Beginner tips anyone?

Marcus Sundbro · Post by **Marcus Sundbro** » 30 Nov 2000 4:42 am

I´ve just customized my old BC-warlock to a lapsteel(raised the nut and the bridge). I´m urgent to start playing in my Neil Young/country band. But I´m lost with all tunings etc. (checked out Brad´s page of steel). Any one with some good starting tip´s on tunings, technices etc?

nick allen · Post by **nick allen** » 30 Nov 2000 6:17 am

Well, on the assumption you're already a guitar player, I found the easiest tuning to start out with was open E (or D). It seems the easiest one to relate guitar thinking to, although some people (Mark Knopfler for one) find G tuning easier... One or the other, anyway, while you're getting used to the slide, approaching the neck from the other side, etc.
As far as technique, the first important thing is to use strings as heavy as your guitar will take. Personally I use d'Addario Chrome (flatwound) 13-56, and replace the .013 1st with a .015. I don't know how much choice of strings you get there - here in France it's impossible to get anything heavier than .056.
The 6th chord tunings can give a great sound, but are difficult to relate to straight away, and a regular major chord should fit with the kind of music you're talking about. Just get the sound you're looking for in your mind and slide away until you find it (As Mr Cooder once put it "Slide up the string until you can stand what you hear...").
Most of all, listen... This forum will give you plenty of hints who to listen to, but David Lindley is a Must !! (IMHO)

Have fun
Nick

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 30 Nov 2000 10:18 am

Seek out a teacher, or at least a player that knows how to play lap steel and get them to show you how to hold the bar, do a slant, hold your right hand etc. All of this can be done in a short amount of time and will go a long way in getting you started correctly.

-Bill

George Keoki Lake · Post by **George Keoki Lake** » 30 Nov 2000 10:33 pm

What Bill advises I'd advise also. Learn the instrument properly from the beginning before you pickup bad habits which you may never get rid of.

Marcus Sundbro · Post by **Marcus Sundbro** » 1 Dec 2000 4:20 am

The problem is I don´t think there is any lap-steel teachers in Stockholm and I don´t know anyone who plays either. Maybe I should get an instruction book, but which one?. What I really would want is some general tips on how to get started (without a teacher) just a few do:s and don´t:s or some other stuff (exercises, chord-diagrams,songtabs in E-major, maybe someone has Neil Young tabs or some Bruce Springsteen (Ghost of Tom Joad)!. What equipment do I need except from the BC, the bar and an amp?

Martin Abend · Post by **Martin Abend** » 1 Dec 2000 8:02 am

Marcus,

your story sounds a bit like my beginnig. First thing you should be sure about is: Do you want to play Lap Steel or Pedal Steel?

Neil Young has many tracks with Ben Keith playing Pedal-Steel, and as long as you are not an experienced Lap-Steel player you will get very frustrated rying to sound like him. I know what I'm talking about...

Just a thought,
-martin

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Paul Crawford · Post by **Paul Crawford** » 1 Dec 2000 12:22 pm

Marcus: If you're serious about really giving this a try, then you might want to buy "Steel Guitar: A Course for the Serious Student" by Jerry Byrd. They have a new video version of this course now which let's Jerry actually show hand positions and bar manipulation. Short of that is the older Audio course which I bought from Scottie's in St. Louis, (b0b has the link.) It's not cheap, about $100 USD for the Audio Version and probably double for the video (that's a guess only.) It will take you through all of the tunings, bar slants, and theory you'll need to tackle lap steel if you'll stick with it.

The only other thing I'd recommend is considering an investment in a BJS Lap Steel Bar. This is the Jerry Byrd bar, shorter and smaller than a normal Steel Bar. I plunked down the $50+ for it, and I'm tickled to death with it. This bar makes learning slants MUCH easier, (at least it did for me.) The secret seems to be the length where you can get your thumb tucked down under the bar securely for a reverse slant. I tried for months with a regular PSG bar and could never really get it down consistently until I bought my new one.

I know it's a lot of cash you might not have just to try this out, but if you like it, (my bet is you'll LOVE it), you'll have done yourself a huge favor by starting off as "right" as circumstances allow.

Best of Luck, Paul

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 1 Dec 2000 2:46 pm

What Paul says. But if you are on a more limited budget for a bar, Dunlop makes a "Jerry Byrd" bar that can be had for around $17 US and is available from Scotty's Music in St Louis, Missouri, USA. The URL is www.scottysmusic.com The model is the Dunlop 919. You can find it under the Accessories section. You can also purchase the BJS bar from them.

Bill

PS I don't work for Scotty's Music, just a satisfied customer.