E raise lever and chords

[Jeffrey McFadden]

Often questions like this attract a bunch of "RTFM" replies. I ask for mercy. Think of it as helping a slightly learning disabled, brain damaged individual. Because it is.

I can't figure out what chords I can build off a raised E lever. Assume for a minute that I'm playing in G, no pedals, 3rd fret. I know how to get 1, 2m, 6m, 4, and 5 chords without moving the bar. Flatted 7 (not "7th") chord too, if I remember correctly, but maybe that's not right. I can fairly easily play a major scale there as well. I haven't worked on minor scales yet.

Say, from that point, I move my LK to the right (on my setup) and raise my G's to G#'s. Now - what chords does that open up to me, and what pedals go with it?

Mostly I use the LKL / Flatted E's lever. The way I play / learn songs is, I play the melody line as single notes and then, after I've got that reasonably down, I begin adding available harmonies that appeal to me based on the melody line and the progression. So I use a lot of E lowers, because the major 7th note is a passing note in a lot of melodies.

I use quite a bit of 1 string for the same reason, passing notes.

Now obviously, a flatted 2 / sharped 1 note is fairly rare in melodies. I haven't got my "pedals down" scales learned yet, so I can't play melodies yet from a pedals down root. Maybe the "raised E" functions will become obvious, but until then...

Can some merciful person help me out a little here? And... please be gentle.

Thanks,

Jeff

[Daniel Buller]

Just raising the root a half step with that lever at the same fret as your no pedal 1 chord will give you a "6 chord" that is dominant. If you use that lever with the A pedal it will make that dominant chord a major triad.

It's probably more useful in most cases to use that position 3 frets up from your no pedal position as another 1 chord. It gives you another position between the no pedals and A/B down positions.

Those are some basic uses...

[Jeffrey McFadden]

Just raising the root a half step with that lever at the same fret as your no pedal 1 chord will give you a "6 chord" that is dominant. If you use that lever with the A pedal it will make that dominant chord a major triad.

It's probably more useful in most cases to use that position 3 frets up from your no pedal position as another 1 chord. It gives you another position between the no pedals and A/B down positions.

Those are some basic uses...

OK, I'm gaining here - which strings go with it for the 6th Dominant or "up 3" chord? I haven't found them yet.

[Lee Baucum]

Using that lever in the pedals up position allows you to play diminished chords.

Using that lever in the pedals down position allows you to play augmented chords.

[Daniel Buller]

The same string groups as you major grips will work. Lee is also right about diminished chords Jeffrey because the dominant and diminished are the same since that dominant voicing is rootless, but I was trying to keep it simple for u.

Hope that helps

[Bill C. Buntin]

del

[Daniel Buller]

Bill no worries, but the major 3rd of the 6th chord is the b9 of the 1chord rootless voicing if u think about it.

[Bill C. Buntin]

del

[Brett Lanier]

Hi Jeffrey,

As a beginner, rather than analyzing what every change is doing in the root position, or even playing scales, I'd recommend focusing on the three most frequently used positions for playing major triads, and the string groups that will give you those triads.

Those bar positions are...

~Zero, or home base is what I call it sometimes (no pedals or levers)
ex. fret 0 = E, fret 1 = F, fret 3 = G, etc...

~Three frets up from there w/ the KL that raises E's to F and the A pedal

~Four frets up from there, or seven frets above home base w/ A & B pedals down


And the string groups to play are.

3,4,5
4,5,6
5,6,8,
6,8,10

These groups work at all three positions ( zero, +3 frets, +7 frets)

Practice playing those string groups in those positions a lot! It's really important to see that map of where all the major chords/triads are for the one, four, and five chords of a song (G,C,D in the key of G). Once you do that it will be much easier to find chromatic leading tones, embellishments, Buddy Emmons licks (ha), etc...

So once you get those down just put on some Conway/Loretta or Whispering Bill and play along to easy three chord country songs. Hopefully you'll start to hear the chord changes coming and be able to see where to go next on your own.

[Fred Treece]

What Bret said. All of your standard string grips work with your E-raise lever. At fret 3 the resulting chord would be G#dim or E7. Engage your A pedal and it is a straight E major (the contentious “6” chord of previous comments). Same grips.

In the key of A, play your E7 at fret 3 with just the E-raise lever engaged. Then slide up to fret 5 while releasing the lever. A very easy V7 - I change on the E9 neck.

[Jeffrey McFadden]

Hi Jeffrey,

As a beginner, rather than analyzing what every change is doing in the root position, or even playing scales, I'd recommend focusing on the three most frequently used positions for playing major triads, and the string groups that will give you those triads.

Those bar positions are...

~Zero, or home base is what I call it sometimes (no pedals or levers)
ex. fret 0 = E, fret 1 = F, fret 3 = G, etc...

~Three frets up from there w/ the KL that raises E's to F and the A pedal

~Four frets up from there, or seven frets above home base w/ A & B pedals down


And the string groups to play are.

3,4,5
4,5,6
5,6,8,
6,8,10

These groups work at all three positions ( zero, +3 frets, +7 frets)

Practice playing those string groups in those positions a lot! It's really important to see that map of where all the major chords/triads are for the one, four, and five chords of a song (G,C,D in the key of G). Once you do that it will be much easier to find chromatic leading tones, embellishments, Buddy Emmons licks (ha), etc...

So once you get those down just put on some Conway/Loretta or Whispering Bill and play along to easy three chord country songs. Hopefully you'll start to hear the chord changes coming and be able to see where to go next on your own.

I just took long speech out of here. I'm going to include only one brief excerpt: The brain damage is not a joke or an excuse, and living with it is very strange.

The deal about "Up three frets" - that's the key. That unlocked it for me.

I get it about the positions, that's what I'm chasing. I had the root open and root A&B positions, but this one is a whole new opening. I hadn't figured out how to get squat out of that sharped E / A pedal. Now I can explore that. Thank you.



Jeff

[Jeffrey McFadden]

What Bret said. All of your standard string grips work with your E-raise lever. At fret 3 the resulting chord would be G#dim or E7. Engage your A pedal and it is a straight E major (the contentious “6” chord of previous comments). Same grips.

In the key of A, play your E7 at fret 3 with just the E-raise lever engaged. Then slide up to fret 5 while releasing the lever. A very easy V7 - I change on the E9 neck.

OK, I sat down with Brett's suggestions at the guitar and comprehended them. Now to go after this one...

With one of Tom Bradshaw's Tab Holders https://www.songwriter.com/bradshaw/tab_rack.php and a lightweight chromebook I can put this thread up in front of me and work on it.

[Jeffrey McFadden]

What Bret said. All of your standard string grips work with your E-raise lever. At fret 3 the resulting chord would be G#dim or E7. Engage your A pedal and it is a straight E major (the contentious “6” chord of previous comments). Same grips.

In the key of A, play your E7 at fret 3 with just the E-raise lever engaged. Then slide up to fret 5 while releasing the lever. A very easy V7 - I change on the E9 neck.

OK, I sat down with Brett's suggestions at the guitar and comprehended them. Now to go after this one...

With one of Tom Bradshaw's Tab Holders https://www.songwriter.com/bradshaw/tab_rack.php and a lightweight chromebook I can put this thread up in front of me and work on it.

Fred, I don't get it. At my 3rd fret with the E raise lever and nothing else, I get, starting at string 1, A,F#,B,G#,D,B,A,G#,F,D. Is this a "rootless" E7 built out of the D, B, and G#?

[Fred Treece]

Yes. E7 no root. Then slide up to the 5th fret and release the lever to resolve to A major, with any of those basic string grips Bret mentioned. It’s a beautiful thing

You could use the A pedal (which is an E note on strings 10 and 5 at the 3rd fret) along with the E raise lever at the 3rd fret (G#) and voice a straight E major, and then release lever and pedal as you slide up to the 5th fret. Not as colorful, IMO.

BUT...if you first released the A pedal while holding the E raise lever at the 3rd fret, let that sit for a beat or two before doing the slide/release up to the 5th fret...now you’ve got greens and oranges and mellow yellows

[Bill Moore]

"Mel Bay's Pedal Steel Guitar Chord Chart E 9 Tuning"
By Dewitt Scott. This is a handy, easy to read chart that shows the basic E9 pedal steel guitar chord forms. Available anywhere books are sold.

[Bobby D. Jones]

I agree with Bill Moore. Mel Bay's Pedal Steel Guitar Chord Chart E9th, It is sort of a road map to help a person navigate the E9th Steel guitar neck.

I had "Messed a lot" with a steel guitar and not gotten FAR. A friend John Wilson GRHS gave me a Mel Bay chord chart. With it I transposed the chords from a flat top 6 stg. to the steel neck and "Oh Boy" now this makes since.

A song our jam session plays every couple weeks, The waltz You Saved For Me, In C Chord. Where It goes from F to E, Up the neck, From F at 1st fret, Engage the A pedal and (F)Knee Lever That raises 4-8. Slide to 3rd fret E, 1 lick of for the E. Then release the knee lever, while engaging the B pedal with the A pedal, With the A&B slide to the 7th fret completing the E, Then to 8th fret F to complete the ditty, Release the A&B Pedals at the 8th fret and it is back to C. Just something to try. Good Luck on your Quest and Happy Steelin.
I changed the working a little to make the move a little more complete.

[Fred Treece]

And there, Jeffrey, are your “RTFM” replies. On cue.
I like that lick though, Bobby.

[Bill Moore]

I say that there are good reasons for "going by the book" when learning something new. It's faster, more through and in the end, leads to more success. I worked as a skilled tradesman for many years and worked with a lot of apprentices. Those that followed directions and listened to the"voice of experience" advanced faster and in the end were more skilled. The ones that thought they could figure things out on their own, not so much.

[Lee Baucum]

Using that lever in the pedals up position allows you to play diminished chords.

Using that lever in the pedals down position allows you to play augmented chords.

Jeffrey - Are you familiar with augmented and diminished chords and how they are used?

[Jeffrey McFadden]

I say that there are good reasons for "going by the book" when learning something new. It's faster, more through and in the end, leads to more success. I worked as a skilled tradesman for many years and worked with a lot of apprentices. Those that followed directions and listened to the"voice of experience" advanced faster and in the end were more skilled. The ones that thought they could figure things out on their own, not so much.

I understand, and I learn a great number of things from books.
I really do have a hole the size of a golf ball in my brain, from standing too close to an exploding 82 mm mortar round, and it really does cause certain learning disability. I'll just have to ask you to take my word for it.

[Jeffrey McFadden]

Yes. E7 no root. Then slide up to the 5th fret and release the lever to resolve to A major, with any of those basic string grips Bret mentioned. It’s a beautiful thing

You could use the A pedal (which is an E note on strings 10 and 5 at the 3rd fret) along with the E raise lever at the 3rd fret (G#) and voice a straight E major, and then release lever and pedal as you slide up to the 5th fret. Not as colorful, IMO.

BUT...if you first released the A pedal while holding the E raise lever at the 3rd fret, let that sit for a beat or two before doing the slide/release up to the 5th fret...now you’ve got greens and oranges and mellow yellows

I worked on that rootless E7 slide to A quite a while last night. The whole concept of "rootless" chords is new to me, although I played 2 string 7th chords on my lap it was root + flatted 7th note, bar slant to raise the 6th a half step. The pedal steel is so vastly more flexible, and players like yourself have spent these decades figuring out all these wonderful workarounds.

Somehow I failed to see the E maj. at my G root example from Brett's post, although it should have been obvious, and that too will be useful I'm pretty sure.

Thanks again. Now I can try to get this stuff firmed up in my head before I go on to my next "duh" moment.

[Jeffrey McFadden]

Using that lever in the pedals up position allows you to play diminished chords.

Using that lever in the pedals down position allows you to play augmented chords.

Jeffrey - Are you familiar with augmented and diminished chords and how they are used?

Technically I am familiar with them - that is to say, I know how they are constructed from / differ from major chords. However, the music I have played is mostly quite simple and in actual fact I have used a diminished chord on purpose on exactly one song in my life. It would be an outright lie to say that I was familiar with how they are used.

[Brian Brgant]

While this does not answer your specific question, Here is a great reference chart that covers a lot of ground and can answer a lot of questions. There is a ton of info packed onto this chart. http://www.cryinsteel.com/