The Steel Guitar Forum

in another topic, Peter Nylund wrote:Ok, here we go... again...

Hello Mr Nylund,
I look with interest at your pedal 1. I can see the use of the G# to G, as I have that setup too, but how are the other notes used,(6 to B and 9 to E) or is it a C6 thing?

........Pat

Pat, I'm not Peter (you can tell because the names are spelled differently), but a lot of modern vocabulary on the pedal steel involves moving two strings from unison to harmony or from harmony to unison.
Peter has two more options than I do....

Mitchell, your guitar is perfectly normal, although if it were mine, 2 would go to C# with a half-stop at D and the 6th string would drop to F#. BUT I don't recommend newbies change a thing on a normal-esque guitar until they have gotten to the point of understanding what they're missing and why they want it, and know how they'll use it. This is usually a couple years in. So even if you were my neighbor and taking lessons from me, I would tell you to learn it like it is.

Mr Chong, Lane's answer pretty much explains it all. I just wat to add that the location of the changes of the first pedal is crucial, as it is used together with the A pedal. There are a few nice counterpoints and pivots involved with the change.
Peter

With my copedent (posted yesterday) is it possible to alternate major/minor sixths (e.g., in the key of C: Am/C <--> Gm/Bb) using just the pedals/knee levers, without moving the bar?

Are you asking if you can go from 1 to 6m?
Add the A pedal, you go from E to C#m
The open position also has, if you lower the Es, a B Major (using the B strings, lowered Es, and the F# strings) and its relative minor, G# (the lowered Es, Bs and the G#s). If you retune the 6th string lower to go to F# instead of the G, you can go smoothly from B to G# just by releasing the lever.

Lane, actually I'm trying to play a diatonic scale with lowered 7 in 6ths, moving the bar as little as possible. In E major:

E F# G# A B C# D E
G# A B F# D E B G#

Here's a better illustration:

Sure thing. I'm sitting on the couch with Mrs. Gray, so I can't provide the examples ready to hand, but the E9th tuning is tailor made for diatonic harmonized scales.
Given that there's only a thirteenth between strings 3 and 10, you won't be able to go very far without moving the bar, but if you're willing to go up and down the neck without changing strings, the combination of the A pedal and F lever on the pair of 5 and 8,the A and B pedals on string pairs 6&10 or 5&3 offer endless possibilities (for two octave values of endless).
Jeff Newman was fond of the B&C pedals and the string pair of 6 and 4.

Hello Mr.'s Nylund and Grey,
Thank you(s) for the explanation. Is there a song/music featuring this, so I could see how it is applied? I will look into the change......it is easy to add, and being on the "0" pedal, would not alter things, too much.

Thanks.........Pat

OK, Mitchell, I'll try this, at the nut, key of E, first how to play, scale values in parentheses:
Strings 10 and 6 open (5 and 3)
10/6 A&B (6&4)
8lowered/6B (7/4) or 8lowered/5 (7/5)
8/5 (root/5)
7/5A (2/6) or 7/4lowered) (2/7)
6/4 (3/root)
6B/1 (4/2)
5/3 (5/3 ironically enough)
5A/3B (6/4), and then it's time to head up the neck.

I've split these posts because they're more general music theory than the "What is your copedent topic.

Good call, B0b

Mitchell, I love putting harmonized scales to work.

Here's one in thirds instead of sixth season, and it starts moving across the neck, and then turns right to climb 7 frets. I apologize for the stammerized® delivery.
The passage in question starts at about 4:40 https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R8WlDTfLWmk

You're definitely the Oracle in this regard. I modified your example by lowering the 7's to make an aeolian scale.

If you're gonna flat the 7s, I'd pair it with 3 rather than a 9