The Steel Guitar Forum

A very good steel player that I occasionally have the pleasure of working with, was showing me some C6 stuff he was working on the other night. Since I only have an S-10, I asked him if there was a convincing way to play the intro to "Night Life" on the E9th neck. He didn't have one right of the top of his head, so the first chance I had, I tried to figure one out on my own.

(Remember, I am a novice deluxe on the steel, so feel free to show me what you've got!) Here's what I found for the first 4 bars of the intro:

<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
1 ___________________________________4_________
2 _____________________________________________
3 _____________________________________________
4 _____________________________________4____3__
5 _~5~6~7_8_____________________4L__________3__
6 ________8___8~8B_6_~6A______6_4___________3__
7 _________________6B~6B___6B___4______________
8 _____________________________________________
9 _____________________________________________
10_____________________________________________
| | | |
</pre></font>

Ok, show me what a difference years of experience makes. I know there has to be a way to bring in more of the chord voicings in this, I am just to new to the steel to find them.

Take care,

Les

Here's one way:

<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre>
C Eb9 Abmaj7 G7
1)___________________________________________
2)___________________________________________
3)___________________________________________
4)_____________________________________6~4_3_
5)__5~6~7~8____________________6_6A__________
6)________8______8~8B_11_____6B____________3_
7)____________________11_________6___________
8)________8___________11_____________________
9)____________________11_________6_________3_
10)__________________________________________



1)___________________________________________
2)___________________________________________
3)___________________________________________
4)___________________________________________
5)____8__________________6A_______8__________
6)____8________11_________________8B______8__
7)_____________11________6___________________
8)____8________11_________________8D______8__
9)_____________11________6___________________
10)_______________________________________8__

C Eb9 Abmaj7 G7 C
</pre></font>

D = lower E to Eb (knee lever)

To play the Eb9 chord, strum across the strings shown with the thumb.

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www.dougbsteel.com
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 01 November 2000 at 11:53 PM.]</p></FONT><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Doug Beaumier on 01 November 2000 at 11:57 PM.]</p></FONT>

Gary Walker of STEREO STEEL
has Night Life tabbed out in EXT-E9.
You can get his email address on the links
Steel Vendors

Thanks for responding, I sure appreciate it.

Doug, I tried it out, and it has really helped me see a couple more positions to play with. It will all come together in time, I hope.

Once again thank you and take care,

Les

It's very helpful to learn as many chord positions as possible up and down the fretboard, majors, minors, 7ths, 9th, dim and aug... and more than one way to play each of them. Playing along with rhythm tracks (or a band) will help in doing this.

Without stating the obvious... To figure out a turnaround you need to know 1) the chords, and 2) various positions for those chords on your instrument. That should be the starting point IMHO. It always gets back to basics.

------------------
www.dougbsteel.com

This was pretty tricky, trying to get the jazzy altered chords Nightlife is known far. I did the first part. If you like it, I'll try to do more. It requires a 9th string 1/2 tone drop, and 4th string 1/2 tone raise. If you don't have those changes, then it won't work. Key of D. .. Jeff

<font face="monospace" size="2"><pre>
1__________________________________________________________
2__________________________________________________________
3__________________________________________________________
4___2__3__4___5_____2__3___4R_____1__3___5____1__3___4R____
5_____________5____________4_______________________________
6________________________________________5b___________4b___
7__________________________________________________________
8__________________________________________________________
9_____________5L___________4L______________________________
10_______________________________________5____________4____
</pre></font><FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Ricky Davis on 05 February 2001 at 09:58 AM.]</p></FONT>

What are the chords to "Night Life"? I am a guitar player thinking about buying a steel, and I have not been able to get the right chords figured out here.

I heard the Willie Nelson song too long ago, but in the steel instrumental, the chords to the famous progression, in the key of C, are Em7, Eb7b5, Dm11, Db7b5. Just keep the G note at the top of each chord and put the root note in the bass.<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Jeff Lampert on 05 February 2001 at 07:17 AM.]</p></FONT>

Blind...

Look here under Ray Price.
http://www.roughstock.com/cowpie/songs/