"If I Only Had A Brain" - C6 - Sound File Added!

Douglas Schuch · Post by **Douglas Schuch** » 20 Dec 2017 1:42 pm

This tune is a personal favorite, as well as somewhat of a personal theme song.... Haha! I have wanted to figure this song out ever since I started playing pedal steel guitar 6 years ago. I finally just sat down (for most of three days) and came up with what I think is passable. I was shooting for a "chord-melody" style similar to Sez Adamson, one of my favorite steelers. Unfortunately, I can not play it good enough to record it yet - so maybe a better player will provide a recording? If not, I will try to get a recording up over the holidays.

As written, it requires a lever that raises string 4 a half- tone, as well as the more standard lever that lowers string 3 a half-tone. If you do not have the string 4-raise, then you can get the same chord in most places I use it by going up one fret and using pedals 5 + 6 plus the string 3 lower.

When I use the 4th string raise plus pedal 6 (the word "SIT" in the refrain - this is an E6, so you can get that open at fret 16, strings 4-7.

I use thumb and three fingers when playing C6, so it is tabbed accordingly. Some of the wider grips would work with 4 adjacent strings for those who use only two fingers.

Error correction and feedback appreciated!

Here is a link to the original version from the movie:

https://youtu.be/nauLgZISozs

And a link to a PDF copy of the tab on my G-Drive (2 pages):
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1ewPSm ... _cb8KNf2kO

OK, I've added a recording of me playing this, but I cheated - had to edit out a few pauses, and over-dub one chord I got wrong! Here's the link:

https://soundcloud.com/douglas-schuch/i ... ad-a-brain

Douglas Schuch · Post by **Douglas Schuch** » 21 Dec 2017 4:09 am

OK, I don't know why the .jpg's end up so fuzzy - they are not before uploading them, and are about the same size as they end up on the forum. I cropped them tighter and reloaded them to try to clear them up. But you can also download the PDF from my G-drive - link above.

Also, in the ending, I note under the chords "X2" - meaning play it twice. If I had written it out, it would have needed another page. I will get a sound file posted soon.

Jeff Garden · Post by **Jeff Garden** » 21 Dec 2017 9:05 am

Thank you Doug! I'm just about to fire up the steel and check it out. This would be a great tune to pair up with "Somewhere Over The Rainbow"

Douglas Schuch · Post by **Douglas Schuch** » 26 Dec 2017 2:42 pm

I added a sound-file for this - scoll down to the bottom to find the link.

Mike Selecky · Post by **Mike Selecky** » 27 Dec 2017 6:26 pm

Cool song - here's a great version by a well known player:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U4vZJ7 ... sp=sharing

Douglas Schuch · Post by **Douglas Schuch** » 3 Jan 2018 3:17 pm

Hey Mike, sorry for the late response - I somehow missed your post over the holidays.

And wow! Cool version of the song. Who is the steeler? If I had to guess, I would say Dan Jones from the band Standard Deviations - just sounds like his style, and like the rest of the band.

I searched a bit and could not find any pedal steel cover of this song.

Douglas Schuch · Post by **Douglas Schuch** » 3 Jan 2018 3:32 pm

Oh, Wow! When I checked out the track on your G-drive, it did not give the artist. But, after downloading it and playing it on my regular player, it says it is Paul Franklin.... I did not recognize his playing at all... but then, he is about as diverse a player as there ever was!

Mike Selecky · Post by **Mike Selecky** » 4 Jan 2018 12:20 pm

Yes - Paul at the ISGC 1988 - with Brent Mason on guitar