The Steel Guitar Forum

My question relates to the 2nd string on the E9 (D#).
My RKR lever lowers this string to D. It originally went all the way to C#, but I changed it to the way it is. The way I see it - the only thing this is good for is to give me the Dom 7th with no other Pedals or Levers activated, but I'm sure I'm missing something here....
Should I adjust it back so it drops all the way to C#? I note that some people have the 1st string with a raise from F# to G - is that change generally used with the 2nd string lower....
I hope this hasn't been too confusing,

Damien

Well I'm certainly not privy to "the way things are", but on my new Marrs Refit Jeff suggested and put besides the Eb lower to C#, the 9th string lower to C# on the RKR.

Its' starting point serves as a half stop for the Eb to D change. Used alone, mechanical half stops are available for most guitars.

On my Marrs the high A on the C neck is raised to Bb as an additional half stop for the Eb to D. It takes some balancing, but it's really easy to feel solidly if set up right.

On the RKL the Eb is raised to E as a half stop for the F# to G# ( with the lower F# to G# too), making 1 and 2 unison with 3 and 4.

They are both really nice changes.

EJL

When pedals A-B are down and the 2nd string is at "D", you have a SUS 4th. The 4th is the tone change you hear so often when in the open position you hit your B pedal [G#-A]
only.

Check out futhur down the column in this very TOPIC to Bob Carlucci's "Thougts on E9th
Change". There's more stuff in there on the 2nd string and low "D" string.

cf

ok, I'm cleary in the DANGEROUS zone now..

Instead of looking at this 2nd string and it's possiblilties for "Properly Spelled Chords"..forget them dang chords and the correct spellings..they are all passing chords anyway..


This is a very valuable string with a ton of opportunity to get from point A to point B..or a note in the scale on the way.

I have this string set up with a 1/2 step raise, a 1/2 step lower and a full step lower..make that 4 notes on 1 string..including the natural..

I think this is extremely common..I didn't invent this configuration.

I am not a Steel brainiac by any stretch..but I can tell ya this, this is one powerfull little string...

There are a whole lotta' notes just waitin' to be used in the phrasing..

try it..you'll like it..
t

Try thinking of it as a scale note for constructing melodies instead of as part of a chord. It's very useful in the II and V positions. The first string provides a harmony to it.

In theory I suppose it's useful with the F# to G raise, but I've never found the positions or licks that use those two together.

I spent some time this weekend exploring what the heck to do with my right knee levers and came up with the following.

Drop the 2nd string to D and you have a minor triad with the 1st ,2nd and 5th strings.

Drop the 2nd string to C# and you can release it to "roll up" to the major 3rd like rolling up the A pedal in the AB position.

If you can lower your B's a half step (mine's on a vertical), dropping the 2nd string to C# will give you a 7th chord on the 1st, 2nd & 5th strings.

Hey Damien, for a simple exercise to show you another use for the D note, just go to any fret, maybe the third for the key of C with the A & B pedals down and the 2nd string lowered to D. Play on the 1st 5 strings in this order: 5 2 4 1 3 1 4 2 5. Use the thumb for all the notes on strings 3,4,& 5 and the middle finger for the notes on strings 1 & 2. You can play this very fast for a nice simple bluegrass thing if you like. Have a good 'un....JH in Va.

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Livin' in the Past and Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Thanks for that info - I will take it hoe and work through it...not sure if I can set up a half-stop on the BMI but I will look into it,

Damien