D#-D lever - Licks, Phrases, Uses??

[Jim Fogarty]

Hey,

I’m looking for some suggestions and examples of uses for the D# to D lever on E9 (LKR on my Stage One)

I know some players make it drop to C# or put in a 1/2 stop. Those aren’t options on my steel.

So, other than a 7th in no pedals position, what are you using it for? Specific lines, licks and phrases much appreciated.

Thanks!

[Norman Evans]

Check out this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sjhraa7xtd4

[Sean Borton]

I'll offer a few thoughts rather than licks. This is to help you think of it as more than just a 7th

* No pedals... D# is your major 7th. Very handy with melodic lines
* No pedals... D is your dominant 7th. There is no shortage of licks in this position.

* A/B pedals.... D# become your flat 5.
* A/B pedals.... D becomes your suspended 4th or your 11th.

* A pedal w/E's raised to F... this becomes your 9th or your flat 9 when lowered.

[David Ellison]

A classic steel break by the great Tom Brumley using lots of the D# to D lever:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-2VLIO14dns

The steel comes in at 1:08.

You should be able to learn a lot about how to use this lever if you figure out the licks here!

[Ben Michaels]

5-2-1 is your 5th chord. You can lower the third with the lever and make it a minor triad.

[Fred Treece]

With B+RKR you have a 1 1/2 octave minor pentatonic scale across all 10 strings with the root on strings 10 and 5, or major pentatonic with the root on 9 and 2.

You can vertically play a major scale harmonized in 3rds with strings 1&2, engaging and releasing the lever on 2 as you go up and down the fretboard.

B+C+RKR gives you a 5-3-1 major inversion on strings 6-4-2, and releasing C while holding the rest sounds pretty cool. (It is also a 5-1-3 inversion on strings 3-2-1)

I believe it is possible to adjust the RKR on your Stage One to do D#>C# on string 2.

[Bengt Erlandsen]

On open strings with B pedal, play strings 10 6 2 for a nice B7 and transition to an E7 by releasing B pedal and lower 2nd string to D.

Also dont miss the various diminished voicings found on strings 10 9 8 - 6 5 4 3 2 - with E's to F and 2nd string to D. It helps to view those diminished voicings as rootless dominant7b9 voicings even tho it might not be immediately obvious why it is so. Once you figure :idea:

B.Erlandsen

[Dick Sexton]

I think, one of the better ideas of the current E9th tuning. It took me a long time to find it's uses, but now they come easier. I use it lowered a half step often to get into or play intros. Two examples, the first is just a run up the neck in triplets(a good blocking exercise), the second is an intro idea. Play with that change, it will grow on you.

D=1/2 tone lower
/=Slide into it
~=Sustain
1_____________________________________________________
2______3D____3D_____4_____4______6_____6______________
3__________________________________________/8~~______
4____3_____3_____4F____4F_____6F_____6F_______________
5__3A____3A____4A____4A_____6A_____6A______/8~~______
6_____________________________________________________
7_____________________________________________________
8_____________________________________________________
9_____________________________________________________
10____________________________________________________

Intro idea...
1_____________________________________________________
2_______5D____5D______________________________________
3_________________3_____3-6---5_____3-5-5B-8-5B-5B~~____
4____5______5________3__________5_____________________
5__5A_____5A______3_____3-6A-5_____3-5-5A-8-5---5A~~____
6____________________3__________5_____________________
7_____________________________________________________
8_____________________________________________________
9_____________________________________________________
10____________________________________________________

Intro idea end...
1_____________________________________________________
2_____________________________________________________
3_____________________________________________________
4_____________________________________________________
5__5A--5~~________3-3A--5~~___________________________
6_________5B--3~~______5~~___________________________
7_____________________________________________________
8_____________________________________________________
9_____________________________________________________
10____________________________________________________

[Ben Michaels]

With B+RKR you have a 1 1/2 octave minor pentatonic scale across all 10 strings with the root on strings 10 and 5, or major pentatonic with the root on 9 and 2.

You can vertically play a major scale harmonized in 3rds with strings 1&2, engaging and releasing the lever on 2 as you go up and down the fretboard.

B+C+RKR gives you a 5-3-1 major inversion on strings 6-4-2, and releasing C while holding the rest sounds pretty cool. (It is also a 5-1-3 inversion on strings 3-2-1)

I believe it is possible to adjust the RKR on your Stage One to do D#>C# on string 2.

Fred this is interesting. I'm thinking if you drop 4 half steps back from your open 1 then you have your 5th. I don't know how I would use it on your 1 since it would be your 7thb.

Do you have any favorite licks that use either of those triads?

[Fred Treece]

Ben, I think of any major chord position as a possible location for the 1. That opens up the whole neck for phrasing possibilities. If you think of “no-pedals” as your home position, move up two frets to use the B+C+RKR as a I chord. Then release C and slide into home (safe! ⚾️) two frets down for a I7sus4, then release B for a straight dom7, then block and go pedals down for a IV chord. This could also be thought of as a V-V7sus-V7-I mini progression, if you want call pedals down your I chord. And yeah, I use it a lot for both V-I and I-IV.

[Jack Hanson]

Check out the vintage Trappin' Squirrels course by Catfish John, which is devoted to that lever. Lotsa cool licks and assorted good stuff. It's still available from Frenchy's in New Mexico. Mine consisted of a tab booklet and 45 RPM record. The new ones have a CD instead:

https://www.frenchyspedalsteel.com/inst ... l-courses/

[Jon Jaffe]

Here is the TAB for Buckaroo.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... 316b71df50