The Steel Guitar Forum

Here's my arrangement of Cherokee by Ray Noble, for the E9th pedal steel. I hope there aren't any typos in it! <font size="3" face="monospace"><pre>
"Cherokee" by Ray Noble E9 pedal steel arrangement
b = half step flat, # = half step sharp, X = full step sharp


| Bb6 F7+ | Fm7 Bb7 | Eb6 | Ab7 |
1|________________|________________|________________|________________|
2|________________|________________|________________|________________|
3|________________|________________|________________|________________|
4|________________|_6______________|_1___________1__|________________|
5|_________6___6X_|_________6X_____|_1X______1X__1X_|_1X_____1_______|
6|_6_______6___6#_|_6#______6______|_1#______1#__1#_|_1#_____1#______|
7|_____________6#_|_6______________|_1_______1___1__|________________|
8|_6_______6b__6b_|_________6______|_________1______|_1#_____1#______|
9|________________|_6_______6______|________________|________________|
10|_6______________|________________|________________|________________|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


| Bb Dm7 | C7 | Cm7 G7b9 | Cm7 F7+ |
1|________________|_8______________|________________|________________|
2|________________|_8b______8b_____|________________|________________|
3|________________|________________|________________|________________|
4|________________|________________|________________|________________|
5|_________1X__6__|_8_______8______|_6X______6---3__|_1______________|
6|_1#______1___6__|_________8______|_6#______6---3__|_1#______4#_____|
7|________________|________________|_6______________|_1______________|
8|_1_______1___6b_|________________|_6_______6#--3#_|_________4#_____|
9|________________|________________|_________6---3__|_1______________|
10|_1X_____________|________________|________________|_________4______|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


(@) Bb6 F7+ | Fm7 Bb7 | Eb6 | Ab7 |
1|________________|________________|________________|________________|
2|________________|________________|________________|________________|
3|________________|________________|________________|________________|
4|________________|_6______________|_1___________1__|________________|
5|_________6___6X_|_________6X_____|_1X______1X__1X_|_1X-----1_______|
6|_6_______6___6#_|_6#______6______|_1#______1#__1#_|_1#------_______|
7|_____________6#_|_6______________|_1_______1___1__|________________|
8|_6_______6b__6b_|_________6______|_________1______|_1#------_______|
9|________________|_6_______6______|________________|________________|
10|_6______________|________________|________________|________________|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


| Bb Dm7 | C7 | Cm7 F13 | Bb (end)|
1|________________|_8______________|________________|________________|
2|________________|_8b______8b_____|________________|________________|
3|________________|________________|________________|________________|
4|________________|________________|________________|________________|
5|_________1X__6__|_8_______8______|_6X______1X--1__|________________|
6|_1#______1___6__|_________8______|_6#______1----__|_1#_____________|
7|________________|________________|_6______________|________________|
8|_1_______1___6b_|________________|_6______________|_1______________|
9|________________|________________|_________1----__|________________|
10|_1X_____________|________________|________________|_1X_____________|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


| C#m7 F#7 | BM7 B7 | Bm7 E7 | AM7 |
1|________________|__________________|___________________|___________|
2|________________|__________________|___________________|___________|
3|________________|__________________|___________________|___________|
4|________________|_9________________|___________________|___________|
5|_14X_________14_|_9X_9X________12X_|_12X____________12_|___________|
6|_14#_________14_|____9#_9#_____12#_|_12#_12#________12_|___________|
7|_14_____________|_9---__9__________|_____12__12________|_10________|
8|________________|______________12b_|___________________|_10b_______|
9|_14__________14_|_______9__________|_12----__12_____12_|___________|
10|________________|__________________|___________________|_10________|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


| Am7 D7 | GM7 G7 | Gm7 C7 | Cm7 F7+ |
1|________________|__________________|_________________|_____________|
2|________________|__________________|_________________|_____________|
3|________________|__________________|_________________|_____________|
4|________________|_5________________|_________________|_____________|
5|_10X_________10_|_5X_5X_________8X_|_8X____________8_|_____________|
6|_10#_________10_|____5#_5#______8#_|_8#_8#_________8_|_4_____4#____|
7|_10_____________|_5---__5__________|____8__8_________|_____________|
8|________________|_______________8b_|_________________|_4b____4#____|
9|_10__________10_|_______5__________|_8---__8_______8_|_____________|
10|________________|__________________|_________________|_4_____4X____|
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


go to (@) for last 8 bars </pre></font>

I probably got some of the chords wrong, but that's how I play it and it sounds okay to me.
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<IMG SRC="http://www.b0b.com/b0bbw.gif" align=left>Bobby Lee
<font size=2>Support The Steel Guitar Forum</font><p ALIGN=CENTER><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b">[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 02-28-99]</FONT></P>

Looks great, Bob. That's a lot of typing for you.

One simplification I might make would be in the 2nd bar of the bridge, on the Bmaj7, where you drop down from the 14th fret to the 9th fret. You can stay on the 14th fret and make those notes if you lower the 9th string a half step.
OK, actually, in the 3rd chord of that bar, you can't get the B note on the bottom (which you play on the 9th fret) on the 14th fret on a 10 string steel, but that's a small sacrifice since you may gain a more consistent sound across that phrase without the big position change. Or, just play that low B on your 11th string. Or go to the 12th fret, lowering the 8th sting, and playing strings 7,8,10. Or stay on 14 and play a low C# instead for an add 9 chord on strings 8,9,10.

Same thing happens 4 bars later too.

Bob, Thanks for the arrangement. I've been looking for an E9 arrangement for years. I printed it out at work this morning and have been fooling around with it for the last hour. For those out there who don't have the seventh string raise (F#-G) you can get the
F7+,on the first measure, at the 7th fret strings 9-7-6-5(1/2 pedal raise on the 5th string).
Once again Bob, Thank you !!!

Earnest, I've been jumping down to that position for so long that I'm hesitant to change it. Muscle memory, you know. When I'm not playing the melody, I often stay up at the 12th and 14th fret to noodle over that chord.

BobG, I'm glad you're enjoying it. This song has given me many hours of picking pleasure. Here's a link to my MIDI backup file, generated by Band In A Box:

www.b0b.com/include/cherokee.mid

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<IMG SRC="http://www.b0b.com/b0bbw.gif" align=left>Bobby Lee
<font size=2>Support The Steel Guitar Forum</font>

Bob, I've been looking for a song that my 11 year old daughter , who has been playing Cello for a couple of years,and I could work on. Cherokee was the perfect choice. She plays the melody line, I play what you tabbed out, and your BIAB backup playing behind us. I gotta tell ya , the steel and the Cello are a great mix. She was getting bored playing and this gave her the opportunity to sink her teeth into something different. It definately reignited her interest.
I just wanted to let you know, again how much I appreciate your help and this Forum.
We wouldn't have had this opportunity without your help.
Thanks again.