The Steel Guitar Forum

hey Guys I am a Dobro player that is trying to learn this pedal steel octapus. I am in love with this instrument. So my question is going to seem very elementary. But I just want to sit in with some folks and play some backup stuff. I know you can get off on the wrong foot on these things. And pickup habits that are hard to break. So I wanted to know. What was your first chord positions you used when you were starting out. There are so many variations of the same chord. But all of you had to start with a few chords that you built off of when you started.
I hope this makes sense to you guys. I'm not very good with words. Is there a group of chords that are your foundations that you always go to for A,B,C,D,E,F,G. That will lead you in the right direction to build on. I am learning on a DAY settup.

In my opinion, this is one of the best references there is, but it is for the Emmons setup.

http://www.jmlmusic.ca/leitepsg/Pedal%2 ... DRAFT5.pdf

You will be able to use it, but you will have to transpose the pedal positions. I chose to learn the Emmons setup, as it seems to be a more "standard" setgup.

With these three forms for the triad,

--OPEN

--A & B PEDALS DOWN

--A PEDAL + F LEVER (raising both E's to F)

it is my opinion that if you concentrate on learning the I-IV-V progression in each of these inversions, the practice of this will automatically spur new ideas and directions in your practice of mixing and matching the inversions to get your I-IV, your V-I (same thing) etc.
I believe that this, as a focus, will give you a foundation for playing simple accompaniment with a band.

This of course does not address the lifetime of other stuff you need to get solid with including knowing when to not play, etc, (musicianship, how to listen....) but in terms of learning tools so that you have something to bring to the music, this is strong stuff.

One of the best tools I have seen for a person starting on a steel guitar is a Mel Bay Steel Guitar Chord Chart. It shows all the chord positions and all the different raises and lowers to get the chord. It shows the CHORD, 7th, minor, diminish and augmented and the pedals and levers to get the chords with. Good place to start and work from there. Good Luck and Happy Steelin.

When I got started, I'd prefer to play I in the AB position, release the pedals for the V chord, and two frets down for the IV.
Because I like to use the adjacent strings for the non-chord melodic tones, the AF form has always held less appeal to me than open, AB or the D# lever (E, A and B at the nut), and I use AF mostly as a pause as I move up and down the neck. But I may be in the minority.

I got started a little while ago, and I seem to be having Lane's experience. To begin with all I had was a D# lever on S8 and it was enough to get the basic chords. Now that I have an F lever I find it's a smart way to travel but not much of a place to stay.

For me I'd say it's probably the AB down position, keys D,F n G being favorites, to me it seems to allow plenty of room both sides of those AB down poistions...Sometimes the song helps determine that...I like hitting a 7 iron too, but not from 250 yards out or from 50 yards in, if you get my drift...

Thanks guys that helps me out a lot.

Patricia Warnock has a great tips and chords chart that she'll send you for free. There should be a forum post about it, if I can find it I'll post the link. Well worth looking at.

This thread here:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=147199
Look at the last pages, there's someone who's emailing it.
Although, Jason, sometimes the challenge lies not in "where do I find the chords?", but "okay, which forms do I want to use to find the more appealing/novice friendly uses?"
A chord chart offers info, but not guidance.

Lane Gray wrote: Although, Jason, sometimes the challenge lies not in "where do I find the chords?", but "okay, which forms do I want to use to find the more appealing/novice friendly uses?"
A chord chart offers info, but not guidance.

Couldn't agree more...At one point in my very beginning days (I'm still basically a beginner, just about 3 years playing now) I took one of those charts and said "ok, I'll learn where every chord is on this neck"... but soon realized that was not only unrealistic but unnecessary. I do use it as a reference on occasion, mostly when I'm looking to find the best way to "get from one place to another".

I second the Patricia Warnock chart. G R E A T reference tool. Can teach you chord positions, as well as Nashville Numbering system. Plus other stuff.

Thank you, Lane, Jason and Scott.
Enjoy the steel, Ryan.

Thank you Patricia. That was really nice of you to send them to me.
All the best
Ryan

You have gotten a lot of great responses. I just want to address one thing in your first post that I see a lot on here. It is the following comment.

I am learning on a DAY settup.

.

For some reason, new Day players think they can't use tabs and lessons because they were written using an Emmons setup. Any tab can be used. It's just that your A pedal is on pedal 3 instead of 1. It is still the A pedal, no matter which physical pedal it is on. Don't ever let the fact that the tab was written with the backwards pedal setup (old Emmons vs Day joke) discourage you from buying a course or using tabs or videos.

I am a Day player and never found any problem using any course or tab.

Yes at first this was very confusing. Then it was explained to me and I was OK with that. And now people are telling me the levers are all different also. Well I think I finally got all that worked out in my head now. So now it's just learning the positions for the 1 4 5 chords. And I will be able to fake my way through a tune or 2. This has been a big help for me thanks to all of you folks.

There is no standard for the placement of knee levers as there is with pedals. Just figure out which lever you have that does what the tab requires. After maybe a day, you'll have it down to where you hardly have to think about it.