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Topic: Tab reading question |
Craig Bailey
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Posted 26 Feb 2018 4:58 am |
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How do you read the + and - symbols in steel guitar tab in regards to the pedals and levers? I am trying to figure out which of the symbols corresponds to the A pedal, B pedal, AB pedals, D Lever and F Lever
+ = raise 1/2 tone
++ = raise a whole tone
- = lower 1/2 tone
- - = lower a whole tone
Thanks,
Craig |
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Jack Stoner
From:
Kansas City, MO
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Posted 26 Feb 2018 5:31 am
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| The ones I've seen are on the string that is changed. e.g. if you see a ++ on the 5th string, that is the A pedal raise. If you see a + on the 6th string, the B pedal raise. |
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Jeff Garden
From:
Center Sandwich, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2018 2:45 pm
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| Jack is right, Craig. I haven't seen the "+ or -" system used a whole lot but it does make sense and helps the reader learn what is actually happening when a particular pedal or lever is engaged i.e. raise or lower a particular string a 1/2 or whole tone. Herb Steiner's tab uses # or ## and b which is very similar. I'm a Jeff Newman graduate and he referred to the 4 and 8 lower as the D lever so I still refer to it as that. Buddy Emmons tab refers to it as an E lever. You can see how it might be confusing if you have tab from both of them. The + or - makes tab more universal...it means that it doesn't matter where your particular lever or pedal is located and what you refer to it as - you only need to know for example that "I want the lever that lowers strings 4 and 8 1/2 tone". |
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James Quillian
From:
San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Posted 26 Feb 2018 4:21 pm
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In a little time folks figure out which pedals and levers change the pitch on which strings. For example the A pedal moves the 5th string higher by a whole step. The number of pluses equals the number of half steps the pitch is going to change. ++ on the 5th string would mean the A pedal all the way to the floor. + on the fifth would mean push the pedal in enough to get a half step. With the Day set up the A and B pedals are reversed.
Pretty much if there is a symbol on a string next to a number the pitch is to be changed. The fourth and seventh strings can be lowered or raised depending on which lever is pushed.What I am saying is that once you know what every pedal and lever does. it makes less difference which symbols are used..
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlzieFLE5no |
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