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Topic: Total Newbie Needs advice on Where To Start. |
Doug Burling
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 31 Aug 2011 3:12 pm |
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I'm a 31 year old who has been bit hard by the lap steel sound. I want to get off to a good start and my dad told me you guys are the ones to ask. My dad has played a six string lap steel on and off over the last couple years, but he goes by tabs to learn songs and said that's not the best approach to learn lap steel. So, how and where do I start? I'm going to be starting off with an eight string lap steel. This was also suggested by dad.
Please! Fire away. I'm anxious to get started. My eight string lap steel will be here Friday, thanks to some help from dad. |
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Frank James Pracher
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 31 Aug 2011 3:29 pm
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I don't know if you have a tuning in mind, but I would suggest C6th. Lots of learning material, and some great instructional videos (check out the Georgeboards instructional videos).
I know there are different schools of thought on it, but I use tab. Doug Beaumier's book is a great way to start playing some classic steel guitar songs.
Have fun with it.
_________________
"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one" |
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Hal Braun
From:
Eustis, Florida, USA
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Posted 31 Aug 2011 6:54 pm
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Get a teacher! If there is not one local, there are some that give lessons online via Skype (I work with John Ely http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/index.php) and he is excellent, but there are others.
It really helps!
Good luck, and dont get frustrated like I do.. you will not sound as good as you want for some time..
Also, practice.. get a routine, try and stick with it, and practice. (darn.. this is pretty good advice.. I think I will try it!  ) |
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Doug Burling
From:
Ohio, USA
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Posted 1 Sep 2011 4:53 am
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Thanks for the advice. I'm soaking it all up.
My guitar will be here tomorrow and I know it will need new strings. I went to the "Strings" section on the forum to order strings, but don't know which ones to order. My dad told me to go with C6 tuning because there's so much material on C6 to learn from. I ordered a beginners instruction set from Georgeboards last night and his C6 for eight string is from low to high:
A-C-E-G-A-C-E-G. Should I order Stainless, Nickel, Zinn Nickel?
Hey, I was looking around on ebay and found this eight string chart for C6 and it's tuning is G-A-C-E-G-A-C-E. Is this a standard tuning for eight string C6, or is A-C-E-G-A-C-E-G? |
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Frank James Pracher
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 1 Sep 2011 5:29 am
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I am a six string player so I am no expert on the 8 string version of this tuning, but I think the tuning with the high G is slightly more popular. If that's what the Georgeboards Videos have I would go with that right now. You can change it up later if you like. When I do play eight I prefer the high E because I am used to having an E as my highest string.
_________________
"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one" |
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Benjamin Franz
From:
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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Posted 1 Sep 2011 5:34 am
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Some, like myself, prefer the G on top, some the E on top. It really is a matter of preference. You may want to experiment with both and see what you prefer, though it's a pain and involves restringing!
Or, if you set up with on E on top, it's only a slight retune to an A6, which will give you the same tuning as a C6 with a G on top, but three half steps lower in pitch. Hope that makes sense...
Scotty's sell great 8 string lap steel string sets, that are semi flat and sound great.
http://www.scottysmusic.com/nonpedsets.html
scroll down a bit to find the c6 set. |
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James Nottage
From:
Indiana, USA
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Posted 1 Sep 2011 6:51 am Beginning
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Greetings and welcome. I began about a year ago and am quite a bit older than you are. I started with 8 string in C6th also and have benefited from some of the great instructional material. I have to say, however, that something that has helped me more than anything is studying music theory. So many things made more sense when I understood the chromatic scale and then automatically understood the location of every note on the fret board and where it was located. These moments of discovery are most enpowering. They also allow for significant increases in knowledge and understanding. Yes, reading tabs works. Going beyond and understading standard notation is amazing. A good music teacher can help you through it all so hopefully you can find one who can also teach theory.
Best wishes with your adventure.
James Nottage
_________________
Clinesmith S-8; Pettingill P6; Rick-Style Vintage 47 Amp |
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Bill Leff
From:
Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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Posted 1 Sep 2011 6:42 pm
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| If you can swing it, go to the Hawaiian Steel Guitar Association convention in beautiful Joliet Illinois early next month. You will learn more that way than you can ever imagine, and you will have a blast too. Just be prepared for an older demographic than you are probably used to, and have an open mind. There will be many masters of this instrument at that venue. |
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Eric Davidson
From:
Kentucky, USA
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Posted 11 Sep 2011 7:28 am
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| I agree with Hal that you should try and find a teacher. I have only been playing a little over a year but I think that there is nothing like getting direct feedback from someone who has experience. Personally I think that the steel is an instrument that would be very difficult to figure out on your own. Of course there are people who do it that way and have done great, but for me I think a teacher has helped get me started in the right direction which would have taken me much longer to find on my own. Good luck! |
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Mitch Crane
From:
1000 Oaks, CA
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