The Steel Guitar Forum

If the link below will work for me, it goes to a thread by Russ Wever(thankyou Russ!) about a real classy decending scale called the "Brisklick", which really gets us newbies using the knee levers and the top 4 strings. I was wondering if anyone else has some similar excersises they could share.


http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/009025.html

I work on playing major and pentatonic scales both across the the strings and up and down the neck, and last but definitely not least working diagonally across the fretboard. Diagonal thinking is a great way to tie the other two approaches together, and ideally you can mix and match all three approaches at will (I hope to get there someday LOL).

Here is a thread with some examples of this

http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum5/HTML/008124.html

Here are some exercises I worked out a few years ago for scales on the high strings:
[tab]F#_________1___________3___________4#__________6___________8________
D#___1___________3b__________4___________6___________8______________
G#____________1___________3___________4___________6___________8_____
E ______1___________3___________4#__________6#__________8___________
B __________________________________________________________________
e f g a f g a b g a b c a b c d b c d e

F#____________9#______________11______________13____________________
D#____9_______________11______________13____________________________
G#________________9_______________11______________13________________
E ________9#______________11#_____________13________________________
B __________________________________________________________________
c d e f d e f g e f g a


F#____________1___________3___________4#__________6___________8_____
D#______1___________3b__________4___________6___________8___________
G#__________________________________________________________________
E _________1___________3___________4#__________6#__________8________
B ___1X__________3X__________4X__________6X__________8X_____________
d e f g e f g a f g a b g a b c a b c d

F#_______________10______________11______________13_________________
D#_______10b_____________11______________13_________________________
G#__________________________________________________________________
E ___________10______________11#_____________13_____________________
B ___10X_____________11X_____________13X____________________________
b c d e c d e f d e f g [/tab]
'b' means flat the string, '#' means raise it a half step, and 'X' means raise it a full step.

Here are the pentatonic scale notes (key of A minor) as they fall on the 5th & 6th strings only. The B's indicate B pedal. It's kinda similar to a pentatonic 'box' pattern on a guitar fretboard. For A major pentatonic move the pattern down 3 frets.

This scale position lends itself to fast pickin.

Repeat it over and over. (slow at first)

Only pick when necessary. When you slide or press a pedal picking is not needed.


[tab]F#________________________________5______________5________________________
D#_________________3_________________________________________3____________
G#____________________________________5___5B__5___________________________
E _____________________3____5________________________5___3________________
B _______3___3A___________________________________________________3A___3__
[/tab]

Practice it in every key.
Note that the high end of the scale is the Pedals Down position. (5th fret pedals down = D)

Thankyou everyone for responding, and those yet to respond, and the extra effort to "lay out the tab". This material is SOOOOO valuable to us newbies---helping us cut through the chase. Another fine testimonial to the value and benefit of this fine forum!

Are there a couple C6th versions?

I think I layed out some for C6, have to dig for them.

Its nice to have a scale thread going, a nice change from the look at my purty new geetar threads...

TTT

This is a cool thread, thanks guys. Any more?
Bryan

[G to G descending run using the F knee lever (Real pretty played slow)


1_____________10_________________6_______________________
2________________________________________________________
3___10B--10______________8---6________________4--3_________
4_________________10--8--------6F_______6F--4F------ 3_________
5________________________________________________________

][/code]

[G to G run using the F knee lever (Fast or Slow)


1______3________3_________________6_________6________________
2____________________________________________________________
3_________3________3--4_______________6_________6--8__________
4___3________3___________4F----6F________6F__________8----______
5____________________________________________________________



1_______10__________10______________________________________
2____________________________________________________________
3___________10__________10--10B______________________________
4_---10__________10___________________________________________
5____________________________________________________________
]

Ok I am an ultra-noob and was hoping someone can tell me how to read these charts.

I assume the vertical numbers on the left are the strings. So that means the other numbers are pedals?

What do you mean by F knee lever? Is that the vertical one? This probably depends on the setup one has too, right?

And I only have 5 pedals....hmmm...

The F lever commonly refers to the knee lever that raises strings 4 and 8 `1/2 tone.

Ok now I see that the other numbers are frets. And some charts have pedals marked (A, B, etc.) while others like Bobs have flat, up 1/2 step, up full step) since different people's pedal.lever setups are different.

Thanks! These charts are very cool!

Some of our seasoned players might want to add to this thread.

Also, Some of the newer players might enjoy this thread.

Here's a twist on Joey Ace's tab above. Thanks Joey, the posibilities in this scale are many. Here's one. Also, you can stop any were in the run that sounds good and reverse or what ever. I'm not there yet but I can also see what Joey mean about the speed. Try playing this as a single note run with no slides and clean blocking. Then try it with the slides. DS


F#________________________________7______________7________________________
D#_________________5_________________________________________5____________
G#____________________________________7___8___7___________________________
E _____________________5____7________________________7___5________________
B _______3A___5A_________________________________________________5A___3A__

Another way to play some pentatonic runs. Note: In order to make the 3rd example consistent to the overall pattern the first 2 notes should really be played on fret 13 using the 5th string 1/2 step lower (usually the vertical lever). Again, these are for Eminor. For E major pent. move the patterns down 3 frets.
Edit: Correction for B pedal in #2.

For those that are interested, see my post in the "lessons" section where I'm offering free charts of where to find the major, minor & 7th scales on the E9 neck.
Marc

E9th tuning G7 "parallel" scale

1_________________________________________________________________________
2_________________________________________________________________________
3_________________________________________________________________________
4_________________________________________________8L______8L-8-8L_________
5_____________________________8______8-8A____8-8A____8-8A_________8A-8____
6___________8_____8-8B___8-8B___8-8B______8B___________________________8B_
7_________8_____8______8__________________________________________________
8______8L____8L___________________________________________________________
9_________________________________________________________________________
10________________________________________________________________________

Just want to say thanks, everyone, for posting these. What a great resource. Much obliged!

Thanx guys, keep 'em coming!! This is a valuable reference for us newbies!!

TTT