Speedy West for 6 string lap steel video

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 23 Jan 2009 8:43 am

I made a short video of Speedy West's Flippin' The Lid for 6 string lap steel using Speedy's F#9 tuning. I spent a good amount of time listening and figuring out what the tuning was and adapted it for 6 string here. The video has its flaws, but in spite of that, I hope you get something good out of it. It can easily be play with a C6 tuning, dropping the 4th string from G to F# (D9 tuning).

This was supposed to be a test run, but because of my arcane method of doing this and the amount of time it took just to get it to the computer, I don't have time to do it right at this moment. It took about 10 minutes to shoot the video in one shot and hours to upload and compress it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4w_vzaQO4g

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 23 Jan 2009 8:48 am

That's so cool, Mike. I've never been able to get my head around Speedy's playing, so I'm glad to see someone is doing something in this vein. I look forward to learning some of this stuff finally!

Bob Markison · Post by **Bob Markison** » 23 Jan 2009 9:04 am

Wow!! Wonderful, Mike. Many thanks. - Bob Markison

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 23 Jan 2009 9:22 am

Mike, that is flat out awesome! Thanks so much for all the time and effort that went into that video - including all the months, days and years of prep time before the camera even rolled. Like Brad said, Speedy's playing isn't always easy to figure out and this clip puts me light years ahead of the amount of time I'd have to spend trying to figure that one out on my own. So cool!

Mark Roeder · Post by **Mark Roeder** » 23 Jan 2009 9:56 am

Great touch and great tone! Thanks for posting, it really helps us beginers to understand what we are trying to get to.

PS - I found a Moonlighters CD in a local shop. It is great as well.

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 23 Jan 2009 1:06 pm

Very nice Mike! thanks for posting that.

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 23 Jan 2009 4:43 pm

Wayyyy cewl!

Great that somebody is getting into that tuning after all.
One thing which again becomes so evident, is that Speedy not only so much was about boowhap swobosh craboom... but very into open strings mixed with barred ones and pull off and hammer ons even way up the neck.

Keep'em coming!

... J-D.

Todd Clinesmith · Post by **Todd Clinesmith** » 23 Jan 2009 4:45 pm

Great job Mike. You put a lot of time in there, and shared the secrets.... thanks.
todd

Oh yeahThat Epi/Aiello sounds sweet.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 23 Jan 2009 6:21 pm

Thanks for the feedback guys. I transcribed this tune last weekend and I've been too busy to do much with it, but it was an intense hour or 2 of learning.

I feel so indebted to all the great players whose music I've enjoyed, like Joaquin, JB, Speedy, Sol, Vance, Lloyd, Brumley, etc., that I just want to honor them in some way. I don't normally get a chance to play this kind of stuff often, although hopefully I will be playing some with Mr. Campilongo, but I love any chance I get. It's a learning experience for me, too.

Fred Kinbom · Post by **Fred Kinbom** » 23 Jan 2009 7:05 pm

Brilliant Mike!

Very inspiring!

Thanks for sharing!

Fred

Steve Cunningham · Post by **Steve Cunningham** » 23 Jan 2009 8:04 pm

Sounds great, and very informative - you really nailed that tune! I love the tone as well.

Papa Joe Pollick · Post by **Papa Joe Pollick** » 23 Jan 2009 8:18 pm

Thanks for sharing Mike..What's next???.....PJ....

Jeff Strouse · Post by **Jeff Strouse** » 24 Jan 2009 5:25 am

Spectacular, Mike! That made my whole day!

Kevin Brown · Post by **Kevin Brown** » 24 Jan 2009 5:54 am

thanks for taking the time mike, thats a brand new tuning on me and a very usefull lesson to store.

Jon Nygren · Post by **Jon Nygren** » 24 Jan 2009 6:39 am

Amazing job MIke!

Whats especially cool is that you translated it to six string, and showed that it can work well. Keep up the good work.

Todd Weger · Post by **Todd Weger** » 24 Jan 2009 8:17 am

Thanks for doing that, Mike. It really clears up a lot of questions I had about what the hell Speedy was doing on that tune, but never took the time to try to figure it out. You just saved me hours of frustration!

Now, I can enjoy hours of frustration in trying to be able to play it!

Roy Thomson · Post by **Roy Thomson** » 24 Jan 2009 5:51 pm

Right on the money Mike!
Great Job!

RT

Tom Pettingill · Post by **Tom Pettingill** » 24 Jan 2009 8:23 pm

Thanks Mike!

Tim Whitlock · Post by **Tim Whitlock** » 24 Jan 2009 8:45 pm

Really great Mike! Can't wait to give it a try.

Jamie O'Connell · Post by **Jamie O'Connell** » 24 Jan 2009 11:52 pm

First off, that was a smokin' performance! Second, thanks so much for sharing how Speedy did that -- it's a great service to the membership! I definitely have to take some time and see if I can learn some of that.

Thanks Mike!

Eric Ebner · Post by **Eric Ebner** » 25 Jan 2009 1:18 pm

Suck that gut in... is the secret;-) Just wonderful!

Fred Kinbom · Post by **Fred Kinbom** » 25 Jan 2009 2:23 pm

Yeah, about sucking that gut in, Mike, I think Paolo needs to take this advice to heart - look at him at this Christmas gig!

Fred

Anthony Locke · Post by **Anthony Locke** » 25 Jan 2009 7:55 pm

Yea man!

Rick Aiello · Post by **Rick Aiello** » 26 Jan 2009 5:38 am

Those are some pretty "speedy" fingers you have there ...

As far as the "suck in the gut" remark ...

My goal is to drink enough beer ... so that I can rest my steels on my belly ...

Kinda like Gerald's "crossed leg" style ...

Bill McRoberts · Post by **Bill McRoberts** » 26 Jan 2009 5:56 am

Wow....Thanks Mike......My eyes cross when I suck in my gut.........

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Speedy West for 6 string lap steel video

Speedy West for 6 string lap steel video

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