Your're Still on My Mind - Solo

[Peggy Green]

Robert Todd requested this, though I suspect he can already play the tar out of it.

"You're Still on My Mind"
Pedal Steel Guitar Solo by Lloyd Green

From the record: "Sweetheart of the Rodeo" by the Byrds. Sung by Gram Parsons.

Examples for those without the recording: wav and mp3 files

Preface:
Lloyd Green "expresses" a line with subtle presses of pedals. In the transcription, these are notated as "Squeeze" with a "^" character pointing at the note(s) to be squeezed. This effect is too subtle to be notated on a music clef or on tablature. But the effect of the squeeze is substantial, bringing life, vigor, and a sense of motion to a line.

Example 1
<font size="3" face="monospace"><pre>
1 ________________________|
2 _________________5______|
3 ________________________|
4 ________________________|
5 _7A______9_______5______|
6 _7B_____________________|
7 _________9K_____________|
8 ________________________|
9 ________________________|
10________________________|
Equivalent
</pre></font>


Key of A
2/4 Moderate Tempo

E9 Steel Guitar Tuning

Pickups on D following piano solo on first half of verse.

Chord Structure:
4 | 4 |
5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
5 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 |


<font size="3" face="monospace"><pre>
1 _________|__________|_____________|________________|
2 _________|__________|_____________|________________|
3 _________|__________|_____________|________________|
4 _________|__________|_____________|________________|
5 __5A--4A_|__5A__6A__|__7A______7__|__7A-7__________|
6 __5B--4B_|__5B__6B__|__7B_________|__7B-7_____7-7B_|
7 _________|__________|______7___7K_|________7__7---_|
8 _________|__________|_____________|________________|
9 _________|__________|_____________|________________|
10_________|__________|_____________|________________|
2 & 1 2 1 2 & 1 2 &
^
Squeeze
A & B Pedals
D E

1 _____________|________________|____________________|
2 _____________|________________|__7K__________7K---_|
3 _____________|________________|____________________|
4 _____________|________________|__7_________________|
5 __7A______7__|__7A-7__________|______7_______7--7A_|
6 __7B_________|__7B-7_____7-7B_|__________7B________|
7 ______7___7K_|________7__7---_|____________________|
8 _____________|________________|____________________|
9 _____________|________________|____________________|
10_____________|________________|____________________|
1 2 & 1 2 & 1 & a 2
^ triplet
Squeeze Knee lever on 2nd string
A & B Pedals lowers one full tone
1 _____________|_________|______________|________________|
2 __5K_____3K__|_________|______________|________________|
3 _____________|_________|______________|________________|
4 _____________|___5_____|______________|________________|
5 __5A_____3A__|___5_____|______________|________________|
6 _____________|___5_____|__5B--5_____5_|___5B--5____5___|
7 _____________|_________|_________5____|__________5_____|
8 _____________|_________|______________|________________|
9 _____________|_________|______________|________________|
10_____________|_________|______________|________________|
1 2 1 1 & a 2 1 & 2 &
^ ^ triplet
Squeeze
A Pedal
A
</pre></font>



Note:
Palm blocking technique is required to achieve the sound of Lloyd Green on this recording.
All errors in hearing exactly what Lloyd Green did in the first solo in the recording are mine. I play - this transciption stuff is hard to do...


Examples equipment:
Franklin D10
Demeter Tube Bass Preamp

Recorded direct to disc on a Gateway laptop with an EgoSys WaMi Box PCMIA sound card.

[scott murray]

Thanks Peggy!

Not to be picky, but I think it was JayDee Maness on that particular cut.
Just want to give credit where it's due, although when I spoke to JayDee about that album, he didn't seem to want to take credit for any of it! Says it's very hard for him to listen to.

In my opinion it don't get no better'n that.

[Robert Todd]

Thank you Peggy, You are too kind to me.

I can play this, but not with your flair. You gave a beautiful insight into how you/Lloyd got their finess on this song.

I'm unfortunately more like a bull in a china shop.

I hope to post Lloyds melody solo from "Last Thing on My Mind" from Charlie Pride's "Live at Panther Hall" albumn, was just muckin around and figured it out tonight.

Best regards,

Robert

[Jim Smith]

That sounds great Peggy, but I thought Lloyd only lowered his 2nd string a 1/2 tone. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[Robert Todd]

I'm not sure how far Lloyd lowers his second string, but I know he can do bar slants that make you think it's pedals.

Most of us no longer do the slants when a pedal is available. I'm jut learning the technique now so I have a bit of left hand work to do to accompany my right hand practice.

I try to keep on learning, it's what keeps me alive!

[Peggy Green]

Hi Jim, I don't know. I'm no expert. Neither am I a historian. I apologize if the language in my post suggests definitively that this is all "exactly" what Mr. Lloyd Green actually does. I'm only trying to say how I find things to play that come close to what I hear on the cut. You have me at a disadvantage, I'm over 6500 miles away from my record collection, so I can't research this and give you a more informed reply.

Hi Scott, I never could say for certain who was who on this album, it was prime listening for me when I first was learning steel guitar. I washed up on the breakers of failure trying to figure out many of the things on this album with my single neck with three pedals and a knee lever. When I return home I will look at my reissue CD, it has credits and I can issue a 'mea culpa' if necessary when I have the facts in hand.

Frankly, I'm only trying to respond to a request for "help". And as I say in the post "All errors in hearing exactly what Lloyd Green did in the first solo in the recording are mine."

Any corrections of misperceptions I have created are welcome. Any corrections of out right errors are also welcome.

Please, don't think I'm an expert here. I'm only feel an affinity with the people trying to learn the same things I tried to learn. So please add to the help.

[Ricky Davis]

Peggy; your doing a great job and your knowledge is very benificial here. If your tab is exactly or not exactly what he played, is not that important. The sheer effort in playing the main Idea that the steel player played it what they would agree is better than the exact notes. Both Lloyd and JD; would say:"Don't be caught up in copying a steel player note for note; just try to get the Idea and run with it yourself". Lloyd Green is very big on playing a part so many different ways and string combinations; and that's what makes the steel guitar so interesting. Keep up the great work Peg.
Ricky