The temperament compromise: why pedal steel tuning requires intentional dissonance
In short: When tuning a pedal steel guitar, perfection is the enemy of harmony. To avoid a jarring sound, players must embrace a specific temperament compromise, tuning certain notes slightly flat to ensure that complex chord transitions sound smooth rather than discordant.
Tuning the knee levers on a pedal steel guitar is a delicate exercise in managing pitch shifts. Unlike standard instruments, these levers are designed to change the pitch of specific strings to facilitate complex chord voicings. For example, a common setup involves five knee levers, including one specifically designed to raise the E strings to F. The first lever typically targets the E strings. This specific mechanism is often referred to as the F lever due to its function.
This process requires a calculated compromise in temperament. To ensure that a G chord sounds correct when moving up three frets and engaging both the A pedal and the E lever, the E strings cannot be tuned to a standard 442 1/2 Hz. Instead, the F resulting from the lever must be tuned to 435 1/2 Hz. If the F were tuned to a standard 440 Hz, the resulting sound would be unpleasant.
The adjustment mechanism is subtle; increasing the effect of a lever does not necessarily mean raising the pitch, but rather increasing the amount of effect the pedal has on the string. For instance, if a string is slightly sharp, the player must lower the lever to achieve the desired pitch. While different tuning approaches exist, many players follow specific guides, such as the Newman chart, using their ears as the ultimate guide to ensure unison or harmonious intervals between strings. Other levers can lower strings, such as shifting Es down to D sharp. Some levers affect multiple strings simultaneously, like the right knee lever which impacts the second and ninth strings. This can create a discordant half-step interval before reaching a unison. Ultimately, musicians often rely on their own ears to guide these subtle adjustments.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: How to Tune the Knee Levers | Pedal Steel Guitar
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