The Trusty Triad

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

How much would be lost, should you try playing melody lines on the single 10, C6th neck without stepping on pedals? The touted tuning then becomes, (I believe) one that offers good basic training, as the player is forced to go and find alternate means of musical expression. Surely, the "Trusty Triads" would be missed. Which of the deprived player's five pedals, would he/she struggle to keep away from? Thanks...

Bill H.

David L. Donald · From: Koh Samui Island, Thailand

Bill, I was a 6 string C6 player before I got pedals, and the triads are still there,
it's just not as fast to get to them.
But you have more posibilities with 10 strings. It is all there, but just not as fast.

Robert Thomas · From: Mehama, Oregon, USA

Hi Bill. I was raised on C-6th 58 years ago. I still find that I can play with or without pedals on the C-6th. I do believe that the pedals do give me much more versatility, but if they weren't there it wouldn't be a problem. The triads, as you call them, come naturally.

John McGann · From: Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.

There's good triads happening in most of the pedals, in fact, often triads over triads, which live on as extended chords ( 9, 11, 13 and their altered brethren), but even without pedals, one can state or imply a ton of harmony.

I'm studying a lot without pedals to really get the baseline of the notes and intervals down, so when the pedals and levers are used, I'll know exactly what's happening. For me, this is the way to get to know the neck.

I'd vote for p6 and p7 as triadic MVPS off the top of my head, but there are many more nice combinations in there. Cracking the code!

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

David D.,

What I had in mind was finding a way around the C6th tuning that would involve wider grips, and smoother transitional changes.

Bill H.

John McGann · From: Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.

Bill, you may know of these sources, but if not:

Bobbe Seymour's latest non-pedal C6th videos are a good source for seeing/hearing how much music is in there with no pedals. Billy Robinson is also a scary good player, very adventurous! Of course, Reece is tremendous on his extended 12 string Bb6 non-pedal.

Joe Wright's material is excellent in getting you accustomed to unusual grips. Most of the battle is mental-knowing what notes you need and where they are- the grips seem to follow (with enough practice to get the muscle memory-or is it tendon memory?), if you can see them in your mind's eye.

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

When I migrated from a single 6 string C6 tuning to a Double neck 8 string, one of my necks was of course C6. What to do with the last two strings was the question. I first tuned it to:

E
C
A
G
E
C
A
G

Then I went to see a Grand Ole Opry show that was appearing in town, and the steel player told me to tune my bottom string to F.

I did and discovered it was fast becoming a standard. Sadly, I never new about the grips and felt the F was wrong, UNTIL, I got my first D-10 PSG, then it made all the sense in the world.

So in my case the pedal steel brought out things in the non-pedal that I had never really realized. IE, using JB's "split-slants" respect to pedals 5 and 6 and his C6/A7 tuning respect to pedal 8.

Only as I looked back was I able to really delve back into the lap's tremendous contibution and it is still true today.

To answer the author's question, I would have to say pedal 7, since that is the only change that is next to impossible to get on a lap steel's C6 tuning. Pedals 5, 6 and 8 not only is easily done on a lap steel, but was done for 20 yrs before pedals became in vogue by JB. Not so with pedal 7.

It was, and is unigue; and unless you tune your lap steel to it, NO way that I know of can it be reproduced on the standard non pedal C6 tuning.

So mine would definitely be pedal 7.

carl

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Carl D.,

I appreciate your input on the forum. Your name is synonymous with high standards of achievements. On the C6 neck, strings 2,3,5,6,and 7 will provide the player a safe area to work out of, for major chords. The objective, is, to avoid the 4th string while picking major triads. Playing chord melodies without pedals, can be very entertaining, if the player is "conditioned" to play around the minor mode, of the 4th string. I view the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th strings as a rumpus area to excite the imagination. The higher note ranges, found on the thinner strings, help to elicit those endearing sounds, that made the instrument, one of a kind.

Bill H.

Robert Thomas · From: Mehama, Oregon, USA

C. Dixon, about the use of pedal 7. If you slant your bar so that it is on string 3 and 4 of the same fret and the heel of your bar 2 frets down on the 6th string you have the same thing has pedal 7 down, picking the 3rd, 4th and 6th string. I used that slant for many years before I ever went to playing pedals.

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

Robert T.,

I would reiterate that the C6th is a great tuning to get into the swing of things. My curiosity is running wild, in regard to playing the tuning, with less dependency on the pedals.

Bill H.

[This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 06 February 2004 at 01:41 PM.]

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

John M.,

Thanks for the access info, relative to finding the C6th tuning savvy. Isn't it amazing, and for the most part, unbelievable, how the top pros have grasped the 6th tuning, and have taken it to new heights. There is more to this ball of yarn, than to just go home and practice. I agree, that practice will bring the average player into the mediocre ball park, and from there, it's a tough climb to the upper plateaus. Checking the progress made by such greats, as, "Buddy", Paul, or "Reece", early in their musical careers, could offer some insight on the relevancies pertaining to progressiveness. I suspect that it's more the person, and after hearing any of the above play, I'm convinced, that this is a reasonable conclusion. ( I've edited this article, by switching first names for last names. This is a harmless method of treating the greats of steel guitar, with respect.)

Bill H.

[This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 06 February 2004 at 01:23 AM.]

John McGann · From: Boston, Massachusetts, USA * R.I.P.

Yes Bill, I would say it's the musician and the concept of music much more than the tuning, pedals or anything-but you have to drive through the tunnel (learning the neck and pedals, and learning the language of music) before you get to the daylight (the ability to re-create your vision on the instrument).

It's as true for pedal steel as it is for glass harmonica or piano.

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

John M.,

Yes, John, and the child prodigies further support the theory, that it is the individual, not some clever means of cutting cross-country to achieve the elusive goals. I'd guess that the best rewards to be found, are playing at all levels, and hoping to be classified as an entertainer.

Bill H.

[This message was edited by Bill Hankey on 06 February 2004 at 01:38 AM.]

Bill Hankey · From: Pittsfield, MA, USA

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