The Steel Guitar Forum

As a beginner level steel player I still find myself referring to a chord chart from time to time but my chart was published back in the 70's and it utilizes a different knee lever arrangement from what I use. What is the simplest way to play 7th chords on the E9 set up to standard Emmons tuning? Thanks.

The way I get a dominant 7th is:

Assuming you are playing an open E chord (string 8,6,5 and 4)... just add the 9th string to get the D note.

or... if you have the knee lever lowering your 2nd string (D#) to D then you also have the 7th.

or... if you are playing your E chord on fret 7 with A and B pedals down (using the same string group as above) release the A pedal only and slide back to fret 5 while applying your knee lever that lowers your E strings (4 and 8 ). This move seems to be used quite a bit while actually playing melodies.

and... you can move back 2 frets from any open (no pedal position) and apply your A pedal to get another form of the dominant 7th of the chord you started on.

As you keep playing the steel you will find these same moves will apply against 6th and minor chords but that will evolve natually as you familiarize yourself with it. That's what keeps it fun.

A few more positions:

If you have a lever raising the 7th string a half step, it makes a 7th chord with the A and B pedals (A7) on 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3 (and 1, if you also raise the 1st string)

If you have a lever dropping the 6th string (either a half step to G, or split with the B pedal to get a G) then you can use that with the A and B pedals (also A7) on 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, and 3.

The F lever gives you a C#7 chord (without the root) on strings 10, 8, 6, 5, 4, and 3. If you drop the 9th string a half step and 2nd string a whole step (to C#), then you get the root on those strings.

If you have the B to Bb lower, split with the A pedal (to get a C on 10 and 5), you get a D7 chord with the A and B pedals on strings 10, 9, 7, 6, 5, 3 and 1. The root is on string 9, (and string 2, if you drop the 2nd string a half step). The 9th is on the E strings...

The simplest way to play 7th chords on the E9...

Open position No pedals, just strings 5&6 go up 3 frets
Open position No pedals, Back 2 frets with A pedal on strings 4&5

I certainly learned something here. Thanks for the help everyone, it's greatly appreciated!

Dave....
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A number of good options are listed here, but how about, say key of G, we are at the tenth fret with A+B down G major), tyhen (as noted above) we drop two frets, lift the A pedal and lower the E to Eb with the knee lever for a G7, then drop the bar ANOTHER two frets, lift the A pedal and RAISE the E to F with the other E lever for ANOTHER G7.

Forgive me if somebody already got this one in, this three-position combo I heard JatDee use years ago and now I can't live without it.