The Steel Guitar Forum

Posted: **12 Jan 2003 2:17 pm**

Can anyone think of a good reason why I couldn't use my D lever to drop the D to C# along with its normal duty of lowering the E strings to D#? I can't think of any time I might play a the D string along with a lowered E. I was working on a little break for Crazy Arms and wanted to end it like the tab below, but the change is not there for the F to E tri-tone resolution. Additionally, it already feels natural to want to lower a string from the position of that lever. I use it to play decending scales. See my tab of Away In A Manger in another post.

<pre>
| | | | | | | |
|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|
|6---3---1-------|----------------|
|6---3-------3---|3B--------------|
|--------1-------|----------------|
|----------------|----------------|
|------------3---|3D--------------|
|----------------|----------------|
</pre>

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Posted: **12 Jan 2003 2:38 pm**

If you have 2nd string Eb-C# best to also have 9th D-C# on same lever.

This example in key of E use the half tone between 9 and 8 string.

<pre>
F#-------------------------------
Eb-------------------------------
G#-------------------------------
E--------------------------------
B-------5------------------------
G#-------5-------------5--------
F#--------5---------5-----------
E----------5b----5b----------5b-
D-------------5-----------5-----
B-----5-------------------------
1 & 2 & 3 & 4 &

Use palm blocking
Rake 5-8 strings w index finger
use alternating Thumb index
</pre>

Bengt

Posted: **12 Jan 2003 3:44 pm**

Droopy,

You are thinking "good". Really you are. It is these thoughts and others that make you an ever and ever better player. This because you are thinking creatively. This is what pros like BE and PF have done often. As a result it keeps their playing out of the proverbial "rut".

Lowering of the E's to D# on the E9th tuning, makes the 9th string practically worthless (while they are lowered). Lowering of the 9th string to C# provides some good "in key" voicings. A Good example of this is to have a B9th chord with the 9th note on the bottom and retaining the root note on top (using the B pedal).

In a word, I love it. In fact I love it so much, I have this very change on my U-12, albeit it is on a separated lever. But no problem in your case putting it on the same lever as long as it does not make that lever too stiff for comfort.

carl dixon

Posted: **12 Jan 2003 5:13 pm**

I can't think of any time I might play a the D string along with a lowered E.

You might not play a D string with a lowered E, but, and this is VERY IMPORTANT, you might want to play a C# WITHOUT lowering the E's. If the only way for you to have the 2nd string pull to C# is combining with lowering the E's, then you have some possibilites, but less than if the C# pull is on a separate lever, IMO. That's why it's usually combined with the 2nd string lower to D. [This message was edited by Jeff Lampert on 12 January 2003 at 05:18 PM.]

Posted: **12 Jan 2003 5:44 pm**

Jeff Lambert is 100% correct. This is WHY I have it on two different knee levers on different knees.

carl

Posted: **12 Jan 2003 6:01 pm**

Ok. That makes sense. But isn't that what the F lever is for? Just back up one fret. Or did I miss something again? Don't take this as sarcasm, I'm still trying to figure out how to tame the beast. And thanks for the help.

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Posted: **12 Jan 2003 9:05 pm**

I have the 9th lower on RKL (with 2 string lower) and the 4th and 8th lower on LKL making it possible to live in both worlds.
Here is one use for the D and Eb. I don't do tab very well, as you can see. I never used until I join the Forum.

<pre>
T______________4_____________________1______2_____3_____4__________1________2_________3_
1_______________________________________________________________________________________
2_______________________________________________________________________________________
3_______________________________________________________________________________________
4______________________________________________________________________10_______________
5_______________________________________________________10 ____10~10++______10++~10_____
6_______________________________________________10~10+______________________________10__
7___________________________________________10__________________________________________
8___________________________10-_____10__________________________________________________
9_____________________10________________________________________________________________
10_____________10++_____________________________________________________________________
</pre>

---------------
Bob Carden 66 Emmons P/P 8/9
BMI 13 string 7/7
[This message was edited by rhcarden on 12 January 2003 at 09:11 PM.][This message was edited by rhcarden on 12 January 2003 at 09:17 PM.]

Posted: **12 Jan 2003 9:06 pm**

Here's a lick from some of BE's tab that shows one way of playing the 8th string lowered with the 9th.

4)-----------------------------10~~~~
5)------------8----------------10~~10a
6)------------------------10b
7)---------------------10-

--------8L--------10
9)-7~~8------------

Here's a pretty C maj.9th (I think?)with the 9th lowered.

4)--3--
5)--3--
6)--3b-
7)----

--3--
9)--3L-

I've thought about lowering my 2nd to D with the E's to Eb just for some chromatic speed licks but I would leave my normal Eb/D/C# lever alone. I guess this is just part of learning and that's what makes everybody different. [This message was edited by Tony Dingus on 12 January 2003 at 09:09 PM.]

Posted: **12 Jan 2003 9:39 pm**

One more!

<pre>
T_____________1___________2______3_______4_____1______2_____3____4___1___________________________
1________________________________________________________________________________________________
2________________________________________________________________________________________________
3________________________________________________________________________________________________
4____________________________________________________________________12__________________________
5____________________________17~~17-_________________________________12-_________________________
6________________________17__________17________14~13_________________12__________________________
7____________________17_________________17____________13_____________12__________________________
8________________17-_______________________________________13-_______12__________________________
9____________17______________________________________________________12__________________________
10___________________________________________________________________12__________________________
</pre>

------------------
Bob Carden 66 Emmons P/P 8/9
BMI 13 string 7/7
[This message was edited by rhcarden on 12 January 2003 at 09:42 PM.]

Posted: **13 Jan 2003 12:30 am**

I 100% agree w the reason Jeff Lampert posted.

Although I use the halftone combination many places in "my" playing.
The number of places where I use only 9th string to C# is much higher.

Examples only.

You would also need access to the halftone doin this move before goin to a C chord.

<pre>
b = lowers string a halftone
# = raises string a halftone

G G7
F#------------------
Eb------------------
G#------------------
E-------------------
B----3~~~~~~~~~~----
G#---3~~~~~~~~~~----
F#------------------
E----3~~3b----------
D----------3~~~~----
B-------------------
use pick block to mute 8th string

This is one reason why to have the
9th D-C# on a separate lever
G7 C
F#------------------
Eb------------------
G#------------------
E-------------------
B-------------------
G#---3~~3#~~~~~~~---
F#------------------
E----3~~~~~~~~~~~---
D----3~~~~~~3b~~~---
B-------------------
</pre>

Bengt[This message was edited by Bengt Erlandsen on 13 January 2003 at 12:35 AM.]

The Steel Guitar Forum

D Lever Drops D string to C#

D Lever Drops D string to C#