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Topic: GuitarMap - A free computer program for the Steel Guitarist |
Karlis Abolins
From:
(near) Seattle, WA, USA
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Posted 31 May 2002 3:25 pm |
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A free computer program to help you figure out your guitar.
I came back to the pedal steel guitar this year. I sold my last steel in the mid 80's. Since coming back I have been wrestling with what I want a steel guitar to be as far as pedals and strings. I found a lot of posts on this forum that have been very helpful but none really answered the questions I had. I decided to analyze the steel guitar in the same way that I have been analyzing business methods since the late 60's. I started laying out strings and scales and rearranging them to make sense out of it. I found that rearranging the strings and pedals on paper to be frustrating. I then tried out a commercial program that is available. It helped some but was not really designed to do what i needed. I then decided to write a program to help me.
I finished the program recently and want to share what I have so far with other steel guitarists. The program displays notes or scale numbers for scales or chords. It does not create tablature. In using the program I have discovered some fundamental things about the layout of the E9th guitar. I have also found it very easy to do what-if kinds of scenarios with new or changed pedals and strings.
I have decided to post the program for a limited time. I want to allow people who are interested to experiment with it but I do not want to get into support issues or have it become generally available on the internet. Please use the program if you wish. I make no claims about its usability.
http://home.comcast.net/~k.abolins/guitarmap.html
Karlis Abolins
updated with new location of web page[This message was edited by Karlis Abolins on 30 June 2003 at 06:29 AM.] |
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Andy Greatrix
From:
Edmonton Alberta
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Posted 31 May 2002 4:25 pm
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| This looks very interesting. Thanks for posting it.I am going to try and run a none peddle steel tuning through it to see what will happen, and well as my peddle steel co-pendent. Also, put Bobbe seymour's 2 knee peddle system through it as well. I can't wait to try it. Thanks again. |
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Karlis Abolins
From:
(near) Seattle, WA, USA
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Posted 3 Jun 2002 9:45 am
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I have received several e-mails asking me about the program. I want to clear up any questions you may have.
1. The program is free. I developed it and have no desire to market the program.
2. The program is fully functional. It has no restrictions or time limit.
3. The program modifies the registry for the local user in that it saves the last directory you used to save layout files in so that you don't have to find it next time.
4. The program allows you to put in your guitar's copedant for up to 14 strings and 22 pedals.
5. The program displays the scales and chords for the key you have selected. You can select either notes or scale numbers for the display.
6. The program shows the changes to the notes as you push the pedals and knee levers.
I hope that these answers fit your questions.
Karlis Abolins |
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 3 Jun 2002 11:31 am
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I would still like to see a printout of
a song. How it would look using the scale
numbers/musical notation. Do you have something Karlis that you could post?
I am going to try to download again as there
were problems the first time; all of which were related to me. |
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Larry Bell
From:
Englewood, Florida
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Posted 3 Jun 2002 11:43 am
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Roy,
You may be missing the point of the software. It has nothing to do with songs. It analyzes the open tuning, pedal changes, and combinations by comparing to a list of chords and scales.
Hope this helps explain.
Thanks again, Karlis -- I find this VERY useful -- I used to do this stuff on paper and using Excel but the program does it and allows me to save it.
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Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 3 Jun 2002 12:00 pm
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Larry,
ClicTab has already done that! Many moons ago.
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Larry Bell
From:
Englewood, Florida
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Posted 3 Jun 2002 12:04 pm
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| For free? |
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 3 Jun 2002 12:45 pm
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No, there's a fee but you get much much more in the deal.
This started off as an alternative to tablature. Now you indicate it is something different and more restricted.
My apologies.
Roy T. |
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Karlis Abolins
From:
(near) Seattle, WA, USA
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Posted 3 Jun 2002 1:03 pm
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Roy, I am sorry that you misunderstood the purpose of this program. I am still very much interested in an alternative/enhancement to tablature but this program doesn't do this yet. I have stabilized the first version so that it works reliable. I am now starting to work on a way to go from the note map to either tablature or something else. One of the ideas I am toying with is the capability to enter tablature and a copedant, save the underlying musical representation and call the song back up with a different copedant. It would require some knowledge of the new copedant to choose an appropriate arrangement so that it would work on the new copedant. Roy, I think this is what you and I were discussing in the "alternative to tablature thread" a couple of weeks ago. That is still my goal. It may be more than I can accomplish but I don't quit easilly.
Karlis Abolins |
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Kurt Graber
From:
Wichita, KS, USA
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Posted 3 Jun 2002 1:22 pm
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| Karlis, Many thanks and you have an excellent program. I used this program and you're right, it does eliminate a lot of paper work hassle. It's great that you are offering this for free. Great contribution to the forum. |
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Roy Thomson
From:
Wolfville, Nova Scotia,Canada
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Posted 3 Jun 2002 2:29 pm
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Karlis, my best wishes are with you.
Go for it!
Again my apologies. |
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Sonny Jenkins
From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
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Posted 8 Jun 2002 8:58 am
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| This looks like something that would be very helpful to someone like myself who has to SEE it and let it sink in but,,,,,,I CAN"T GET IT TO WORK,,,,,,,HEEEELLLLPPP! |
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 8 Jun 2002 4:15 pm
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Karlis, GuitarMap is a NeetaRoonie !
i got it set up and runnin'in no time.
settin' a copedent is a breeze, then choose a chord or a scale then select pedals or knees and gadzooks ! 
it's all there.
Thanx a bunch !
pedal pusher eh ?
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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Posted 8 Jun 2002 5:22 pm
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Thanks, Karlis. I may be being a bit dense tonite, but what do the various colors signify? Usually, they're green but sometimes yellow and/or red on the notes, too. ??
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Karlis Abolins
From:
(near) Seattle, WA, USA
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Posted 8 Jun 2002 9:34 pm
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Jim, When you are looking for chords, green means all of the notes in the chord are at the same fret. Yellow means that there is one note missing from the chord (you may have the 1 3 5 but not the 7 for a 7th chord). Red means you have two notes missing from the chord (you may have the 1 3 5 but not the 7 and 9 for a 9th chord). It doesn't tell you which notes are missing but you can look at the chord notes at the top to see which notes are missing.
Karlis |
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Bob Collins
From:
Hendersonville, TN, USA
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Posted 13 Jun 2002 2:50 pm
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Karlis,
Thanks for making this available to everyone! I finally had a chance to test it out today and it is really impressive. It is a super tool for those like me who are not pro steel players (and who own a "second hand" guitar that was set up custom for someone who just had to be a little different). I will be double clicking that icon often! Thank you for your time and the work you put into this! |
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Allen
From:
Littleton, CO USA
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Posted 16 Jun 2002 6:56 pm
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Karlis,
I have been playing around with the program for a few days. For a newbie (2years)on the psg, like myself, this tool is great!
Thanks for making my psg life a little simpler.
Allen
------------------
Allen Harry
Mullen D-10, 8 & 6
Nashville 1000
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Steve Feldman
From:
Central MA USA
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Posted 17 Jun 2002 4:41 am
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Karlis -
Question: Can you input multiple pulls (half-stops, etc.) for a given knee lever?Nice program, btw. |
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Karlis Abolins
From:
(near) Seattle, WA, USA
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Posted 17 Jun 2002 5:16 am
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Steve, You can indeed put half stops on a string. Create a pedal and call it HLL instead of LKL. Give it a half step (+ or -) raise. It looks like an added pedal but it will give you the ability to see the chord positions gebnerated by the half pedal.
Karlis |
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Karlis Abolins
From:
(near) Seattle, WA, USA
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Posted 19 Jun 2002 6:08 pm
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| Bump |
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Martin Abend
From:
Berlin, Germany
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Posted 20 Jun 2002 7:23 am
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Seems like a great program, thanks a lot for making it available to the public for free.
The bad thing is....
...if have a mac 
------------------
martin abend Pedal-Steel in Germany
s-10 sierra crown gearless 3 x4 | Regal RD45 | fender hotrod deluxe
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Martin Abend
From:
Berlin, Germany
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Posted 20 Jun 2002 7:31 am
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Seems like a great program, thanks a lot for making it available to the public for free.
The bad thing is....
...if have a mac
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martin abend Pedal-Steel in Germany
s-10 sierra crown gearless 3 x4 | Regal RD45 | fender hotrod deluxe
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Fred Shannon
From:
Rocking "S" Ranch, Comancheria, Texas, R.I.P.
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Posted 8 Dec 2003 8:47 pm
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I'm pulling Karlis' computerized guitar map back up because there are probably several new folks on the forum that don't know of it's existence. I have found Karlis' efforts expended on this program have saved me an immense amount of time when teaching new students. Too, if you are one to experiment with new tunings, this is an invaluable tool. It is user friendly and I've taken the time to check out the links Karlis posted originally and they all still work magnificently. I wish something like this had been available for me when I was learning. Of course they would have had to put it on an 'abacus', computers weren't in every household. Heck, I don't know if they even existed.
Karlis, thanks for the efforts and guys like you, b0b, and so many others who are willing to share, is the ingredient that makes this the best forum I've ever had the pleasure of participating.  
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The spirit be with you!
If it aint got a steel, it aint real
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CrowBear Schmitt
From:
Ariege, - PairO'knees, - France
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Posted 9 Dec 2003 12:17 am
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| Good Move Fred |
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Michael Lewis
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Posted 9 Dec 2003 4:06 am
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Karlis,
Thank you for your efforts. They are appreciated greatly! I'm sure I'll be looking forward to any upgrades you're working on!
Happy Holidays,
Mike
'72 Emmons D10 |
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