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Topic: So...what are the 2 high strings actually good for? |
Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2023 7:36 pm |
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My 10-string is coming home after 7 years of me not playing, then a month with a Jackson 6-string....need a reminder, and actually I probably never really knew, what the top strings were for other than a fast cross-pick chromatic run on the top 4...
Thanks! It is a Williams 700, with an F#->G# on 1 and an Eb->E and D/C# on 2 (and C# on 9)..
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Dave Meis
From:
Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA
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Posted 4 Jul 2023 10:32 pm
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Sounds like you have the chromatic concept, so a few chordal possibilities would be:
Let's look at the 5th fret..
Open, you have an A
Raising st. 1 a half tone gives A- (stay off of string 3! 😄)
Lowering st. 2 a half tone gives you A7
Also, at the 5th fret, open on strings 5,2,&1 gives you a 5 chord D
Raising st. 1 a half tone gives a D aug
Lowering st. 2 a half gives D-
A nice 5 to 1 chord move is:
5,1,&2 for a D
Raise st. 1 for the augmented
Raise 1&2 all the way to get back to A
When raised all the way, 5,2,&1 is the same triad as 5,4,&3
And then, there's the unisons. Strings 2 lowered a whole, and 5 w/A
1 raised a whole and st. 3
2 raised a half and st. 4
4 with C and st. 1
This is by no means complete, and you'll find lots more!
Enjoy the journey! 👍 |
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Bengt Erlandsen
From:
Brekstad, NORWAY
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Posted 4 Jul 2023 10:48 pm
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Strings 2 and 1 give you access to notes that you otherwise would need a pedal or lever (or moving the bar) to get access to.
Together with strings 3 and 4, strings 2 and 1 are excellent choice for adding a melody note to some other note sustaining on one of the other strings (5 through 10)
The minor interval on strings 2 and 1 compliment the major interval found on strings 4 and 3 and lets you play hamonized scales without any use of pedals levers.
String 2 lowered to C# is an excellent choice for a Root note in certain situations.
Strings 2 and 1 give you a major triad with the 5th string as a root note.
Strings 2 and 1 give a full minor7th chord on strings 6 5 2 1
Spend some time playing melodies using only the top 5 strings and you should soon see the advantage of having those 2 top strings there.
Also spend some time exploring the different chords that can be created on strings 6 5 2 1. Those chords are really nice to know are available right in front of you.
There are tons more to be found on those top 2 strings in addition to what I have mentioned. Explore, listen and take note if you find something that you like when practising melodies and such that incorporate those top two strings. If you find something cool it will eventually sneak into your playing when improvising.
B.Erlandsen
Zumsteel S12extE9 7+7 |
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Fred Treece
From:
California, USA
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Posted 5 Jul 2023 8:52 am
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| They are there to add versatility to the instrument and help you be a better musician. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 5 Jul 2023 10:41 am
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And then there’s that neat diminished chord on 1, 2, & 3 when you raise string 3.  |
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Richard Sinkler
From:
aka: Rusty Strings -- Missoula, Montana
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Posted 5 Jul 2023 11:19 am
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| Donny Hinson wrote: |
| And then there’s that neat diminished chord on 1, 2, & 3 when you raise string 3. |
Cool. After 53 years, I never came across that one (D# dim). Could also get it on strings 8 (lowered to D#), string 7, and string 6 (raised to A).
Thanks Donny.
_________________
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 55 years and still counting. |
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Larry Dering
From:
Missouri, USA
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Posted 5 Jul 2023 1:25 pm
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| Every time this subject comes up I learn a new inversion. This is the least talked about string group and yet lots of people seem to know and use them. I only began using them after avoiding for years. Earlier forum searches only dropped a few examples. Thanks for bringing this up and for the folks who added their knowledge. Love this thread. |
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Norman Evans
From:
Tennessee
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Posted 5 Jul 2023 2:16 pm
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Another example, two frets behind pedals down, strings 1,2,3,5,6,7, and 10 with B pedal down is a 7th chord. throw in the E lower lever and every string except 9 is in the 7th chord.
A really good sounding 7th is 6 with B pedal down, and 1 and 2. You hear it a lot in LLoyd's Bars of Steel.
With pedals down, if you have a vertical that lowers 5 and 10 a half step and you can activate the vertical and the lever the lowers the E's at the same time, everything except the 9th string is a diminished chord.
Last edited by Norman Evans on 5 Jul 2023 2:29 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Dennis Detweiler
From:
Solon, Iowa, US
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Posted 5 Jul 2023 2:24 pm
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If you're duplicating intros and endings from recordings, there are a lot of the 1st and 2nd usage. Plus the knee that moves the 2nd string gets used a lot. I tune my 2nd open to C# and raise it +D/D#. I found it more useful and makes more sense in my own mind to raise it. Maybe Hal Rugg felt the same? Either way, the top two strings makes the melody and harmony notes flow better.
_________________
1976 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics 427 pickup, 1975 Birdseye U-12 MSA with Telonics X-12 pickup, Revelation preamp, Carbon Copy Delay and Hall Of Fame Reverb, Crown XLS 1002, 2- 15" Eminence Wheelhouse speakers, ShoBud Pedal, Effects Pedals. 1949 Epiphone D-8. |
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Donny Hinson
From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
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Posted 5 Jul 2023 2:57 pm
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| Richard Sinkler wrote: |
| Donny Hinson wrote: |
| And then there’s that neat diminished chord on 1, 2, & 3 when you raise string 3. |
Cool. After 53 years, I never came across that one (D# dim). Could also get it on strings 8 (lowered to D#), string 7, and string 6 (raised to A).
Thanks Donny. |
You're quite welcome, Richard!
Most of us "old geezers" learned a good way to use that one thanks to steeler Bill Johnson (who seldom gets any mention here). He used it on the Marty Robbins hit "The Shoe Goes On The Other Foot Tonight".
Rare video of Bill doing it w/Marty right here, @ 1:09-1:12
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNQjGr5lCGM |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 6 Jul 2023 6:31 pm
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I'd just like to thank the contributors here, this has been wonderful! After stopping for 7 years I'd forgotten much of this (or at least forgotten that I knew it...)...but there was much more here that I never knew.
So THANK YOU ALL!!
-Steve
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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Paul Sutherland
From:
Placerville, California
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Posted 7 Jul 2023 7:52 pm
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Good one Donnie. Like Richard, I had never run across that one. And it sounds excellent.
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It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing. |
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Steve Lipsey
From:
Portland, Oregon, USA
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Posted 8 Jul 2023 9:57 pm
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OK...Here's what I've got so far for everything, chords and transitions, with strings 1,2,7,9 featured....I'll get to the extended chords after these are all baked into me...
Pedal Steel Moves
Min: I:B+RKL IIm:C IIIm:LKR Vm:s5,2,1+½RKR Vm:s10,9,7 VIm:A
Maj: IV:AB V:LKR+RKL I:s5,2,1+RKL V:s5,2,1 VI:A+LKL bVII:s9,7,6B
7th: I7:+s7or I7:s2+½RKR VI7:LKL IV7:AB+RKL V7:B+LKR+all ex s9
Dim: pd-2,-1:LKL IV(I=+1fr):s1,2,3+B Ma7:LKR V6th:LKR
Chrom:up,dn+RKR, Unison:s1,3+s2,4:RKL s4,1:C Run:IVs4->9+B>B+A+RKR
V>V7:LKR+RKL>B+LKR V>V7:s5,2,1>s5,2,1+B V>I:5,2,1>5,2,1+RKL
IV>IV7:AB>AB+RKL IV>IV7:AB>B+LKR,-2f VI>VI7:A+LKL>LKL
I>Vim:AB+s8>s7 pdI>IV>V:ABs8,6,5>ABs9,7,6>s8,6,5
_________________
https://www.lostsailorspdx.com
Williams S10s, Milkman Pedal Steel Mini & "The Amp"
Ben Bonham Resos, 1954 Oahu Diana, 1936 Oahu Parlor |
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