Basic question

Stephen Williams · From: from Wales now in Berkeley,Ca, USA

Trying to figure out the use of the E raise lever. Raising note E to F will give a C# major chord. Anything else?

Bob Moore · From: N. Rose, New York

The E raise with A pedal will give you a E on second fret. Just a example. Bob M

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Actually it would be the third fret. That combination gives a different inversion of a chord three frets up. Let off the A pedal and you that chord as a seventh cord.
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Bob Moore · From: N. Rose, New York

Thanks for the correction. I got my frets mixed up. Bob

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

One of the main features of the E-F (E#, really) + B-C# position is the ability to rock on and off the A pedal to get a fluid melodic motion between the root of the chord and the seventh of the chord. Also, lots of melodic possibilities with strings 1 and 2 while you are in that position.

Raising E-F by itself also gives you a diminished seventh chord across 10-9-8-6-5-4-3.

Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

I consider one of the most important and fundamental lessons of Pedal Steel Guitar 101 (as it relates to playing traditional music, but also just as a good start toward learning the changes and the fretboard) to be the learning of the three positions of the triad inversions and how they relate to I-IV-V.

If you learn OPEN, AB DOWN and A+F for every chord and learn how each one is positioned on the fretboard in relation to the cycle of 4ths & 5ths you can get to anywhere from anywhere, any time.

Jeff Mead · From: London, England

As well as the ability to go from the root major chord to the 7th by releasing the A pedal, as Dan said, you can also go from the major chord to the minor by releasing the knee lever.

The diminished chord is pretty raising the lever in the open position and, if you raise the lever when the A and B pedals are down, you get an augmented chord which can also sound nice - both of these are useful "passing" chords to smoothly move from one chord to another.

I am very much a beginner on pedal steel but have already discovered that this is probably the third most important change (after the A and B pedals).

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Jerry Overstreet · From: Louisville Ky

Maybe old hat, but worth repeating, let's not forget how Master Lloyd Green popularized this back and forth A/F to open phrase with Tammy Wynette's D-I-V-O-R-C-E back when.

Erv Niehaus · From: Litchfield, MN, USA

My favorite use of the F lever is in conjunction with the A pedal.
It gives you a new location for a major chord. 1st fret open gives you an F chord, 4th fret with A & F gives you an F chord and 8th Fret with A & B pedals gives you an F chord.

Richard Sinkler · From: aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

My first PSG didn't have an F lever (yes, I know it's really an E# but it seems pedantic to call it that all the time) so I put one on it and embarked on the geography course that Jon so rightly recommends. Sliding through the three inversions of the major chord gives a real sense of power - this is the only instrument in the universe that can do this!

It took me a while to realise that strings 1 & 2 fit the A/F combo too, and a very good reason for having the F and E levers on different knees is the ability to drop the third (E#>D#) smoothly just like with the A pedal on A&B.
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Jon Light · From: Saugerties, NY

Driving home after a long night of playing, I most certainly do get to wondering why nobody ever added knee levers to the gas, brake, clutch and shift. And it sure would make some interesting (NOT!) reading on how we performed tune ups on this rig---straight up?

But seriously, knowing inside & out the nearest position to resolve I>IV or V>I from any chord in any inversion, up or down is an important key to going out on a limb and bailing yourself out of trouble.

Stephen Williams · From: from Wales now in Berkeley,Ca, USA

Thanks so much for all this info........back when i started I could not get any of it and did not know of the forum etc etc. I had a home built job that was all apart and had to figure it all out. I saw no reason then for E raise and for that matter the top 2 strings so i threw my hands up and made my own Co-pedant up

A D F# G A D D E F#

which makes it a lot easier than faffing about with all the grips. It is sort of an open 1 chord. Anyway slowly slowly I am getting closer to normal psg tuning. My e(d)raise and lowers on the right and AB pedals as normal.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

jon is right about the 3 positions. basically all my playing relates to getting around between them.

for those of you who want to consider the E# note, most people won't want to be around you, let alone hire you for a fun gig!

Dan Beller-McKenna · From: Durham, New Hampshire, USA

Why are people so threatened and made to feel insecure by correctly naming a note? Sorry if anyone's ego was bruised by a little E#.

chris ivey · From: california (deceased)

why do people push the unnecessary-to-most point just to try to convince others how smart they think they are?

Jack Aldrich · From: Washington, USA

I have the raise on my LKL lever. Along with the A pedal, it gives me the first inversion of the E chord at the 3rd fret. Of course, the 2nd inversion is at the 7th fret with the A & B pedals. It's very useful, and it provides a "pocket" to play in.
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