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Topic: Playing In Open Tuning Keys |
James Harrison
From:
New Brockton, Alabama, USA
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Posted 14 Jun 2007 9:27 pm |
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 Hi: I have been reading for a long time but this is my first post. There are no Steel Instructors in my area, so my question goes to you. I have noticed on video clips that many players are playing lots of open string notes. I am a 76 year old beginner and I use E9 and play most tunes in A,D, or G keys. For instance in G, I bar the 3rd fret and play most notes from the 3rd fret up the fretboard with very few 1 or 2 notes down from 3rd fret. Am I ok with this or am I learning wrong? I jam with 10 to 15 seniors 4 hours each Monday. I play strickly by ear, and I play Electric Mandolin, but I am learning the steel. I am just good enough on the steel to play backup. If all this makes any sense, Is there a Teaching DVD that you would recommend for me?
James in Southeast Aabama |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 14 Jun 2007 9:40 pm
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| James, you are not doing anything wrong. When you see pedal steelers playing open strings on E9, they are playing in the key of E (open pedals) or A (with the A and B pedals down). This allows you to use open strings for hammer-ons and pulloffs, just like on lap steel or Dobro. This is especially useful for very fast bluegrass type speed picking, and that may be what you are seeing people do. For more soulful stuff and ballads, keys up the neck like G, C and D work fine with just the bar and no open strings. In fact, some people prefer such keys because you can slide into the notes and chords, and can use bar vibrato. There are only a few keys where you can use the open strings extensively, but with the bar you can play in any key. In fact, the pedals and levers, and the additional scale strings (1, 2, 7, 9) were added so you can get lots of notes in all keys without having open strings. |
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James Harrison
From:
New Brockton, Alabama, USA
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Posted 15 Jun 2007 7:15 pm
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Thanks David for the info. I don't play Bluegrass so I guess I will be OK. I practice every day using CDs of different types of music as background rythm.
James  |
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Bobby Snell
From:
Austin, Texas
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Posted 16 Jun 2007 5:13 am
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You might like playing a song in the key of A using the open strings, with the A&B pedals down. (A chord=I) The E chord (V)is of course, open pedals, and you can get the D chord (IV) at the 1st fret with the A-pedal and the F-lever (your knee lever that raises the 4th and 8th strings a half-step).
That's a nice little pocket of notes up and down the neck too. Practice going from the A&B pedals down, sliding up 1 fret and rolling your foot off the B-pedal and engaging the F-lever. When you slide back down a fret, let off the A-pedal and F-lever. (I-IV-V) Pushing the A&B pedals gets you back to the start (I).
Three chords and the truth! |
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