"X" Lever

Tom Mossburg · From: AZ,

Is there inay instruction about the X lever out there? What's the theory behind it?

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

The "X" lever lowers the 5th string B on an 10-string E9 or 12-string universal E9/B6 guitar one-half step to Bb. Some also lower the 10th string B to Bb.

On E9 or universal E9/B6: By itself, on the open strings, it gives an Emaj b5 chord using strings 8,6,5,4,3. With the A and B pedals, it moves the 4 chord, A, to A minor. With the A and B plus the E-Eb lever, it gives a nice diminished 7th chord - pick your root from C, Eb, F#, or A. There are others, but those are ones I use commonly. Most of my E9 guitars have this change - I use it a lot.

On E9/B6 universal: If approaching the tuning from the B6 mode, the B->Bb lever functions equivalent to the C->B lever on a C6 guitar - in other words, it lowers the highest tuning root to a major 7th. I think this is generally considered an essential change on E9/B6 universal.

I'm not familiar with instructional material on this lever, but I imagine some of Jeff Newman's instruction covered it - my understanding is that he was one of its early advocates.

BTW - there are lots of threads on this on the old forum. Just do a search for x-lever, x lever, B-Bb lever, or something like that. The new forum search function apparently doesn't search through old forum posts that were merged in, which is why you need to actually go back to the old forum to search for those older posts.

A. J. Schobert · From: Cincinnati, Ohio,

sounds alot like a franklin pedal but the franklin would lower the 6th string as well? on an e9th

Tom Mossburg · From: AZ,

Thanks Dave. I took your advice and did search and there are quite a few posts. I've been fooling around with that pedal and figured its time to find out what its intended to do.

Jim Palenscar · From: Oceanside, Calif, USA

I think of it as getting a 27 at the 1 position. That is to say- in the key of C at the 8th fret lowering the 5th string 1/2 tone gives a reasonable facsimile of a D7. It is also commonly used in conjunction with- actually in between A pedal usage as a 57 going to a 1. An example of this is at the same location is a common lick in the key of G that plays a D7 substitution (really a 2 minor or Am for a 57 or D7)and is played as 8a-8-8x-8-8a-10AB or more commonly 8D with the 7th string instead of the 6th string to get the G major at the 8th fret.

b0b · From: Cloverdale, CA, USA

Jody Cameron · From: Angleton, TX,, USA

Another use for this lever that is commonly overlooked is that of "middle-string chromatics". However, in order to exploit this to it's fullest potential, it is desirable to have the X lever opposite the 4th string lower, so that they can be used together. For example, if you lower your 4th string with the LKR, then you would want the X lever to be on the RKL, NOT the vertical. You can then use the 4th, 5th and 6th strings melodicaly, (i.e. not as a chord) to create some nice, close single-string chromatic licks, especialy when using the B pedal on string 6 against the lowered 5th string.

Credit goes to Russ Rickman for showing me this concept.

JC

Tony Prior · From: Charlotte NC

it allows for 3 notes in the scale..1 above with the A Pedal and 1 below with the X lever. How you apply it is pretty much wide open. Some see it as chords, some see it as notes in a scale. I look at it as notes in a scale. I'm pretty simple, I don't really care what chord name it is.. Sad

here's a short deal I posted on another thread earlier this week , part of a new project I have just completed with a focus on strings 5 and 8 together and the associated changes for each string.

EC's Wonderful Tonight..just the melody line here

www.tprior.com/wt1_web.mp3

www.tprior.com

good luck

tp

Dave Little · From: Atlanta

Jody,
I have the "X" (5th string lower 1/2) on the left verticle and the 4th string lower 1/2 on LKR. I use them together , engage and disengage one while the other is held - fairly often. I think I agree that it would be less cumbersome if the "X" were on the right knee, but what do you give up over there?
Dave Little

John Poston · From: Albuquerque, NM, USA

Dave,

You have to give up whatever you normally have on RKL and put that on your vertical. Smile

I just moved my Bs to Bb to RKL a couple weeks ago. I realized I liked and used that change a lot more than my F#s to G# and D# to E, and that it would be easier to use in conjunction to the 4th string lower, just as Jody describes.

I also like raising D# to E on string 2 with the Es lowered to D# in the minor chord position, but I guess it boils down to what you will use the most and suits your style. Steel copedants are always fraught with compromise.

Dave Little · From: Atlanta

John,
I also have RKL raising strings 1 & 2 (as you describe) and have been contemplating changing its function to something that I would use more often. Moving the X to there sounds like something I'd like to try. I wonder, - What if you didn't take the 1st & 2nd string raises away and just added the 5th string lower to that lever? Umm.
Dave Little

John Poston · From: Albuquerque, NM, USA

Dave, you could try that, but I wouldn't want to put those together - it screws up too many things I like to do with the 1st and 2nd string raises together with the 5th string.

Dave Little · From: Atlanta

John,
You're right ofcourse. If I had thought just a little longer, I wouldn't have raised the idea.
Dave Little

Jody Cameron · From: Angleton, TX,, USA

David and John - John's right on...I moved the X lever from the vertical to the RKL, and I raise string 1 and 7 a whole tone and string 2 a 1/2 tone with the vertical. I've had it this way for about a year now and I like it real well.

JC

Gabriel Stutz · From: Chicago, USA

I used to have that change. I often just used it to get a II7 chord at my open root position. I've been thinking about putting it on my new guitar, but I've been lazy.

Gabriel

Ward Skinner · From: Mission, TX * R.I.P.

Jody, I think that's the change you showed me in Corpus. A local steeler had a 1/2 step raise on his 7th, and changed to a full step because of you using that on your last CD..though he just told me he doesn't use it much yet. He'll bring his 'Bud over soon and I'll check it out.

Ward Skinner · From: Mission, TX * R.I.P.

I have some Newman courses, the only way I ever saw him use it was as Jim P said, a 5 to 1..as in the key of G, 8th fret and rocking between the A and X and back to 1. The X would be a D9.

The first way I used it, for better or for worse, was in The Wedding March, going from a 2 to a 5 at the end of the verse. As in key of C, 13th fret strings 8&5, strike open then rock on/off A, then on/off X, then up to the 15th fret. Not counting me there's some good tips here, thanks.

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