I have had alot of success on all the different pedal steels I've played by making sure the "A" note is 440. I will tune the "E" note open no pedals to 440; then tune by ear the rest of the guitar open and pedals and knee levers. Then I will push the "a" and "b" pedals down and tune the "A" note with the nylon tuner, straight up 440; then "by ear" I will tune the "E" note to that "A" note with pedals down and now my "E" note is at a new needle register on the tuner for that particular pedal steel, then make a mental note of that position on the tuner when you "have" to tune with the tuner. Then I will re-tune the instrument to that "E" note register and now the pedal down "A" chord is at the 440 reference with the A note being 440. Depending on the guitar the "E" note, no-pedals reference is now sharp depending on how much that particular guitar drops; but the "A" chord is always at a 440 reference. I have found that in the studio among all the other musicians that the no-pedal chord being slightly sharp in ok to the ear and that is the way the orchestra tunes anyway. But the pedal down chord "CANNOT" be flat or you will get ugly looks the whole session and maybe even kicked out and I can't afford that. So sharp is good and flat is bad.
The rest is done by small compensations with the bar hand; which is not much; but "if you don't learn to tune your instrument by ear; you won't have the ear to play in tune with your hands".
Our open tuning is an E tuning no pedals and a "A" tuning with pedals down.
We are so used to tuning to E 440 but the rest of the world is tuned to A 440.
So if you tune your guitar to E 440 and play an open A chord; than you are out of tune with the rest of the world because you "A" note(chord) will be flat.
So since I and the rest of us are used to tuning to the E note from the start; what I would suggest is to tune your guitar like you normally do open and pedals down. Now push the a and b pedals down and see on your tuner where the "A" note is(your 3rd or 6th string). Now adjust your A note to a perfect 440 with the tuners that tune the pedal. Now by ear; tune your E note to that A 440 note and then put it back to your tuner and see where that E note lays(usually sharp to 440); and that is your "NEW" E note and go ahead and retune the rest of your guitar to that E note reference like your used to.
So the way it turns out for your particular guitar is how much difference there is in the way your guitar re-acts to the pedals pushed.
So now in all probability your E reference is sharp to E 440; but your "A" chord is now tuned to "A" 440 and you will play in bettter tune than you ever have; if your not already doing this.
I alway tune my guitar by ear; as Tom Brumley always told me: "Ricky if you always practice on tuning your guitar by ear; than you are practicing on playing in tune and that is the goal here"!!!.
I do have the notes somewhat memorized where they lay on my tuner for my guitar, for the times that I don't get to make any noise at the gig or don't have time or can't hear. But finding out how your guitar tunes to "A" 440 is VERY important.
Another little practice thing I do at home when I ever practice; is I never practice with reverb and after tuning my steel; I will turn on my metronome that has a "A" 440 pitch to it; and I just warm up and play along with that "A" pitch going and you can play in key of A or E or D or C and I really listen to playing in tune with that pitch while I warm up or work on what ever.
E9th Pedal steel tuning proceedure
First you tune your "A" note to 440 then with
pedals down tune your "E" note to that "A" 440
note. Now you have the new "E" note reference to
"A" 440.
Tuning the open tuning.
Tune the other E note(4and8)
Tune the G#'s (3and6)to E
Tune the B's (5and10)to E
Tune the F#'s (1and7)to B
Tune the D# to B(2nd string)
Tuning the pedals and knee levers
Tune the A pedal(5and10) to the E note
Tune the B pedal(3and6)to the E note("A"440)
Tune the C pedal(4and5)to the A note
Tune E lower knee(4and8)to the B note
Tune E raise knee(4and8) to the A pedal
Tune D note(9th string) to and "A" note
Tune D# lower 1/2 tone to 9th string
Tune D# lower whole tone to A pedal
Ok there ya go> the whole thing in a nutshell.
Ricky
