The Steel Guitar Forum

Just got a new steel and it has the Franklin pedal. How do you usually use it?

Thanks

Phil

Phillipe,
Paul can tell you much better that I can.
http://www.paul-franklin.com/instruction.html
Best regards
Billy

Phillipe, i too recommend you get Pauls cd concerning that pedal
it's a must have

my simple observation about that pedal : in 0 position:
since it brings the Bs down to A
you get a lower voicing on the A chord
since it brings the G# down to F#
you also get to play in D
(root on string 9)

I'll take a look at the instructional stuff, thanks. Is it mostly used for licks or chord work, then? Any example of something that uses it?

thanks a lot

Phil

The 4th pedal is a fine add on to the conventional E9th tuning. My feeling is that once a player has a good working grasp of what the AB Pedals can offer the 4th pedal can really compliment. I personally do not look at it for it's theoretical chord values alone but melodic phrasing that it offers as well.

Here is a short MP3 I sent a friend about a year ago when he asked the same question. I did this one morning at about 6 AM so excuse the lack of Coffee !

http://www.tprior.com/R1_0055.MP3

Here is a track of a new project I am about to release which uses the 4th Pedal as a dominant part of the melody with a very simple phrase.

http://www.tprior.com/lone_INT.mp3


www.tprior.com

Good luck on your journey

and of course,anytime you can get a grasp on something from PF thats a given.

tp

double strike

Awesome Tony. Thanks much.

I'm going to check out Tony's stuff, but I'll be one more to recommend Paul's CD. I haven't finished it yet and I'm already using the pedal a lot onstage. Here's one quick simple use: chord progression I-V-IV, AB pedals down for I, let go for V, Franklin for IV, all at the same fret. E.G. Toby Keith's Shoulda Been a Cowboy.

Tony, I just got a newer guitar with a PF change..originally on LVL..changed it to Pedal 1. I was wondering how to use the A and B pedals depressed and sliding over to pedal to lower 5 and 6. Is the pedal 4 position better? Seems like a lever is easier.

Thanks, Brian

I HAVE ADDED P4 TO MY E9 AND ALSO FRANKLINS RKR TUNING. (RAISING STRINGS 1,2,&7) I USE THE RKR MORE BECAUSE ADDS ALL THOSE UNISON NOTES THAT JUST MAKES THE CHOURD SCREAM.
JIM RAGAN

I feel the location of PED 4 is very personal. I have had it to the right of the C Pedal and it was ok but when I acquired my current Steel it was located to the left of the A Pedal. After actually using it regularly it feels natural over to the left of the A Peal ( 0 position ) to me.

Like any change added to our Instruments it may just take some time to work in the physicals, which by the way must be accomplished first before the music begins. We can't play the music and be awkward with the physicals and expect good results.

regarding using the AB Peds and the 4th Ped at the same time...I have never done that and thinking about it, "A" Ped raises 5 and 10 , 4th ped lowers 5 and 10...B Ped Raises 6, 4th Ped lowers 6...seems redundant to me. Maybe someone else has an answer. I use either/or.

theres a couple of tracks up on my website which use the 4th ped, two Hank Sr tunes and a recent re-record of Long Black Limousine. There is subtle use of the 4th ped which I feel offers another dimension to the overall tonality of our Instrument.

www.tprior.com

tp

Follow Larry Bell's links at
http://steelguitarforum.com/Forum8/HTML/002669.html

Even though not particularly germane to this specific topic, FOR UNIVERSAL PLAYERS who use the 'one big tuning' approach:
As we know, both the A and B pedals are useful with B6. The B pedal is the equivalent of the A to Bb knee lever on C6. The A and A+B combination are also useful with the E to D# knee lever engaged.

IF YOU PUT THE WHOLE TONE LOWER CHANGES ON P4
It will separate the A and B pedals from the B6 pedals EVEN FURTHER. It will make playing the 'one big tuning' more cumbersome, IMHO. Playing 7 or 8 pedals and 6 to 8 knee levers at the same time can be a challenge, but one can avoid some potential pitfalls by thinking carefully about what changes need to go where.

THEREFORE,
I'd recommend that a universal player who wants to be able to use E9 pedals on B6 and vice versa place the whole tone lower pedal Paul uses on P4 to the left of the A pedal. I speak from experience. It's just one more pedal to hop over.