For the Newbies

[Tony Davis]

The best advice that no one has ever shared with me....wish I hade realised it when I first started !!

normally..say in the key of C...you play A and B down on 3rd fret for C which is your 1 chord.....then either go to 1st fret no pedals or 8 fret with A and B down to get F...or 4th chord...then go to 3 fret no pedals or 10 fret with A and B down to get G chord or 5 Chord

BUT !!!!....if you use C as one chord.....3rd fret A and B down ....move up to 4 fret...leave A down....release B but add the lever that raise the two E's to F....4 and 8 strings.....you get an F chord.....4 chord....therefore you just need to slide up to 6 fret to get G...or 5 chord....release your A pedal and you get G7

Try this....you should get a lot of tunes here just messing around

Tony

[Wally Taylor]

This is so cool! I was thinking this week, that I have been hacking away at the steel over 3 years now and I have pretty good grasp on the LOWER levers, but I really did not have an understanding of what the raise levers did. Great info for guys like me and I do appreciate this. I will get started practicing as soon as I can. Also, feel free to continue post advise like this, I think it is great and thanks for taking the time to help us beginners out. Lord knows we can use all the help we can get.

Wally

[George Wong]

Wow this is really cool, then after you get the V7 chord you just let go of the knee lever and go up two more frets to the 8th and you're back at the I triad.

[Ron Wright]

keep your pedals down on the 3rd fret for C same thing play strings 9,7,6 ( realy only need the B pedal down) this will be the F

[Tony Davis]

Thanks Guys....I am real pleased to help someone....just to give a little back !!

Couple of little fun things

.......Volume pedal Off.....no pedals....no left hand or bar on the steel....pick strings 8 and 9 together as hard as you like.....then do a Whaaaa.....Whaaaa......Whaa Whaaa ...with your volume pedal.......left hand in the air with a pulling down motion !!!....you should get yourself a nice audio and visual Eighteen Wheeler Air Horn !!!

Then I think 12 fret no pedals with bar....pick strings 5...6 ...and 9...then move back of bar on 9 back to 81/2 and back to 9....should get yourself a nice little lonesome Train whistle..with the "Moan" on the 9 string......then a little "Ting ..Ting "on 4 string will give you the Bell..........this leads you into Orange Blossom Special starting on 5th fret 8 string running up to 5th and back down again....playing 6th string no pedals and then with B pedal

[Steve Geis]

Diesel Air Horn trick I learned here on the forum: for the key/chord of G, 4th frt, play strings 8 & 9 with 8th lowered 1/2 tone (that makes the root G) & pick them for two short blasts with just a little swell of the vol pedal. This is a moveable lick for whatever key or chord you want!!

[Steve Geis]

Diesel Air Horn trick I learned here on the forum: for the key/chord of G, 4th frt, play strings 8 & 9 with 8th lowered 1/2 tone (that makes the root G) & pick them for two short blasts with just a little swell of the vol pedal. This is a moveable lick for whatever key or chord you want!!