how did you learn to play

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 2 Nov 2007 6:53 am

The best way... on the bandstand

I agree! Playing steady with a band will speed up the learning process like nothing else. It beats any teacher or course IMHO.

Ben Jones · Post by **Ben Jones** » 2 Nov 2007 7:38 am

yeah I cant vote, its sorta all of the above and none of the above.

You people have probably taught me more than any other source thus far.

I need to find a band, and a teacher tho.

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 2 Nov 2007 8:02 am

After a two-week jumpstart with the Volume I Beginner VHS videotape by Tim McCasland, I was on a bandstand. Other than that, for the first couple of years, it was strictly on my own.

I've used some other videos in the last few years.

Garry Simpson · Post by **Garry Simpson** » 2 Nov 2007 8:13 am

I'm an new steel player but have played guitar for years. The steel is a difficult instrument but I find learning it is easier to me than guitar due to the fact the internet is here and materials, instruction and advise are much much easier to obtain than back in the day when I started on guitar. Back then you bought a 45 and listened to it until you figured out how to play it. When I move back to Tulsa, Okla. I plan on trying to find a real live instructor.

Don Brown, Sr. · Post by **Don Brown, Sr.** » 2 Nov 2007 8:50 am

No catagories to fit..

Listening to all of the greats, on records (too numerous to mention) then Practice, & TOTAL Dedication along with Pure Determination.

Many, many, days and nights, all night long. Get tired, take a break, and right back to it again and again. Listening to every country record I could get my hands on, (for the steel parts). Then sitting down determined that I would eventually duplicate what I was hearing.

My Sincere thanks goes out to each of the many who recorded their fine playing abilities on the recording sessions, because country records were all we had to go by back then.

To the new ones taking an interest in learning to play Steel:

Don't ever get discouraged. You CAN do it if you truly want it.. And that's the portion that's up to each of you. Above all else, "Don't give up on yourselves!"

Brandon Ordoyne · Post by **Brandon Ordoyne** » 2 Nov 2007 9:26 am

I have had the opportunity of being a personal student of Jody Cameron from Angleton, TX for the past 10 months. I did not know anything really about music theory nor the Pedal Steel Guitar. We started from the beginning and worked our way up! He is very patient, and doesnt mind working over and over until we get it right! Jody is an excellent steel player and teacher. If anyone has the chance to attend his Texas Steel Guitar School (www.jodycameronmusic.com) the next time he has one, you will gain a tremendous amount of knowlege, and I guarantee it will be money well spent!

Brandon

Steve Norman · Post by **Steve Norman** » 2 Nov 2007 9:33 am

I got DeWitt Scott's big pedal steel book(cant remember the name) and Winnie Winston's book and a carter starter. The starter comes with a dvd that helped a lot. I was already in a band and started slipping in steel where I could safely put it, , gradually replacing my 6 string parts. Once I got the basics I joined a band I didn't really care about and used it as a learning lab playing more risky stuff. Steep learning curve that way. For me other than picking/bar technique, I found my chord construction was week. I got into the habit of playing by shape on the 6 guitar. One thing I did that helped was mapping out chords on the neck with the various pedals down. I also have been searching the Forum extensively for newbie questions, which I didnt know to ask. Last thing, bugging the hell out of every local player, and every touring player that comes through Seattle.

Les Anderson · Post by **Les Anderson** » 2 Nov 2007 9:55 am

The fastest road to discouragement and giving up is to be your own critic. Your own ear can and will pick out the tiniest mistakes that you may make. The other band members may hear or notice 50%: the audience usually hears nothing unless you throw a real lemon out there.

Being patient with your learning curve is the first major hurdle in learning to play the steel guitar.

Mike Ester · Post by **Mike Ester** » 2 Nov 2007 12:19 pm

I started out with Winnie Winston's book, back around 1980.

Larry Strawn · Post by **Larry Strawn** » 2 Nov 2007 4:06 pm

I bought Scottys Antholagy of pedal steel, and Winnies book. I wore the printing off the pages of both. If I still had them I'm sure I could go back thru them and find a lot that I missed!

Larry

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 2 Nov 2007 4:13 pm

Doug Beaumier wrote:"none of the above"

I learned on my own, using my knowledge of guitar and listening to records, figuring out where the chords are, licks, etc.

Me, too. When you already play guitar, banjo, mandoline, dulcimer, lute, etc., you can transfer a lot of what you already know to the pedal steel.
However, having said that, of all the instruments I play, the pedal steel is far and away the most difficult. Its difficulty comes from its sheer versatility; multiple tunings, no fixed notes, using both hands, both feet, both knees, and any other body part you can throw at the machine !

My immediate reaction to the question, "How did you learn to play the steel guitar" was "I never did. I'm still trying to figure it all out. I guess I'll die trying..."

basilh · Post by **basilh** » 2 Nov 2007 4:58 pm

Doug Beaumier wrote:"none of the above"

I learned on my own, using my knowledge of guitar and listening to records, figuring out where the chords are, licks, etc.

Likewise with a little help from Pat, and on my behalf, the memories of watching William Cox playing.

Tune1

Ten Tiny toes

My Happiness

Sophisticated Hula

Alan Brookes · Post by **Alan Brookes** » 2 Nov 2007 6:35 pm

basilh wrote:...Likewise with a little help from Pat, and on my behalf, the memories of watching William Cox playing...

For those of you not "in the know", I'm sure Basil won't mind me pointing out that Pat is Basil's wife and rhythm guitarist, and Wiiliam Cox was Basil's father-in-law, and erstwhile steel guitarist for the Waikiki Islanders, a group which Basil resurrected a few years later.

Basil's links are of Williams Cox and the Waikiki Islands playing in a BBC radio programme many years ago, and are well worth listening to.

David Wren · Post by **David Wren** » 3 Nov 2007 9:37 am

Method #5.... Tom Brumley at 16 1/2 RPMs

Don Sulesky · Post by **Don Sulesky** » 3 Nov 2007 9:46 am

I pretty much learned on my own for years with the help of Winnie's book for some basics.
Although most of what I learned in the early years was from my 20 years as a guitar player and working out the chord patterns from the guitar.
But it all came together for me in the 80's when I took several seminars from Jeff Newman.
He opened my eyes to what I had been trying to play.
Don

John De Maille · Post by **John De Maille** » 4 Nov 2007 11:24 am

I, too, am self taught. I was a guitar player for many years before, so, a lot of the concepts fell right into place for me. Although, a couple of seminars with Jeff Newman saved me many hours of figuring it out. The steel guitar, back in the 70's for me, had a huge lack of info and very few people to talk to. I wasn't playing "country music", I was playing "country rock music" and the steel was being used sparingly by some. Also, joining the PSGA was a huge help !!!

Tony Williams · Post by **Tony Williams** » 5 Nov 2007 8:18 pm

From the real McCoy, Miss Alma McCoy. Same teacher as Lloyd Green, same time, but different results. I went on to become an Electrical Engineer. I still play for the same reason I started and that is for personal satisfaction.

Tony

CrowBear Schmitt · Post by **CrowBear Schmitt** » 6 Nov 2007 1:45 am

unfortunately, i never had a live teacher
i learned w: Winnie's book on a Maverick
once i joined the rest of ya's here, that's where i learned the most

Paddy Long · Post by **Paddy Long** » 6 Nov 2007 12:13 pm

I started with Winnies Book and a ShoBud Pro I in 1978, then learned by playing and making mistakes on the bandstand. There was hardly any other steel players out here to talk to or see play. The real big step forward I made was attending Jeff Newmans Advanced class in 1982 in Nashville -- A lot of penny's dropped at this point ha !! Thats when I learned proper right hand technique - I probably learned more in 2 weeks than I would have discovered in 10 years of floundering on my own.