Where to start??

[Kevin Hejl]

Bought me a Carter steel recently and have had some fun just messing arouund with it but would really like to get serious. I have no prior expierence and would like to start learning. I live in ross tx about 20 miles north of waco. If anyone has some advice Im all ears!

[Calvin Walley]

your going to get a ton of replys about this
if i had to do it all over i would get Jeff Newmans "just play the melody " its 29 pages and its all about the "C" scale. learn it very well
then learn it some more , learn to transpose it to any key and your well on your way

[Donny Dennis]

Kevin,
There is quite a bit of information for beginner level pedal steel guitarists on the internet that is free. To start off I would suggest that you visit both the Carter-Starter and Carter Steel Guitars web sites. Just click on "Links" above, and then click on "Manufacturers", and you will see both the Carter-Starter and Carter Steel Guitars web sites. The Carter folks have placed a ton of information on both web sites, and I would suggest viewing thier video "The Pedal Steel Guitar E9 Nashville Tuning Demystified for Standard Guitarists". This is approximately a 20 minute video, but is very informative.

Also, Bill Bassett at the Expert Village web site has several videos that are very good including:
1) Country Music on a Pedal Steel Guitar
2) History of the Pedal Steel Guitar
3) How to Amplify a Pedal Steel Guitar
4) How to Form Chords on a Pedal Steel Guitar
5) How to Play Chords on a Pedal Steel Guitar
6) Practice Tips for a Pedal Steel Guitar

Mickey Adams and others have excellent videos on the YouTube web site for all levels of pedal steel guitarists.

Additionally, I would suggest looking for a teacher who can at least give you a few "one-on-one" sessions to get you started with the very basics such as how to tune a pedal steel guitar, chord groups, and etc.

Last but certainly not least there are some very good beginner level instructional DVDs produced by Jeff Newman, Joe Wright, and others that can be purchased through their web sites. If you are interested in purchasing instructional DVDs just click on "Links" above, and then "Vendors & Instruction".

Hope this helps.

Donny

[Mike Benzschawel]

hey kevin, one thing that has helped me a bunch (im a beginner too) is getting a music stand and a good chord chart. i believe i got mine from mel bay and it was very affordable. with the chart always handy i can quickly find out multiple ways to get and/or find a chord.
good luck!

[Jeff Agnew]

Kevin,

You've gotten some good recommendations but I'm going to suggest you should spend some time with a good teacher. Particularly in the early stages of learning steel it's possible to pick up bad habits, even from DVDs/videos, that will take much effort to undo simply because there's no one there to correct you.

Fortunately, you live about an hour from one of the greatest steel teachers in the world. Contact Maurice Anderson via e-mail (search for his name on the Forum) and arrange for private lessons. I guarantee it will be the best investment you could ever make in learning the instrument. He lives in Keller, just north of Fort Worth, and you can pretty much just head up I-35, make a right at the TMS racetrack, and he's just a few miles down the road.

Reece is one of the very few who is not only a world-class player but a world-class teacher. You'll learn not only what to do, but why. You won't just learn licks or unconnected pieces of information -- he'll give you a solid musical foundation that will serve you well in the future. Most important, he can give you the mental tools you need to keep learning long after you've stopped taking lessons.

Best of luck in your musical journey.

[Lee Baucum]

Welcome to the Forum! We need more Texans!

Is Heitmiller's still serving plate-sized chicken fried steaks?

[Kevin Hejl]

Thanks for all the replys and Lee yes they still are serving them up. They are under new ownership but still same name and food.

[David Wright]

Kevin
Jeff A is 100% right a out Maurice. If your gonna start , start right with a live teacher. Maurice.