Need knee lever advice

Bill Miller · From: Gaspe, Quebec, Canada

I'm completely new to knee levers since my old Sho-Bud S10 Professional didn't have any. The used Carter S10-DB I bought recently is a 3 & 5 guitar and I've had no trouble adapting to most of the changes since I already had them on the old guitar except on pedals. The vertical knee lever to lower the 5th string 'B' to 'Bb' is new to me but I've gotten into using it. However there are two changes that I haven't figured out how to incorporate. First, I can't see a use for the LKL change which raises the first string 'F#' to 'G#'. If I already have 'G#' on my third string why do I need another one on the first string? I know there's a use for it but it escapes me so far.
The second change I'm having trouble with is the RKR lever. I use the half stop on it to lower 'D#' to 'D', but I can't find any use for the full tone lower to 'C#'.
If someone can sum up the most common uses for these two pulls I'd be grateful.

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

In a word (or two): UNISON NOTES
For F# to G# on 1
Once you have the G# on 3 AND on 1 you can do little contrary motion things like



1--3~~3##~~~3----5-----8~~~~~8##--------------


2---------------------------------------------


3--3~~~~~~~~3B---5B----8B~~~~8----------------


4--3~~~~~~~~3C---5C----8C~~~~8----------------


5---------------------------------------------

Example: on my new CD, tune called 'Ballad'
(mp3 file -- go to the solo around 2:45)
click here

That lick plus several other uses for F# to G# are in that tune, particularly in that solo.

The other change (D# to C# on 2) can give similar contrary motion. It was made famous by Buddy Emmons years ago on several Ray Price tunes -- most notably 'Touch My Heart'. Search for 'Emmons cross' (what many call that lick) or 'Touch My Heart' in the tab section and you should find examples. I believe it's also on the Rebel and Ricky site. It's also on Buddy's course 'Half Duzin' Shuffles'.

If you can't find them, EMail me and I'll help as best I can.

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

mtulbert · From: Plano, Texas 75023

Hi Bill,

Raising the F# to do unison work with the third string is nice and can be a real haunting sound if done properly. Listen to Paul F's turnaround on Alan Jackson's Farewell Party on Ricky and Rebel's site to get the full gist of that.

Also, two examples of lowering the D# down two tones are 1. Another great Paul Franklin turnaround of Keith Whitely 1988 "I Never Go Around Mirrors" also available on Rebel's site and if you have Lloyd's latest album check out the break on the tune So Sad. Lloyd starts with the 2nd string lowered two tones and brings it up slowly to the D#. It will make the hair on the back of your neck stand up it is so well done.

One of the guys here has tabbed that part of the break if you want to check it out. The phrasing is pure Lloyd; sounds so simple and so hard to do.

Hope this helps.

Regards,

Mark T.

Bill Miller · From: Gaspe, Quebec, Canada

Thanks Larry and Mark. I've been listening to all of those MP3s except for the Lloyd Green one...don't have that, and I see what effect is being achieved. This will give me something to chew on for awhile. I've often taken note of that unison effect before and wondered how it was being done. With this guitar at least I have what I need to do it if I can just get a grip on the technique. I'll fool with it and see what happens.
Incidently, that's some really nice stuff in those sounds clips on your site Larry.

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Larry,

That is the first time I have heard you play. Friend you are incredibly good! Wow. I have listened to it now about 5 times. And each time I like it better.

You got some touch pardner. I love your choice of scale notes and phrasing. And the way you walk up from deep base to high treble is delightfully beautiful. I do not believe anyone could ever be dissapointed in calling upon you to play.

May Jesus nurture your talents always,

carl

Gino Iorfida · From: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

I have to agree with Carl on this one... hearing that link made me check out your site, and other samples off of your CD. VERY good, and tasteful! SOme of the phrasing you pick out is very 6 string-ish (whammy bar use of course

... then to think you are doing all this on PSG, All I keep thinkign is 'wow' and 'how the heck did he do that!'... gonna have to pick up a copy of your cd now sometime!

Bill Miller · From: Gaspe, Quebec, Canada

Once again I'm reminded of what an amazing place this is. With the info provided by Larry and Mark I sat down at the steel for an hour or so this evening and made a pretty decent beginning at using those unison pulls. Once I knew where I was headed I got some of those elusive sounds that show up so often on today's steel solos. Of course it's pretty shakey but at least someone turned the lights on.
The first thing I discovered was that my RKL was only raising 'F#' a half step to 'G' instead of 'G#'. I got that tuning from the E9 tuning chart on the Jeff Newman site. I wonder was that a typo? Or did Jeff Newman actually use that pull? Anyways, I retuned RKL to raise a full step and it all makes better sense to me now.

[This message was edited by Bill Miller on 20 June 2004 at 06:37 PM.]

Larry Bell · From: Englewood, Florida

Thanks for the nice words, guys. I was very pleased at the quality of the recording and the playing of all who volunteered their time and talents. It should be available on the Forum within a month or so. I have some copies I've burned and printed myself but haven't sent it off to be pressed yet. I'm better with the music than the artwork, but it should be done soon.

Bill, It probably wasn't a typo. The F# to G is a different change altogether that many players use. I used to use it to get a chromatic scale like this:



1--------------------0~~0#-----------------


2-----0b~~0--------------------------------


3---------------------------0~~0B----------


4-------------0~~0#------------------------


5--0A--------------------------------------


---C#--D--D#--E--F--F#--G--G#--A

That's one use.

The other, more common, usage is to get a pedals down dom7 chord. Hold down A+B and raise the 1st string to go from A or A6 (using the 1st string) to A7. I never found enough use to mess with a half-stop on the F# to G#, but some players do. You can get the same 6th to b7 movement by dropping back two frets with the E's lowered to D# for the 6th chord and raising the 6th with the B pedal. I sometimes pull the first behind the bar for a half-step or else just 'half pedal' the F# to G# pull.

Hope this helps.

------------------
Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2003 Fessenden S/D-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Dobro, Standel and Peavey Amps

Bengt Erlandsen · From: Brekstad, NORWAY

The F#-G# on 1st string will do the same when playing string 5 2 1 as the Apedal does with strings 8 6 5.

The Eb-C# full tone lower on 2nd string does the same to strings 5 2 1 as releasing Apedal when playing A+Bpedal on strings 7 6 5.

Slightly different timbre and another position to do the same things while other notes /chords are more easily available.

Lots and lots more things to do with both changes. Just experiment and have fun.

Bengt

Nicholas Dedring · From: Beacon, New York, USA

There are some licks that use this, and just some nice chord transitions as well.

Picking the third string, then the first string... immediately engage the F#-G# raise, and then release it... then continue descending the scale. Has a nice slinky sound to it.

That, and you can get an additional V-I change, at the root fret of whatever the one is... in E: pick strings 1, 4 and 5 with the E-lower lever engaged, then release the E-lower while engaging the F# raise.

Much more rudimentary stuff than what's above, but those two things are why I couldn't live without it. Other stuff will occur to you as you go along, including C pedal unison licks and so on.

Bill Miller · From: Gaspe, Quebec, Canada

Keep 'em coming folks. I'm printing these suggestions and working at them. I really like the unison effects I've found so far with the F# to G# lever. It has a real "high lonesome sound".

Ben Slaughter · From: Madera, California

I like that unison lick when going from a I to a VImin.

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Ben
Zum D10, NV400, POD, G&L Guitars, etc, etc.

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