The Steel Guitar Forum

I have a new Jackson 6 string Maverick pedal steel with Nashville open E tuning B E G# B E G#...two pedals and 3 knees. Are there any charts or other training materials available? I have pretty well figured it out just from my E9 10 string days but there are some differences. For instance, I could play a major scale on any one fret using peds and levers on the 10 string but am struggling to even find the scale on this one. I did locate the harmonized scales across the fret board. Guitar has excellent tone and sustain and sounds tremendous through my Travis Toy Quilter. I just need some hints hints....thanks

Well that is the limitations of having a "LESS STRING" pedal steel....So you're just going to have to more the Bar a LOT more often. So is that Low to high on what you typed?? and what do the pedals and knee levers pull; to what??
Ricky

Thanks Ricky....Yes on low to high. That is how they set it up at the Jackson factory.
A pedal raises b's to c#
B: raises g#'s to A
LKL: raises E's to F
LKR: lowers E's to Eb
RKL: raises the string 2 (E) to F#

For me it is simply much easier to play and the sound/tone/sustain are incredible. I just do not know where to find any charts or instruction. I have located many of the major and minor chord positions as they appear to be the same as the e9 10 for most everything I need. With a non-music theory background I play drums/guitar and the steel by ear and instinct. I know the basic chord patterns so as long as I know the "1" chord I can get through most anything. I just need someone to point me in the right direction. I spend a good bit of time watching utube vids also but do not see much specific to this tuning.

Any guidance is appreciated.
Rick

It sounds like from your explanation; you are able to get around; scale wise for that tuning; that's the big start. Yes vids these days are great...but you won't find anything for a 6 string E triad pedal steel cause it's brand new. I think of it in numbers. B is 5th tone in E; G# is 3rd tone...E is 1 tone. So scale using 5th tone on bottom; up is 5;6;M7;1;2;3;4; 5.
So:
[tab]
G#
E
B 0
G# 0 0b
E 0L 0 2
B 0 0a
[/tab]
that is 5;6;M7;1;2;3;4;5
So you can now start on 1 note and do same pattern moves to keep scale going up. That is in open position. Now in a and b pedals down you have A chord. So now bottom note is 3rd tone of A; so it's line up:
Do the scale from 3rd tone bottom string???? up the strings; using that number scale.
so there's your first lesson....now on from there.
ricky

Thanks again Ricky...I appreciate the Forum and the opportunity to learn from others here. Appreciated!!!!

Sure man. Another cool chord just lowering the E's to Eb. That becomes a 6th chord. Actually B6:
[tab]
G# 6th
Eb 3rd
B 1
G# 6th
Eb 3rd
B Root 1
[/tab]
So two frets back from pedal down major chord; with E's lowered; that is the 6th Chord version of that major chord or the 6 minor of that same chord
Take for instant: pedal down G chord on 10th fret. Two frets back with just E's lowered that is G6 or Em.
yeeehaaa.
Ricky

Just tried it....a nice pattern I can add to my own chord chart. I will get this pedal steel down before you know it!!! Thanks

play "together again" on 1 and 3 instead of 3 and 5. subtract 2 strings from 10 string tabs. for string 2 on 10 string tabs play high e lowered and for string 1 play your high e string 2 frets higher. for mooney stuff no problem. he didn't have chromatics.

Thanks Gary for the tip!!!

i didn't notice you have a lever that raises e to f#(first string on 10 string tab) so that's handy. combined with your a&b pedals you get the third pedal notes. cool. glad to help.

When I ordered the guitar it was to come with two pedals and two knees but the good folks at Jackson said they felt like I really could benefit from that right knee lever so they added it. I tell you this Jackson Steel is a superb playing and sounding guitar. I just wasnt used to six strings so it has been an adjustment. I favor the string spacing and greater ease as an "older" player now. I encourage anyone that loves the steel , has any regular guitar experience and wants to play some steel to check out the Jackson. It is a solid professional style and built unit. As you know, the Jackson family has a rich history in pedal steel business.