Diagram a Brumley Break

Written music for steel guitar

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Jon Light
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Post by Jon Light »

Man, Les. I've been playing with this and I came close to the right notes but nowhere near the smoothness. I'm not talking about chops (duh) but method. I thought it opened with

<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
1----------------------|--------------------------------------------|
2----------------------|--------------------------------------------|
3----------------------|--------------------------------------------|
4-------------7~~7-----|------7--7~~6~~7---7C~~~~7----6L---5L~~~~~--|
5-------------7A~7-----|--7A-----------------------------------5A~5-|
6---------7B--------7B-|--7B-----7~~6~~7---7B+L~~~----6B---5B~~~~~~-|
7------7---------------|--------------------------------------------|
8---7------------------|--------------------------------------------|
</pre></font>

but I'm nowhere near convinced. This uses the 6th string G#>F# lower, with the B pedal. It would help to know if Tom has this change.

What a little masterpiece!

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jon Light on 28 May 2000 at 03:57 PM.]</p></FONT>
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Steve Feldman
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Post by Steve Feldman »

This is, perhaps, a bit off-topic, but I remember several years ago when that CD first came out - I was driving home from work with NPR/All Things Considered on the radio, when they did an interview with Dwight. They played that song, and I turned directly around and went immediately to the record store to buy it. Something about it hit me like a ton of bricks.

I haven't tried it on steel, but you all got me to thinking...
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Earnest Bovine
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Post by Earnest Bovine »


<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
4. E________________________|
5. B________________7A-7____|
6. G#__________7B________7B_|
7. F#______ _7______________|
8. E______7_______7_________|
1 2 3 4
(pickup bar)

...

E___7_________7__7___6__7_|_7-7++....7..6E________________
B___7.7A__________________|___________________7A-7-5______
G#__7B_____7B____7___6__7_|_7B-7b.......6B____7B-7B-5B____
F#________________________|_______________________________
E_________________________|_______________________________
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

...

E________________________|___5_______________________
B__5__________5__________|___5-5A___5________________
G#_5__________5__________|_____________5_________5___
F#_______5-5++__5++-5____|________________5-5++______
E_____________________5__|___________________________
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4


...

E___________7________|_____7-7++-7________________
B____5______7-7A_____|_____________7A-5A-5--7-7A--
G#__________7________|_7B_________________________
F#___5++-5___________|____________________________
E____________________|_____________7--5--5D-7-7---
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
...


E________________2______|__________________7____|____
B__5A--5-5A-5-4__2-2A___|_2A-3A-2A___7-7A_______|____
G#____________________2_|_2B-3b-2b___7-7B_____7_|_7B_
F#______________________|_______________________|____
E__5____________________|_______________________|____
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
...

</pre></font>

Uses 4 knee levers:
(not sure how to notate these)
small b = half step lower of 6th string
++ = whole step raise of 4th string
++ = whole step raise of 7th string
E = half step lower of 4th and 8th strings

<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Earnest Bovine on 28 May 2000 at 05:04 PM.]</p></FONT>
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Ricky Davis
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Post by Ricky Davis »

Earnest nails it "Perfectly" here> of course. Great tab Doug!!
Ricky
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Earnest Bovine
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Post by Earnest Bovine »

I'm sure there are plenty of mistakes in there if you look for them.
Trying to write tab makes me aware of the shortcomings of the tab system. For example I didn't notate how long to let the notes ring. You have to listen for that. Also, I used the - symbol for letting a note slide to another fret or pedal position without re-attacking. Is that the right way? I would kinda like to save the - symbol for a lowered note just like + indicates a raised note.

I showed a whole knee lever that raises the F# 7th string to G#. In this case (but not in every case) you could just as well pick those notes on the 6th G# string and use a lever that lowers 6 a whole step. For some reason I think Tom Brumley did it by raising 7. For example I hear a half step lower on his 6th, and if he also had a whole step lower on that string, you notice because the whole step bend might not be as smooth when you hear it hit the half stop. Then again, he could have 2 separate levers for half and whole step lowers. I remember seeing a load of levers under that Anapeg.
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Ricky Davis
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Post by Ricky Davis »

Doug your absolutely right pal. Tom raises the 7th string a whole tone and until the Anapeg; he didn't lower the sixth string but not sure of the changes he has on that guitar; but he told me once he will always raise the 7th(F#) and says he loves that change and does it alot. I think your tab is quite explainatory. I use the "~" when a note(s) moves from fret to fret or move with a pedal or knee change. Then tab the numbers when re-attack occurs.
No mistakes pal to my ears; I ran through it and sounds good.
Ricky
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Earnest Bovine
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Post by Earnest Bovine »

Yeah, ~~~~~~ that's the ticket
Bill Wilson
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Post by Bill Wilson »

This is how I play that little I – IV change just before
“use’d to be I’d get my love here for free”

1--------5~~5++-----------------------------------
2-------------------------------------------------
3----------------5B~5-----------------------------
4----------------------5C~5~5L~5------------------
5-----5----------5C~5-----------------------------
6----------------------5B~~~~~~5------------------
7-------------------------------------------------
8-------------------------------------------------
9-------------------------------------------------
10------------------------------------------------

I don’t have a E - F# lever or 6th string lower, but I do have the F# to G# lever on both 1 and 7,
so I figured the beginning of the solo like this;

1------------------------------------5~5++~5------
2-------------------------------------------------
3-------------------------------------------------
4--------------------7------7-7~~6~7--------6L----
5-----------7A~7-----7~A-----------------------7A-
6------7B-------7B---7B---7B--7~~6~7-5B-----6B-7B-
7----7--------------------------------------------
8--7------7---------------------------------------
9-------------------------------------------------
10------------------------------------------------

This will not sound as smooth as Ernesto’s version,
but at least you can play it with the common 5-lever
setup.
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