2~~3___2________4__3_____3T________6___8___
F#________________________________~4_____________**3M_____________
E___________________________________________________3F____________
D____*Palm Harmonics_________________________________3T___________
 
**ABOVE: This is a beautiful technique, especially in this particular song. These are 
triplets, that is, 3 notes played in the time space of one note. These notes are picked 
backwards. I have labeled the fingering (M=middle, F=forefinger and T=thumb). It takes a 
little practice, but you'll be doing it in no time. Here is a sample of me playing this 
musical piece by itself to help you hear, recognize and learn this great technique.
 
E____10___8________8~7__________6~5___4~3___~9~10_________________
B_________8____8___8~7____7~6___6~5___4~3_________________________
G#___9____8____8___8~7____7~6___6~5___4~3___~9~10___8__9__10______
F#__________________________________________________8__9__10______
E______________8__________________________________________________
D_________________________7~6_______________________8__9__10______
 
 
E_____*10_____7____7___~8___7~~5_______2~_______2~3___3__2__1__0__
B____*10________________________**2~3_____1__3________3__2__1__0__
G#_________6____6____6________________________________3__2__1__0__
F#________________________________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________________
D____*Finger Harmonics____________________________________________
 
**ABOVE: It is very important to do a reverse bar slant here or this piece will likely 
lack the sound you want. By slanting the bar, you eliminate the time it takes to move the
bar from fret 3 to fret 2, thus making your playing more smooth, which in this particular
musical piece is critical. Try it and you will see that you'll feel much more natural and
relaxed by slanting the bar. If you don't slant the bar, you can still play the part, but 
it isn't the same to me. I have to do a bar slant to feel comfortable playing this. Do 
what you feel comfortable with as a musician. 
 
E_________*12________________________**5_________9__~10__~12___10___
B________*12____4~~5___4___7~6____5_____5______________________10___
G#______*12_____4~~5___4__________5______5_______8__~10__~11___10___
F#_____*12_________________6~~______________5_______________________
E_____*12_______4~~5___4_____________________5______________________
D____________*Finger Harmonics (use pinky)____5_**triplet back-rake_
 
 
E_________________________7___11~12__________________12_____9___9_
B_______10~~15~14________7____11~12_________________12____________
G#_____10~~~14~13_______7_____11~12________11___12________8___8___
F#____10~~~~13~12______7________________12~~~___12________________
E___*10~~~~~12~11_____7______________12~~~~~~_____________________
D____________________7_______________12~~~~~~___12________________
 
*ABOVE: This is such an amazing chord spanning across 4 frets.
 
E_____~10___9~~7________4~_______4~5___5____*5________9~__________
B__________________4~5_____3__5________5___*5____9~10_______5_____
G#__8__________________________________5  *5_____________6________
F#________________________________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________________
D______*Palm Harmonics____________________________________________
 
 
E___4~5____5~~17______END_________________________________________
B__________5~~17__________________________________________________
G#_________5~~17__________________________________________________
F#________________________________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________________
D_________________________________________________________________
 

 
A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS TO PLAY SOME THINGS
 
E____~15___13___13~~12~~11~~10_____|__**3_________You can hear____
B_______________13~~12~~11~~10_____|_____3________this E9th back-_
G#___~14___13___13~~12~~11~~10_____|______3_______rake technique__
F#______________13~~12~~11~~10_____|_______3______here.___________
E_______________13~~12~~11~~10_____|________3_____________________
D_______________13~~12~~11~~10_____|_________3____________________
 
**ABOVE: Here's a triplet back-raking exercise that simply moves up the E9th neck from fret 
3, one fret at a time. This requires excellent picking coordination and is great practice. 
This technique sounds great in E Mama E on the E9th tuning.
 
E_____14~15____3___5~~6___*7~~~~15_______12____12____~13__12~~10__
B_____14~15_______________________________________________________
G#____14~15____3___4~~5___*6~~~~15____11____11____11______________
F#________________________________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________________
D_____*Do a nice long slide and take your time.___________________
 
 
E___________________7__________________4___5______________________
B________________7_________________5_______5______________________
G#____5___6___7~~~~~~____5___5~6___________5______________________
F#____5___6___7~~~~~~_____________________________________________
E_________________________________________________________________
D_____5___6___7~~~~~~____5___5~6__________________________________
 
BELOW: One of the great things about the E9th tuning is that you can strum it all the 
way across and it sounds fantastic. Play this on any beach and people will think they're 
in Hawaii if it's not already Hawaii.
 
E_________4~3_________3~~14~15______This can be used as an _______
B________4~~3________3~~~14~15______intro for E Mama E in the_____
G#______4~~~3_______3~~~~14~15______key of C._____________________
F#_____4~~~~3______3~~~~~14~15____________________________________
E_____4~~~~~3_____3~~~~~~14~15____________________________________
D____4~~~~~~3____3~~~~~~~14~15____________________________________

Here are a Few Excellent Rhythm Tracks for E Mama E...

Faster Backing Tracks...

I recorded 'E Mama E' from the "REC OUT" on my Roland MicroCube into MixCraft ($75 basic, version 5.2) onto my computer via a USB interface. It works really nice.

Once you've loaded your USB device drivers, look for the USB driver (device) in MixCraft after arming the recording button. There's a drop down menu next to the "ARM" button where you can select your recording input source.

I simply used the reverb on the Roland MicroCube, which I set at about 4 o'clock on the amp's knob. I prefer a moderate amount of reverb in this song. When playing country music on my pedal steel guitar (through my Peavey Session 400 or Fender Princeton Reverb), I only set my reverb at about 4, but for Hawaiian I set it at 7-8 (with exceptions). On some faster Hawaiian songs (like Lovely Hula Hands) I might set it to 5-6. For slower dreamy songs like Moon Of Manakoora and Bali Hai, it want a lot of reverb.

You are welcome to use these tracks for your music projects and share with others.

'E Mama E' played by David J. Stewart (high quality MP3)


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