Chords choices

Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

I'm appealing to the C6th chord gurus with the following question:

How would you play the following passage?
Am/G# Am/G Am/F#

I'm in the process of trying to learn the Michele LeGrande tune "What Are You Doing The Rest Of Your Life". I want to do this as a solo piece and the G#-G-F# in the bass is kickin' my butt. I've studied the fret board and I know it's there, I'm just not seeing it.

I'm trying this on the standard 10-string C6th (pedal 4 raises strings 4 and 8 ##, RKL lowers string 3 b, RKR raises string 4 #). Also, I have the D on top.

I've been able to figure out the passage on E9th, but I'd like to be able to play the song in the 6th tuning.

Thanks in advance for all the advice. b0b, thank-you, again, for this great forum.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

Since my last post the following is the only way I've been able to figure this out:

9th fret, pedals 4 and 6, strings 8 through 5 the notes are:
G# A C E

9th fret, pedals 1/2(4) and 6, strings 8 through 5 the notes are: G A C E

9th fret, pedal 6, strings 8 through 5 the notes are: F# A C E

Is this the only way to do this? Any and all advice is welcomed and appreciated.

Thanks and...

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

John Poston · From: Albuquerque, NM, USA

I can't think of another way offhand for the first chord, but can do open strings 2, 3, 4 and 5 for the A minor w/ G bass and then use pedal 5 to lower G to F#. Your way might sound smoother if you can get used to the half-pedaling, though.

Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

Thanks, John! I thought of the open position for the G bass chord, but like you say, it is smoother keeping it at one fret. It's the first time I've thought of half pedaling the forth pedal (I'm not very knowledgeable of the 6th tuning). Normally, I would play the G A C E as a minor 7th chord (A C E G) with the b7th interval on top and use pedal 6 and my RKR (see my initial post on this change). When I had my Sierra U14 I had the equivalent of strings 4 and 8 raising # on pedal 7. The standard 7th pedal change was on the inside LKL.

I'm still open to other ideas, so keep'em coming. Thanks!

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

John Poston · From: Albuquerque, NM, USA

Glenn,

I realized when I actually tried to play this at home that you can just us the bar tip to get the G# on string 5 in open position and get a pretty smooth transition.

So I guess it depends which method you like better and what makes most sense based on the chords you're coming from and going to. I myself don't mind half pedals because they just seem intuitive.

Jeff Lampert · From: queens, new york city

Glenn,

I believe the full chord run for the song is Am,Am/G#,Am/G,Am/F#. I tabbed it below. My suggestion is that if you intend to do solo pieces of show tunes on C6, you add a couple of additional pulls. This progression is a basic run in many show tunes and I can play the entire run with chromatic bass motion at the 5th and 6th frets with my copedent. I can also play that run between frets 0 and 2, and starting at fret 9, but always with minimal bar movement. Show tunes have the most complex harmony because the underlying bass note is often not even in the chord, so you need the ability to get your intervals at as many fret locations as possible in order to have maximum flexibility finding your low notes. Check out my solo pieces at the link below when you get a chance. .. Jeff

1_____________________2___________________________________________________________


2___________________________0____________________________________________________


3___________________________0____________________________________________________


4_____________6R______2R____0_____________________________________________________


5______9______6(5_____2__________________________________________________________


6______9(6____6(6_________________________________________________________________


7______9__________________________________________________________________________


8_________________________________________________________________________________


9_____________________2_____0(5__________________________________________________


10_____9______6(5_________________________________________________________________

------------------
[url=http://www.mightyfinemusic.com/jeff's_jazz.htm]Jeff's Jazz[/url]

[This message was edited by Jeff Lampert on 10 February 2006 at 01:39 PM.]

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

D__________________________________


E__________________________________


C____3#____3#____5b________________


A____3_____3_______________________


G____3b____3b____5_________________


E____3_____3b____5_________________


C________________5_________________


A__________________________________


F__________________________________


C__________________________________


   Am/G  Am/F#  Am/F

Just whiteboarding it at work...

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Here's another idea, but it requires the A-Ab lever:

D___________________________


E___________________________


C___1b_____1b____1b_________


A___1b_____1b____1b_________


G___________________________


E___1b_____1b____1b_________


C___________________________


A___________________________


F___1#_____1_____1b_________


C___________________________


   Am/G  Am/F#  Am/F  


    C-B   C-B    C-B


    A-Ab  A-Ab   A-Ab


    P6    P6     P6


    P5           P8

Bobby Lee · From: Cloverdale, California, USA

Or if you don't mind open strings:



D___________________________


E___________________________


C___0______0______0_________


A___0______0______0_________


G___________________________


E___1b_____1b_____0_________


C___________________________


A___________________________


F___1#_____1______0_________


C___________________________


   Am/G  Am/F#  Am/F  


    P6    P6     


    P5

Glenn Suchan · From: Austin, Texas

Thanks, ever so much, Jon, Jeff and Bobby!

Jon, I tried and liked your approach at the 0 fret.

Jeff, thanks for your link (I have it saved on my "favorites" for ready reference). I tried your way, also. Very good advice.

Bobby, once again, I liked your way. However, your bass notes digressed from G-F#-F. I needed G#-G-F#.

In the final analysis, I went with the easiest way (to me) which was:

9th fret, pedals 4 and 6, strings 8 through 5 (Am/G#)
9th fret, pedals (1/2)4 and 6, strings 8 through 5 (Am/G)
9th fret, pedal 6, strings 8 through 5 (Am/F#)

The reason elected to go this way is the transcription had grace notes that fell into place at the 9th fret with strings 1 and 3.

A cool thing about the composition. The progression, after the Am/G#, /G, /F# chords, goes to Fmaj7. So, the note movement (low to high) is:

G# A C E, G A C E, F# A C E, F A C E

The song is a real challenge for my rudimentary skills with the 10-string C6th tuning, but I'm having alot of fun with it. Jon, Jeff and Bobby, thanks again for all your great suggestions.

Keep on pickin'!
Glenn

Jeff Lampert · From: queens, new york city

You're welcome!

[This message was edited by Jeff Lampert on 11 February 2006 at 06:30 PM.]

Forum Index > Pedal Steel		Next oldest topic :: Next newest topic

All times are GMT - 8 Hours	Jump to: