Newbie: recommend me some instruction books for E9th

[Roman Sonnleitner]

Hi, pedal steel newbie here, just placed an order for a new WBS Basic 1 pedal steel http://www.wbssteelguitars.com/basicus1.html - it's an E9th, 3 pedals & 4 knee levers, standard Emmons setup, here's the copendent: http://www.wbssteelguitars.com/tuningus.html

It will take a couple of weeks until I get it, so I'm looking for instruction material in the meantime (teachers for pedal steel are rare to non-existent in my part of the world...).
BTW, the new Rob Haines E9 DVD for beginners is included with the WBS, but I'd also like to have some books, so please no DVD recommendations (don't have a TV in the rehearsal room).

I have been playing C6 lap steel for a couple of years now, so I don't need basic info about picking, blocking, bar technique - what I'm looking for is something that will get me started quickly on including this new instrument in the roots rock/trad. country band I'm currently with (we play songs by Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Elvis, CCR, Waylon Jennings, etc.), as well as in a new alt.counry project (think Richmond Fontaine/Calexico/Friends Of Dean Martinez-style) I'm starting - so, some info about where to find which chord, and what to do with pedals and knee levers, some basic licks & "pockets", that kind of stuff - I'd like to get into the theory part and the finer points of playing eventually, but as I said, for now I need something to get me playing that instrument with my band quickly, even if I only do backup chording at first!

I'd like something in TAB-form, but I'd prefer TABs with some kind of rhythmic notation - either by showing regular musical notation above the tab, or by including note stems and flags in the TAB - I'm really not a fan of TABs that only show the number of the fret without any hint at the duration of the note...

Oh, and it would be great if there were some books that are easily available either on Amazon or here at the SGF store!

[Mike Perlowin]

Pedal Steel Guitar by Winnie Winston. Oak publications.

[George Kimery]

ditto on tthe Winnie Winston book. A must. Also, the two Mel Bay prublications that Scotty wrote are very good to get you going. Do a search for Dewitt Scott on the forum or call Scotty's Music in St. Louis.

[Dennis Lee]

Hi Roman,

If you can, get ahold of Fran Newman and obtain some of Jeff Newman's instructional dvd's and material. There is a lot of good material out there now that wasn't around many years ago. Best wishes!

[John Sluszny]

http://pedalsteelmusic.com/instruction.html

[Roman Sonnleitner]

John,
I do know about the instruction stuff in the SGF store (bought some for lap steel previously, as well as the strings I use for LS) - but I wanted more specific info/opinions, before ordering something blind...

Oh, and thanks, guys - just ordered that Winnie Winston book from Amazon!

[John Sluszny]

Hi Roman,
Very good choice indeed !
I like Bruce Bouton's dvd as well !

[Ken Metcalf]

On the Steel Guitar Forum when you first get to the page that says click here to inter, up on top there are articles that are good and much over looked.
I would be nice to bring these into the main forum and perhaps add some new stuff.

Kenny

[Jim Cohen]

Do you know Walter Stettner? If not, you should!

[Tamara James]

Hi Roman,

If you can, get ahold of Fran Newman and obtain some of Jeff Newman's instructional dvd's and material. There is a lot of good material out there now that wasn't around many years ago. Best wishes!

I have Jeff Newman's beginner course with CD. I find it very useful. I also have Scotty Dewit's book and of course Winnie Winston's. I have found all three very good reference tools. I use one of them almost every day. I am blessed with a great instructor, but sometimes I want more details than time allows us during class time. I don't mind looking things up. I tend to remember them longer.

Mr. Newman's stuff is also available at Amazon. That is where I got mine.

[Ken Pippus]

I can't find any Jeffran stuff at Amazon. How did you search that?

KP

[Greg Cutshaw]

Roman,

All the material mentioned above is awesome and that's how I got my start.

If your looking for licks/riffs/songs that are tabbed out with sound files and rhythm tracks check out my site with over 350 tabs. I've got basic and advanced tabs ranging from country to jazz along with many songs and riffs from classic steel songs.

Steel Guitar Tabs

Greg

[Ben Jones]

Greg Cutshaws stuff is cool!
Winnie Winstons book is the standard.
Mickey Adams youtube videos are way cool.
Rebel Rickys site is great...do you have a computer in the practice room?

there aint alot of books out there that I know of.
Was it Rusty Young or Sneaky Pete that had a book? I'd love to see that one ...

[Tamara James]

I can't find any Jeffran stuff at Amazon. How did you search that?

KP

Sorry. I have bad days sometimes. Of all the things I have lost, I miss my mind the most.

try here for jeff newman

http://www.steelguitarcanada.com/instru ... newvid.htm

Must have had a blonde moment..

[Ken Pippus]

Tamara, thanks. I miss my mind too, but honestly, I never used it that much.

KP

[Jim Manley]

the direct web adress to Ms. Newmans site is www.jeffran.com I am not sure if she takes orders thru the internet though.

[Gary Arnold]

Roman check your pm email gary

[Veli-Pekka Haanmäki]

Hello,I'm almost exactly in the same situation now:

ordering a WBS Basic in E9 and looking for good instruction material.

I've played lap steel in different tunings for several years.

Roman,how do you like the WBS Basic and which instruction material did you get/found useful?

I'm thinking of ordering Jeff Newman stuff and Scotty's book at least.

[Mark van Allen]

Hi, Roman, welcome to the wonderful pursuit of pedal steel.
I second all the suggestions, especially the Winston book- not only great coverage of scales and exercises, but tasty arrangements that are fun to play and teach a lot, as well as invaluable maintenance info.

I have a theory course out that is intended to fill in the gaps that haven't made it into the book courses about the connection between theory, hearing, and how the E9 tuning works. Feedback is telling me it's helping a lot of new and experienced players put it all together. More here: http://www.markvanallen.com/store_books.html
Best wishes in the hunt!

[Roman Sonnleitner]

Thanks, guys - but have you looked at the date when I started this thread? I'm still far from proficient on PSG, but I have made at least a little bit of progress over the last 4 years...

[Alfred Ewell]

Pedal Steel Guitar by Winnie Winston. Oak publications.

Second that - big time!
..OK I'll edit- You started this a long time ago. There have been mentions about other sources with which I shall not disagree. You would greatly benefit from personal instruction, no doubt. But I reiterate my recommendation on Winnie Winston. There's something very nutshell about his take.

[Bill Howard]

Pedal Steel Guitar by Winnie Winston. Oak publications.

Mike totally agree I bet half the players on Steel Forum learned off of Winnies book I know I did,that was before we had internet.at the PS Convention I know guys would just walk up to the likes of winnie or jeff newman and ask questions which they always answered for me and didn't act like the minded doing so. I quit going due to the high admission prices and commercialism, I just cant see paying 100 bucks a day to get in!, I also had a steel stolen by someone who was always present at the convention....
he took it to repair then wouldn't answer my phone calls,the police called it criminal conversion:)...
Back to the subject Winnies book is great it has chords tabliture I played my first runs and chords with it GREAT BOOK!!!!.