Recommended Tuning for New Lap Steeler??

[Kenn Geiger]

"here's my story, sad but true...."

I thought I had found someone who would teach me how to play the lap steel. He talked a great game and played beautifully. He told me that I should start using an open E tuning and tuned my el-cheapo artisan for me and showed me the first few bars of Hound Dog Blues and the first part of Wabash Cannonball. He told me to come for a weekly lesson and told me he could sell me a better lap steel for just over wholesale. I have a new Morgan Monroe MB1 Banjo I am either going to sell for enough to buy a better lap steel, or trade it for one. WELL - The key point that keeps coming up is the phrase "he told me". I left several unreturned messages for him. I finally contacted him today and now it seems that everything he told me is totally different. All Potatos and No Meat. Now I have no instructor and even doubt if the open E tuning is the best way for me to learn on.

The phrase "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is" comes to mind. I am bummed out, but, I know a few bars of a song he called "Hound Dog Blues" even though I cannot find the song on the internet - The part I learned sounds a lot like the beginning of "Second Hand Rose", and I also can do the first part of Wabash cannonball reasonably well. However, I cannot seem to locate any music books covering a lap steel open E tuning. There was an antique course book on eBay, but it was already sold when I looked for it.

I do have George Boards set of DVD's and CD's for the 8 string C6 tuning. If I use 2-7 and drop off the high and low strings it should work right? But..

Which is better for a new player? ( I haven't ever played an instrument before ) who likes CW & Gospel music the best? I'm disappointed and a bit confused right now. What is the consensus about the tuning?

[Don Barnhardt]

Open E is aperfectly good tuning; open A is probably better. If you're a beginner I'd stick with them for a while. Eventually though you'll want to go to C6 which I think is the single best tuning.

[Edward Meisse]

I have heard that Lorene Ruymer has a truly excelllent course for absolute beginners on their first instrument. It teaches not only technique but theory as well. I think it starts out in open A. But it may be open E. Trouble is, from your point of view, it is neither C&W nor gospel but Hawaiian music. You can look it up on the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association website if you think you might want to try it.

[Mark Mansueto]

What type of music do you want to play? Some tunings work better for certain types of music.

[Kenn Geiger]

I love Country Western, Swing, and Gospel music the most - but the Steel Guitar makes everything that is musical sound better.

My goal is to be able to sit down and play along with Band in a Box for my own enjoyment, and I would ultimately love to be a part of a church band.

I think my problem is not my lack of musical ability - but in my inability to get the music from the tabs to come out of my hands.

I took lessons on banjo to improve my dexterity and now I can pick reasonably well with my right hand, but my left hand is hampered by the residuals of two strokes and cannot respond quickly enough or strong enough to make it work.

I watch the videos and the players make it look so simple to coax that wonderful sound out of their instruments, and when I try it, I seem to offend my instrument and it refuses to respond to me. [Is there a special sacrifice that can be preformed for the Steel Gods? ]

This is a long post but I think that answers the question. I Really appreciate the responses I have gotten from the forum. This is very important to me to learn to play a steel guitar.

[Mark Mansueto]

Also, what type of bar are you using? If you're having trouble contolling your bar there are many different kinds that you can try that might help. I have capul tunnel and have trouble holding certain bars so I can relate to bar issues.

Sounds like you'll be interested in one of the 6th tunings that many prefer for country and swing.

[Andy Sandoval]

You'll find the most instruction for the C6 tuning and it's a really versatile tuning that lends itself to a lot of different styles of music. I'd start with it and then later experiment with the other tunings.

[William Griffith]

Hello, Check out the tab section for Greg Cutshaws tabs for C6 lap steel. Bill

[Edward Meisse]

Could it be that some kind of excercise or physical therapy for that hand might be in order? Is it working well for other tasks that you normally perform with it? Your last post made it sound like your hand could be the problem.

[Kenn Geiger]

I may not have made my original point clear. I can control the bar just fine, what my left hand lacks is the dexterity required to finger the frets on the banjo, mandolyn, guitar, or whatever if it requires single fingers to depress single strings on the frets. My index, pointer, and ring finger have strengthened over the years with therapy, however, the little finger on my left hand can only [at best] mute the string - I cannot get enough downward pressure to hold a string against the back of a fret. [There is also zero feeling in it - almost totally numb - has been since 1998] It is better now, because at the start I could only make the string buzz, now it mutes, but still cannot work satisfactorily. My physical therapists (there have been a few) have told me to feel blessed that the other three fingers work as well as they do. [the entire left hand is noticibly weaker than my right hand] Therefore the solution was to move to the steel guitar.

[Bill Creller]

Like Andy sez, C6th is the way to go. The old courses used A major as a starting point, but that's doing it the long way around I believe. Sticking to one good tuning will get you there.

[Bill Brummett]

Ultimately you'll want to go to C6 or A6. But for just starting out I think the Open E is ideal. The main reason is that -- if you already have familarity with standard guitar you'll be able to quickly see the comparisons.

Many of the steel guitar greats started out in Open E, including Shot Jackson, Herb Remington, Leon McAuliffe, Jerry Byrd, and many others. One of the younger super stars of steel -- Sarah Jory, told me she started out in Open E.

Of course -- after getting started -- most players do move to variations of the "6th" or "9th" tunings, as these give you more combinations with less bar work.

[Bill Creller]

Open E is a good tuning like Bill sez. dropping the third string will give you C#minor, which is a nice tuning for certain types of music.
I played E major in the forties until I "discovered" how JB got those sounds

[Brad Bechtel]

Don't you mean raising the second string?

Open E:

1. E
2. B
3. G#
4. E
5. B
6. E

C# minor:

1. E
2. C#
3. G#
4. E
5. B (or C#)
6. E