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Author Topic:  A to Ab change on C6
Nathan Golub


From:
Durham, NC
Post Posted 23 Oct 2009 6:55 am     Reply with quote

On the C6 neck of my Emmons, the RKL lowers the 4th string A to an Ab. There's currently no pedal or knee lever to raise it to Bb, which would seem more useful. Right now the only thing I've figured to do with the change is to get an augmented chord or a minor of the 4 chord from the no-pedals position. What are some common uses of this change? Would there be benefits to having this instead of raising the string to Bb?
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CrowBear Schmitt


From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
Post Posted 23 Oct 2009 9:48 am     Reply with quote

the A to Bb change is much more useful than the A to Ab change Nathan
( i have both)
in conjunction w: P6 you get an 11 chord &/or a minor chord
w: no pedals you get a dom 7
where as A to Ab w: P6 (or just w: C to B lever on string 3) will give you a minor 7 chord
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b0b


From:
Cloverdale, California, USA
Post Posted 23 Oct 2009 9:50 am     Reply with quote

I use the A to Bb raise a lot more than the A to Ab lower. I had to pick one or the other for my new S-8 copedent. For me it was a no-brainer. The lower to Ab is handy now and then, but the raise to Bb is almost a necessity.

It's a little bit tricky to set up on an Emmons push-pull, though. That might be why it's not there on your guitar.
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Nathan Golub


From:
Durham, NC
Post Posted 23 Oct 2009 10:06 am     Reply with quote

Yeah, I'm just getting in to C6, and it makes much more sense to have the A to Bb change than A to Ab. It seems odd to me that this guitar was set up with the A-Ab, instead of A-Bb, so I was wondering if there was an advantage to the change that I'm not seeing, especially since I'm new to C6.

That being said, I'm probably not going to get the change switched to A-Bb any time soon. I don't feel comfortable messing around with the p/p changer myself, and since I'm not too far into C6 right now it doesn't seem very necessary. I'm comfortable adapting to different copedents if I get it changed down the road, and for now I can learn a lot without the A-Bb change.

With that in mind, are there some cool uses for the A-Ab change that I can mess around with? The beginner C6 material I've found doesn't go into that change, but since I have it I'd like to start using it.
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Nathan Golub


From:
Durham, NC
Post Posted 23 Oct 2009 10:08 am     Reply with quote

Crowbear, just saw the change you posted, I'll try that out. Unfortunately my C-B change is on the RKR, so I can't use it with my RKL A-Ab. But I will try it with P6. Thanks!
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Greg Cutshaw


From:
Corry, PA, USA
Post Posted 23 Oct 2009 10:12 am     Reply with quote

My most used knee levers on C6th, most used listed at top:

C to C# (strings 3 and 7)

A to Bb

D to D# (emulates the F# to G on E9th)

E to F (6th string)

C to B (3rd string)

A to Ab


http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Msa/Copedant.html


Greg
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Jim Cohen


From:
Philadelphia, PA
Post Posted 23 Oct 2009 10:13 am     Reply with quote

Nathan, do you know how to use a 3-6-2-5 turnaround? If so, here's one I love that has a nice descending movement to it (example in Bb, and I'll call it the 'Ab lever'):

Dm9, G7b5, Cm9, F7b5, BbMaj7

9th fret w/pedal 6 and Ab lever (root on 9th string)
8th fret w/pedals 5 & 6
7th fret w/pedal 6 and Ab lever (root on 9th string)
6th fret w/pedals 5 & 6
5th fret open (root on 9th string)= BbMaj7
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Nathan Golub


From:
Durham, NC
Post Posted 23 Oct 2009 10:20 am     Reply with quote

Nice, looking forward to trying that one out. Thanks Jim!
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J D Sauser


From:
Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic.
Post Posted 23 Oct 2009 5:15 pm     Reply with quote

Compared to E9th, the C6th A-to-Bb raise is the same as your "B"-pedal G#-to-A raise with the E-to-Eb-lower lever engaged. It also works the same with your C6th pedal which turns the neck into a IV7th as when using your "B" pedal on E9th with your 9th string (D).


... J-D.
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Rick Schmidt


From:
Carlsbad, CA. USA
Post Posted 23 Oct 2009 9:39 pm     Reply with quote

At fret 4 --- pedal 6, A-Ab KL, strings 8,7,6,5,4 and 3 is a great close voiced Cmaj7.

Same fret---add pedal 5 to changes above and its a great C7 (add string 2 to that for a 13th)

Open w/ pedal 5 and A-Ab Kl is a cool D9b5

I love the Fmin9 at the open fret with pedal 6 and the A-Ab KL!

By the way...I personally like having the A-Ab and the A-Bb KL's on different knees much in the same way as I like the E9 E raises and lowers on different knees.
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CrowBear Schmitt


From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
Post Posted 24 Oct 2009 2:08 am     Reply with quote

having the G to F lower on string 5 is a + w: P6 & A to Ab
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Ferdinando Ghidelli


From:
Caserta, Italy
Post Posted 24 Oct 2009 4:06 am     Reply with quote

if 4th and 8th strings lowers from A to Ab, at fret 4 --- pedal 6, A-Ab KL, strings 8,7,6,5 the same chord at fret 11 adding p7, strings 6,5,4,3.
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Herb Steiner


From:
Cedar Valley, Travis County TX
Post Posted 24 Oct 2009 6:21 am     Reply with quote

Hey Jimbeaux
Thanks for that turnaround. I hadn't thought of it before and it's quite neat! You rock!
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David Mason


From:
Cambridge, MD, USA
Post Posted 24 Oct 2009 7:08 am     Reply with quote

Eeek? Why are you hiding the juicy bit, guys....

P5+P6+ A-Ab = 11th fret G7 chord. And a 9th fret F7, of course. If you also have the G - F lever, you'll get a 6th chord out of it. Try:

4th fret: P5 + P6 + A-Ab + G-F
4th fret: P5 + P6 + A-Ab
6th fret: P5 + P6 + A-Ab + G-F
6th fret: P5 + P6 + A-Ab
7th fret: open whoopie!

I use those 7th chords a lot, and the 6th chords even more. (Hey, isn't G6 sort of like Em? Idea)
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Greg Cutshaw


From:
Corry, PA, USA
Post Posted 24 Oct 2009 10:19 am     Reply with quote

Here's some audio and tab from the guts of a song I recorded using the Ab change. It also shows a neat use of the string 6 half tone raise. First string is a "D".


Use of Ab Change Audio





Greg
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Nathan Golub


From:
Durham, NC
Post Posted 24 Oct 2009 11:07 am     Reply with quote

This is all great stuff, thanks guys! I realized I can half-pedal my A-B change for the Bb on the 4th string too. Not as convenient as having the change on a lever, but it will do for now.
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Jim Cohen


From:
Philadelphia, PA
Post Posted 25 Oct 2009 10:02 am     Reply with quote

Herb Steiner wrote:
Hey Jimbeaux
Thanks for that turnaround. I hadn't thought of it before and it's quite neat! You rock!

Glad you like that one, Herb. I've been over-using it ever since I 'discovered' it sittin' there right out in the open on my neck. Actually, it came to me from the realization that a 7b9 chord is the same as a diminished chord and since dim chords repeat/invert every 3 frets, so too must 7b9 chords. So instead of playing my G7b9 at the 'usual' 2-below position of the 5th fret with pedals 6&7, I could move it up to the 8th fret, just a fret below where I was getting my Dm9 chord. Then repeat the move starting at the 7th fret for Cm9, down a fret to 6th fret for the F7b9, resolving down one more fret to BbMaj7.

It set me on a nice hunt for other things I could do by moving a 7b9 chord up or down by 3 or 6 frets.
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Fred Glave


From:
McHenry, Illinois, USA
Post Posted 29 Oct 2009 2:52 pm     Reply with quote

I've been seriously considering turning my 4th pedal into a Franklin Pedal for my E9 neck, but last night, I tuned my C6 neck 4th pedal pulls down a 1/2 step for strings 4 & 8...A to Bb, and now I don't know what I want! Maybe I need another knee lever to replace my 4th pedal.
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Greg Cutshaw


From:
Corry, PA, USA
Post Posted 29 Oct 2009 3:29 pm     Reply with quote

Fred, i put the Franklin change and the the A's to B both on the 4th pedal. It pulls a bit hard but it's totally useable!

Greg
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Tracy Sheehan


From:
Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Post Posted 29 Oct 2009 10:34 pm     A to A flat on the C 6th. Reply with quote

It depends on what one wants to play.If one raises the 7th,lowers the 9th and 10th on the C 6th with the 8th or which ever floor pedal.Holding this pedal down and lowering the A to A flat with a knee lever gives about the fattest major 7th chord you can make.
I don,t recall off the top of my head but i believe Chalker had this change also.
You can go down every 3rd fret with this change and get some great big major 7th endings.Again it is what one wants to play,but i think this is how Chalker got those big fat major 7th endings among other things.
As i no longer have a pedal steel i have to do this in my head.Tracy
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Jonathan Cullifer


From:
Hendersonville, TN
Post Posted 29 Oct 2009 10:48 pm     Reply with quote

There's a lot of uses for A to Ab:

With G to F lower, you get the 4 minor.

With 2, 3, and 4, you get an augmented chord.

There's some good licks on strings 3 and 4 using that lever.
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