| Visit Our Catalog at SteelGuitarShopper.com |

Post new topic Augmented Chord Using "F Lever" with A & B Ped
Goto page 1, 2  Next
Reply to topic
Author Topic:  Augmented Chord Using "F Lever" with A & B Ped
Lee Baucum


From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
Post  Posted 21 May 2013 9:46 am    
Reply with quote

I've been experimenting with tuning to "Just Intonation" lately. Typically, I tune somewhere between J.I. and E.T.

Tuning the beats out of the thirds, G#'s, C#'s, and F's, gives real sweet sounding major chords. (Let's not talk about those pesky F#'s.)

BUT! What about when you play an augmented chord, pressing the A and B pedals and using the "F Lever" (raising the 4th and 8th strings one-half step)?

Since the 4th string, E > F, is tuned so low, there is a whole bunch of dissonance going on between the 4th and 3rd strings.

What's the work-around for that pedal/knee-lever combination?
_________________
Lee, from South Texas - Down On The Rio Grande

There are only two options as I see it.
Either I'm right, or there is a sinister conspiracy to conceal the fact that I'm right.


Williams Keyless S-10, BMI S-10, Evans FET-500LV, Fender Steel King, 2 Roland Cube 80XL's,
Sarno FreeLoader, Goodrich Passive Volume Pedals, Vintage ACE Pack-A-Seat
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Herb Steiner

 

From:
Spicewood TX 78669
Post  Posted 21 May 2013 10:26 am     Re: Augmented Chord Using "F Lever" with A & B
Reply with quote

Lee Baucum wrote:
I've been experimenting with tuning to "Just Intonation" lately. Typically, I tune somewhere between J.I. and E.T.

Tuning the beats out of the thirds, G#'s, C#'s, and F's, gives real sweet sounding major chords. (Let's not talk about those pesky F#'s.)

BUT! What about when you play an augmented chord, pressing the A and B pedals and using the "F Lever" (raising the 4th and 8th strings one-half step)?

Since the 4th string, E > F, is tuned so low, there is a whole bunch of dissonance going on between the 4th and 3rd strings.

What's the work-around for that pedal/knee-lever combination?


The workaround is to get out of the clinical environment of a music room with a digital tuner, and get onstage with a Tele player who's got a set of .008s on his axe. Add to that a fiddle owner who's been playing for about 3 months.

Your aug. chord will sound just fine, trust me.
_________________
My rig: Infinity and Telonics.

Son, we live in a world with walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with steel guitars. Who's gonna do it? You? You, Lt. Weinberg?
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Richard Sinkler


From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
Post  Posted 21 May 2013 11:02 am    
Reply with quote

Herb... Laughing Laughing Laughing
_________________
Carter D10 8p/8k, Dekley S10 3p/4k C6 setup,Regal RD40 Dobro, Recording King Professional Dobro, NV400, NV112,Ibanez Gio guitar, Epiphone SG Special (open D slide guitar) . Playing for 54 years and still counting.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Peter Freiberger

 

From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 21 May 2013 11:09 am    
Reply with quote

You can also try looking around for other positions where the same combination of notes are more in tune. In this case, one of those is up a fret, half pedaling (or splitting) the A pedal. Or up 5 frets from that AB position and using strings 4,5 and 6 with a half (or split) A pedal.

One of my favorite augmented positions avoids the F lever. For instance playing a major triad like 5,6 and 8 open and moving down one fret with A and B and lowering 8 for a nice contrary motion to an aug. seventh chord.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Lane Gray


From:
Topeka, KS
Post  Posted 21 May 2013 11:55 am    
Reply with quote

If you voice it 5,6,8 you can true it a bit with a touch of bar slant. Or fingerpull
_________________
2 pedal steels, a lapStrat, and an 8-string Dobro (and 3 ukes)
More amps than guitars, and not many effects
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Yahoo Messenger
Cal Sharp


From:
the farm in Kornfield Kounty, TN
Post  Posted 21 May 2013 1:07 pm    
Reply with quote

Yeah, I use the 8th string rather than the 4th, too. I tune the 1/2 step raises on those strings differently.
_________________
C#
Me: Steel Guitar Madness
Latest ebook: Steel Guitar Insanity
Custom Made Covers for Steel Guitars & Amps at Sharp Covers Nashville
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 22 May 2013 8:19 am    
Reply with quote

I'm with Herb!
I don't have a problem with the A,B and F combination for an augmented chord.
I also don't have a problem with the A, B and E combination for a 9th chord.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Ray Anderson

 

From:
Jenkins, Kentucky USA
Post  Posted 22 May 2013 12:42 pm    
Reply with quote

With ya' on that Erv, I wear out the AB + E , Love using those 9ths. Thanks to Mr. Newman. Cool
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Erv Niehaus


From:
Litchfield, MN, USA
Post  Posted 22 May 2013 1:06 pm    
Reply with quote

Ray,
I really like the 9th chords, even on the rather simple country songs, just adds a little bit of flavor. Very Happy
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Ray Anderson

 

From:
Jenkins, Kentucky USA
Post  Posted 22 May 2013 2:45 pm    
Reply with quote

The truth of the matter is that playing 9ths , they make it appear that I'm better than I really am. Laughing Laughing If you can get by the audience you've got it whipped. But you'll never get by fellow musicians. Wink Rolling Eyes
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Mike Perlowin


From:
Los Angeles CA
Post  Posted 23 May 2013 3:22 am    
Reply with quote

I tune my Es and As (B pedal down) to 440,My B strings to 439, my G# strings, my C#s (A pedals down) and my E string raises and lowers to 437. My F# strings have compensators to bring them down from 440 to 437. String 1 is on the A pedal, string 5 is on the B.

It's not a perfect, but it works.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
bill dearmore


From:
Belton,Tx.,USA
Post  Posted 25 May 2013 11:01 am    
Reply with quote

One work around is to use B & C pedals rather than A & B, then if you have an all pull guitar(w/split tuning preferablly)lower the E's. Strings 3,4,5,6 will be your Aug7th(move the bar back a fret)...then add strings 8 and 10 for a bigger sounding 9 flat 5 chord...hope you find this interesting...Bill
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Stuart Legg


Post  Posted 25 May 2013 2:20 pm    
Reply with quote

I’m getting me one of those Hammerbucker pickups invented by McDonald Sr. for my steel so I can just tune straight up and the McDonald Hammerbucker will smooth all those beats out and make me perfectly in tune.
For those strings that have that pulsating “ouu wah ouu wah ouu” the McDonald Hammerbucker will cancel them out with an electronic signal that produces an “Eee Iii Eee Iii O”.
View user's profile Send private message
Peter Nylund


From:
Finland
Post  Posted 25 May 2013 9:06 pm     Re: Augmented Chord Using "F Lever" with A & B
Reply with quote

Very Happy
_________________
I know my playing is a bit pitchy, but at least my tone sucks
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 26 May 2013 6:13 am    
Reply with quote

I'm with Herb! Too many steelers spend too much time agonizing over trivialities. Get it to sound as good as you can...and then just go on playing. Cool
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Ron Pruter

 

From:
Arizona, USA
Post  Posted 26 May 2013 8:13 am    
Reply with quote

I don't think being in tune is a triviality. I refuse to tune my F lever down 28 cents (Emmons) That's over a quarter of a fret.
Bill- Good idea. A little less handy, but good.
_________________
Emmons SKH Le Grande, '73 Fender P/J bass, Tick tack bass, Regal high strung, USA Nashville 112.
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Mike Taylor

 

From:
Wetumpka, AL
Post  Posted 26 May 2013 1:48 pm    
Reply with quote

vibrato.. more sometimes than others... especially with a fiddle player..
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Mike Perlowin


From:
Los Angeles CA
Post  Posted 26 May 2013 3:52 pm    
Reply with quote

Donny Hinson wrote:
Too many steelers spend too much time agonizing over trivialities. )

(Gasp) You mean it doesn't really matter whether we use .25 or .225 gauge picks, or a 7/8 or 15/16 inch bar? Jeez. Next you'll be telling us that black guitars don't really sound better than those with other colors.

I'm shocked. SHOCKED I tell you. I am so disillusioned that I may never recover.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Dickie Whitley

 

Post  Posted 26 May 2013 4:10 pm    
Reply with quote

...

Last edited by Dickie Whitley on 30 May 2013 3:50 pm; edited 1 time in total
View user's profile Send private message
b0b


From:
Cloverdale, CA, USA
Post  Posted 26 May 2013 5:29 pm    
Reply with quote

I've never tried it, but I like Bill Dearmore's idea of using a tunable split on the 4th string with the C pedal and E lower lever. Seems to me that you could use it to dial in that pesky F note just for the augmented chord, using B+C+E.
_________________
-𝕓𝕆𝕓- (admin) - Robert P. Lee - Recordings - Breathe - D6th - Video
View user's profile Send private message Visit poster's website
Mike Perlowin


From:
Los Angeles CA
Post  Posted 26 May 2013 7:28 pm    
Reply with quote

Dickie Whitley wrote:
....but Mike, you don't have a black guitar do you?


Not yet, but I'm saving up for a can of spray paint.
___________________________

I have the split on the 4h string, but I use it with the B and C pedals to get the major 7th on a minor chord with he 6th string as the root, for the song Harlem Nocturne. I can get the same chord with the A,B, and F raises, but it's much smoother this way.

It never occurred to me to use this combination to get an augmented chord.
_________________
Please visit my web site and Soundcloud page and listen to the music posted there.
http://www.mikeperlowin.com http://soundcloud.com/mike-perlowin
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail Visit poster's website
Earnest Bovine


From:
Los Angeles CA USA
Post  Posted 26 May 2013 7:55 pm    
Reply with quote

Maybe the great Jethro Bodine could find 3 numbers less than 400 (cents) that add up to 1200 (cents).
View user's profile Send private message
Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 27 May 2013 4:55 am    
Reply with quote

Them double-naught spies are known to be tricky when it comes to cipherin'. Laughing

But...on the serious side:

Quote:
I don't think being in tune is a triviality. I refuse to tune my F lever down 28 cents (Emmons) That's over a quarter of a fret.


I try to tune to where it sounds good, both with myself, and with the other instruments. I really don't give a squat what the numbers are on some meter. Neutral
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail
Dickie Whitley

 

Post  Posted 27 May 2013 8:45 am    
Reply with quote

I really do love and appreciate these discussions on alternate ways of finding chords other than the "usual" locations (like the ones Jeff has in his E9th Chord Dictionary DVD). I believe Jeff taught that as a way of getting his students to know the chord positions without getting overly technical and complex. I think it a good thing to have alternate paths of getting to the same thing without necessarily have to add new knees or pedals. Thanks guys!
View user's profile Send private message
Will Cowell

 

From:
Cambridgeshire, UK
Post  Posted 27 May 2013 1:32 pm    
Reply with quote

Peter, I'm pretty sure what you describe does not produce an augmented 7th chord.

The word "augmented" refers to the fifth. Every incarnation of the augmented I know has the fifth raised a semitone.

What you describe produces a seventh with a flatted fifth, or a minor sixth - they are synonyms - or rather, different names, same notes.

More learned players would be welcome to weigh in on this one.
_________________
Williams 700 series keyless U12,
Sierra keyless U14, Eezzee-Slide & BJS bars
Moth-eaten old Marshall 150 combo
Roland Cube 80XL, Peterson Strobo+HD,
EarthQuaker Despatch Master for reverb / delay
View user's profile Send private message Send e-mail

All times are GMT - 8 Hours
Jump to:  
Please review our Forum Rules and Policies
Our Online Catalog
Strings, CDs, instruction, and steel guitar accessories
www.SteelGuitarShopper.com

The Steel Guitar Forum
148 S. Cloverdale Blvd.
Cloverdale, CA 95425 USA

Click Here to Send a Donation

Email SteelGuitarForum@gmail.com for technical support.


BIAB Styles
Ray Price Shuffles for Band-in-a-Box
by Jim Baron