Question for Buddy Emmons

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Buddy, I have been reading your Guitar Player article from 1976 (in Tom Bradshaw's "Pedal Steel Workshop" book) and I came across something that puzzled me. In your E9th copedent du jour, you lowered your G# strings to G on your F lever.

I was wondering if you could enlighten us as to the logic behind that change. Was it a typographical error? I've never heard of anyone changing their G# strings on the F lever.

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Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

Kenny Dail · From: Kinston, N.C. R.I.P.

b0b, of course I am not Buddy Emmons but if you engage the E to F lever and add the "A" pedal at the same time you drop your G# to G, you will get the same voicing on your 4th 5th & 6th strings that you get on your 3rd 4th & 5th strings when you lower you 5th from B to B flat. This voicing is used as a 9th inversion when you move your bar up one fret from the chord you would use with no pedals on the 4th 5th & 6th strings and lower you 5th string (B to B flat). I use this voicing on the intro to "Pick Me Up On Your Way Down" instead of the 2 fret slant on 4,5 and 6, and on the "4" chord position of "Oklahoma Stomp". Let me know if I have confused you enough.

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kd...and the beat goes on...

[This message was edited by Kenny Dail on 27 November 2003 at 07:37 PM.]

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

I understand that combined with the A pedal you would get the notes G C# F G. It's just that you "lose" the much more useful G# C# F G# (the C# major chord, from the standard A+F position).

I'm thinking that if it isn't a typo, maybe Buddy was tuning the split on 3 and 6 to get the equivalent of A+F by playing A+B+(FG).

I just looked wierd to me to see the E to F and G# to G changes together on one lever. I have a hard time imagining playing the E9th without the standard A+F position.

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Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

Jerry Roller · From: Van Buren, Arkansas USA

OK, I gotta try it.

[This message was edited by Jerry Roller on 29 November 2003 at 08:12 AM.]

Buddy Emmons · From: Hermitage, TN USA * R.I.P.

I don’t remember why I used that change but it probably had as much to do with combining it with strings 1 and 2 as anything. Although I changed my thinking regarding the use of the Es to F lever, at that particular time I didn’t like the thin sound and voicing of the 7th of chord it provided on the top end; and don’t to this day. So the lever in question was probably an experiment in search of something I thought would be more useful to me.
One sound I hear as I think about it is my pedal A combined with the lever for a four 7th chord, then released for a one chord with the top and bottom harmonies raising and lowering simultaneously to their original positions. I also hear a diminished that would resolve into major or minor chords at various positions of the neck. I’m sure the addition of the first and second strings would open the possibilities even further.

[This message was edited by Buddy Emmons on 28 November 2003 at 09:29 PM.]

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Thanks for the reply, Buddy. Sounds pretty complex. I think I'll avoid that one.

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Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs, Open Hearts
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9),
Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax

Bill Ford · From: Graniteville SC Aiken

Leave it to someone that really knows what he's talking about to further confuse someone that's already confused...(me)

Thanks Buddy

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Bill Ford

Franklin · Posted 3 Dec 2003 7:02 pm

b0b.....I lower the F# to F along with the G# to B raise. There is a cool counterpoint sound similar to the one Buddy mentions. Only this one resolves into a strong sounding 7th. Pick Strings 1. 2. and 6 with the lever activated then resolving to the B pedal raise. This sounds pretty cool.
Paul

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Thanks, Paul.

Franklin · Posted 3 Dec 2003 8:22 pm

I should have mentioned the same move can be accomplished without the G# to B raise and only the F# to F lower when you drop the B to A.

Paul

Bengt Erlandsen · From: Brekstad, NORWAY

As Kenny said, one fret above open pos is a 9th voicing on strings 6 5 4 3 w Aped and E's-F & G#-G at the same time. But the lever itself also gives a nice chord voicing when going from a I to III7 to IV. ( I use this change now and then but I have them on two different knee-levers.)
Example
strings 6 5 4 3 for the I chord
Up 1 fret lower G#'s and Raise E's = III7
back 1 fret release lever and press A+B for the IV

There are several ways to get that III7 w/out changing to other strings
You can raise E's-F and lower G#'s-G if you have the G#-G somewhere (1 fret above open pos)
You can split Cpedal w B-Bb lower ( will let you use 7string in the voicing also)
Or you can halfpedal A raise 4E-F# on a lever and from there go to the A+B

I really like the voicing III7 on 6 5 4 3 w notes = R 3 b7 R

Using the lever together w Cped & 2(Eb-C#) would give a nice voicing on strings 6 2 4 (notes = b7 3 13 )
or ( 3 b7 #9 ) depending on viewpoint. releasing Cpedal would then give either ( (b7 3 b13) or (3 b7 9) releasing (G#-G & E-F) and 2str (Eb-D-C#) back to D would give another Dom7 voicing. Having G#-G as a separate lever opens up for a lot of different chord voicings.

Bengt Erlandsen

[This message was edited by Bengt Erlandsen on 04 December 2003 at 04:30 AM.]

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