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Topic: I play a lap steel 8 string in C6 ,now learning pedal steel |
Jerry Recktenwald
From:
Louisville KY
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Posted 16 Dec 2016 1:49 pm |
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I have for 6 or 7 years been playing a lap steel 8 string in C6. I am now buying a GFI 3 p 2 k pedal steel guitar. O BOY!  big question is copedent ? I know my way around with C6 then there is E9th What I liked about the C6 I used a high G on the first string o try to give it the pedal steel sound. Looking at the two different tunnings I'm now lost , which one. I play in a volunteer country band HELP trying to make some sence. Jerry in louisville ky |
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Erv Niehaus
From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
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Posted 16 Dec 2016 2:16 pm
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Why not tune the pedal steel to C6th since you are so well acquainted with that tuning?
I use a G for the 1st string on my C6th neck. |
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Richard Alderson
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 16 Dec 2016 4:02 pm
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Dear Jerry - What kind of tuning and copedant you choose depends a lot on what kind of music you are into. I highly recommend E9th. In fact your guitar was built for E9th and is probably already set up for the A-B-C pedals of E9th. E9th top to bottom is F#-D#-G# -E-B-G#-F#-E-D-B. The A pedal raises the B strings up to C#. B pedal raises the G#s up to A. C pedal raises the 4 th string E up to F# and fifth string B up to C#. Then one lever lowers both your E's to E flat and the other raises the same two strings to F. I would bet that's how your guitar is configured already. E9 is more versatile than C6. And 99% of instructional material assumes the E9 th tuning. The final choice is up to you and your tastes and preferences. I also played C6 non pedal for about five years before I began to experiment with pedal steel proper. Good luck !!
_________________
Derby SD-10 5x6; GFI S-10 5x5; GFI S-10 5x5; Zum D-10 8x7; Zum D-10 9x9; Fender 400; Fender Rumble 200; Nashville 400; Telonics TCA-500. |
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Jerry Recktenwald
From:
Louisville KY
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Posted 16 Dec 2016 4:09 pm e 9
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| Sounds like that I need to leave well enough alone and dive into E9 |
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Richard Alderson
From:
Illinois, USA
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Posted 16 Dec 2016 4:21 pm
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You don't have to give up C6th with the E9th tuning. You'll see. Just engage the E flat knee lever and most of C6th is still right there at the first fret instead of zero fret.
_________________
Derby SD-10 5x6; GFI S-10 5x5; GFI S-10 5x5; Zum D-10 8x7; Zum D-10 9x9; Fender 400; Fender Rumble 200; Nashville 400; Telonics TCA-500. |
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Jeff Mead
From:
London, England
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Posted 16 Dec 2016 4:29 pm
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Firstly, I'm assuming that you bought the pedal steel because you want to get some of the traditional E9 sounds out of it?
I you tune to standard E9 and play at the 3rd fret with the A and B pedals down, you will find the top 5 strings of your C6 on strings 4-8. You'll find your 6th string note on string 10. This means that all the C6 licks you've learned are still usable at least (although 3 frets higher on the fretboard).
I came to pedal steel fairly recently from A6 non-pedal and so in my case, I found my familiar tuning at the same fret with A&B (I have a lever that lowers my D to C# so I have it on 4-9) and that got me out of a lot of trouble the first time I played in front of people.
If you drop your E strings to Eb and play at the 1st fret you'll also have part of your C6 tuning (your 2-6 strings on the pedal steel's 4-8 ).
So the tunings aren't so far away as you'd first think.
To be honest, I do a lot of my pedal steel playing in those "lap steel" positions and nobody seems to have noticed yet  |
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Jerry Recktenwald
From:
Louisville KY
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Posted 17 Dec 2016 5:45 am
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| Just thinking about it in some way's makes my head spins. I am the hands on kind and then it sinks in. Give me the instructions to I'll get in a little just put in in my hands and then I can make some sense of it. I just have to wait for it to get here. |
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Pat Chong
From:
New Mexico, USA
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Posted 17 Dec 2016 8:32 am
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Hi Jerry,
Welcome to the world of PSG. Head spinning is involved, but usually clears up after a decade, or so. I figure your having played this long, that you can play a little by ear? Lets look at it from that point.
Richard brought out some points about the A, B and C pedals. What he said is correct, but putting it another way:
Start with you bar on fret 3. With the strings 3-6, 8 and 10, you have a G chord.
Press the B and C pedals and you have Am.
Press only the lever that lowers your Es, and you have Bm.
Press your A and B pedals, you have a C chord.
Press only the B pedal and the lever that lowers your Es, and you have D7.
Press the A pedal, and you have Em.
Using the Nashville numbering system, you have just covered cords 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, a lot of the chords in many songs without having to move the bar. Adjust your bar position for key change.....
There are many DIFFERENT ways to make the same chord, this is just basic. Learn on Jerry!
.....................Pat |
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Jerry Recktenwald
From:
Louisville KY
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Posted 17 Dec 2016 9:16 am
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| I'm like a kid waiting for Christmas to get here! To put each of your all's post in action and have FUN ! |
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Rick Bernauer
From:
Kansas, USA
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Posted 17 Dec 2016 9:41 am
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| Jerry - I came to pedal steel after playing a non-pedal 8 string primarily on the C6th neck. I also recommend using the E9 setup and lowering the E's just to feel comfortable for awhile. When I started playing PSG I was getting brain cramps every day trying to wrap my head around what all the pedal and lever options were doing (in fact that still happens). Start off focusing on the pedal/lever combinations for basic major/minor chords and getting used to those strange top 2 strings and E9 will start making sense to you pretty quickly. Good luck - it's a frustrating and fun instrument. |
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b0b
From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
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Posted 17 Dec 2016 9:51 am
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With your E's lowered to D# (knee lever), the E9th becomes B6th. At the first fret, you'll see your C6th tuning like this:
| Tab: |
1 G
2 E
3 -
4 E (same as string 2)
5 C
6 A
7 G
8 E
9 -
10 C |
The parts you learned on your 8-string are there, but you have to play one fret higher.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video |
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Jerry Recktenwald
From:
Louisville KY
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Posted 17 Dec 2016 5:10 pm
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Wow with help like this how can I go wrong! I am buying a used GFI SM 10 from Tim on the forum Very nice gentleman ! Couldn't be happier
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John Goux
From:
California, USA
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Posted 20 Dec 2016 9:52 am
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Most modern pedal steels have a lever that lowers string 2 to C# and string 9 to C#.
If you have this lever, there are three "6th tunings" without moving your bar.
1. E6th, using the 2/9 string lower.
2. B6th, using the 2/9 string lower with 4/8/(12) half step lower.
3. A6th, AB pedals and 2/9 lower
These are strum-able chords that can be ascending/descending arpeggios using strings 1-4 in proper sequence.
Another way to say this, in the same key:
There are E6th tunings at frets:
Fret zero, using 2/9 lever
Fret 5, using 4/8 lower and 2/9 lower levers
Fret 7, using AB pedals and 2/9 lower lever
I'm curious to hear if you C6 players use these positions when playing in E9.
Cheers, John |
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Mike Perlowin
From:
Los Angeles CA
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Posted 20 Dec 2016 11:40 am
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Jerry, since you already play non-pedal C6, you should consider a double neck.
You might want to start off with a single neck tuned to E9, and then decide in a year or two whether or you want the other neck, or possibly a 12 string universal tuning. If you decide either option, you can always get a different guitar.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin |
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Jerry Recktenwald
From:
Louisville KY
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Posted 31 Dec 2016 2:50 pm
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| E 9 TH It's not as hard as I first thought. The C6 is some what there.It's just takes time and everything will sink in just like the C6 did.Everyone is so help full ! Thanks Jerry |
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