Jerry Byrd Course-Wow!

[M J Scott]

I just received my Jerry Byrd book from Scotty's. I spent some time reviewing it and must say it is complete and more. I read all the material for and did the first practice exercise (in A maj). I think it is really going to help me understand what I can only call odd tunings (coming from acoustic guitar, mandolin and dobro). I got the recommendation here and just want to say thanks.

If there is any interest I can give updates documenting my "journey" for those who will be taking up the lap steel in the future-could be a help to them.

[Mark Roeder]

I think it is always helpful to hear how other players make use of learning materials.
Mike Neer gets alot of interesting threads from the ideas he offers. I love it!

[Jerome Hawkes]

The video (DVD) is very helpful also - he goes in detail about a few things, esp the mental side which I enjoyed. Plus, there are some big differences in steel vs dobro tech you need to adapt

[Ray Montee]

The more you delve into it, the more you're going to appreciate having made the investment in that course.

If you take it one chapter at a time and don't skip around........you will become a fully competent musician with no holes in your learning experience.

Byrd was a Master...... To study anyone of lesser stature I believe could be a mistake.

Good Luck to you!

[Tom Snook]

I agree,the video (DVD)is very helpful.It's great to see The Master at work showing you how to do what he teaches you in his course.

[Jack Hanson]

Wondering if the JB course in question is the same as the one I purchased directly from Jerry in the mid 1980s. It was a large, thick soft cover with sort of a fuzzy red and gold cover, and was accompanied by two audio cassettes. Supposedly these were limited editions, and were hand numbered. There was no DVD (yet to be invented?) or video tape available as I recall. If this is indeed the same course, is the DVD available separately?

[Tom Snook]

Actually,the video(DVD) is a short 1hourish lesson,not part of the J.B. Course.It is still worth checking out.

[M J Scott]

Wondering if the JB course in question is the same as the one I purchased directly from Jerry in the mid 1980s. It was a large, thick soft cover with sort of a fuzzy red and gold cover, and was accompanied by two audio cassettes. Supposedly these were limited editions, and were hand numbered. There was no DVD (yet to be invented?) or video tape available as I recall. If this is indeed the same course, is the DVD available separately?

The audio cassettes have been replaced by cd's and it now comes in a 3 ring binder with a letter that says it is the revised version, but essentially the same course. The letter alludes to the collectability of your version.

[C. E. Jackson]

I first purchased the earlier course (red cover with Jerry's picture on the cover) in 1960, at a cost of $4.95. How times and prices have changed. I purchased the latest copy from Scotty's several years ago. It is excellent!

C. E.

[James Curtis]

I would love to hear your updates M.J.

[Doug Beaumier]

There were at least three editions of JB's course... early 1950s, then the 1960 edition with the red cover, published by Rickenbacker Co., and later the Big Course sold by Scotty. As others have said, they are all the same basic course, but each edition had more material, more pictures, songs, audio, etc.

[M J Scott]

Well...........I've had the "course" a week now. A bit of background. I have played acoustic guitar 16 years, mandolin 6 years and dobro for about 18 months of and on. My lap steel is a SX by Rondo. I am playing it through an Orange Crush 12W amp which is fine for the little room I play in. I bought the SX when my dobro was being built so I could get a head start on open D tuning. I have yet to get a volume pedal.

First impression of the book is that there is a ton of material in it. Jerry says not to skip around so I started on page 1 and have gone from there. I will say that his method of tab is much different from what I see on guitar mando and dobro, but in the end tab is tab. I have worked through the first three exercises which has taken me up through the forward slant. All the explanations in the book are very clear and easy to understand. I need to continue to work on those as I am slow and my timing isn't as good as it should be but has improved each day. Tonight I started on the first tune (all so far is in A maj tuning) I will stay at this point in course until I can smoothly play the tune before moving on. I will post my next update at that time. So far so good. If anyone has any questions - let me know.

Thanks, Mike

[Doug Beaumier]

Jerry takes you through several tunings and you can see how the instrument evolved over the years. He ends up with C6 tuning, which he considers to be the best all round tuning for lap steel. He was the first player to format the C6 tuning. Yes, the tablature is a little odd. He doesn't put the numbers on the lines, he puts them in the spaces, and the numbers for string 1 are above the top line. The course is a little dated, as far as guitar instruction goes, but it's still the best and most detailed lap steel course on the market.

[Jim Williams]

If one has a few months experience in playing and is dedicated to C6, would it be ok to selectively skip some alternate tuning info? Or are techniques in these that will apply to any tuning? I may pick this course up at some point.

[Ray Montee]

I'd not recommend it.

Jerry spent a lot of time in laying out this course.

His step by step method will take you thro' a logical series of happenings. Once you learn what he has to say in the course.......you will be a far more knowledgeable player with confidence and enhanced skills.

I'd follow the program and then if you feel you don't need a particular facet just forget it. Don't however skip over anything.

[Andy Volk]

I don't believe that Jerry's ghost will haunt you if you choose to approach his material in a way that works for you but may be different from how he envisioned - but I could be wrong!

[Ron Whitfield]

As far as skipping is concerned, it depends on how fully rounded on all aspects of the steel you want to be. While they were fun it didn't help me to do all the historic tunings, but that's my fault. If you just want to get on with playing correctly, focus on the basics he teaches 110% and pick a tuning you like (if it's in the book or not), then drive it home. Scotty sells tons of JB's arrangements in various tunings so you will have plenty of tunes to work on beyond the few in the book. Those arrangements are as he played them and are not easy, but you can fudge them enuf to get thru the songs (that's part of learning too) until you can step up completely in ability. Once you get good at playing songs it will be time to learn music reading and that's where the book really kicks in.
In the end I made up my own tuning and had to make it work by ear without remembering the other stuff or reading music as I 'hit the wall' when it came to circle of fifths hell and that was it for my Monday morning lessons.
But the foundations he lays out are critical for the classic style player, especially body posture and bar handling. After that it's up to you how far you wish to go with it, but he gives you everything you need to be a true pro.
Bottom line, he wanted you to play steel well and as he taught it, and then be yourself.

[Doug Beaumier]

Jerry teaches a lot of techniques on the various tunings so you should probably go through the entire book from start to finish. He does end up on C6 tuning, but the C6 section is fairly short and doesn't have many songs in C6. That's kind of surprising IMO. His Pro Arrangements are available from Scotty's Music, and they are very advanced, as Ron said. They are exactly as he plays the songs, a lot of fills mixed in with the melody, improv, lots of reverse slants, etc. the Pro Arrangements are somewhat frustrating because of the difficulty, but it's interesting to see how he gets some of his sounds.

[Jerome Hawkes]

the bad part about taking the book in series (as you probably should) is that you have to restring your steel, or have 2 (as you won't stay in the maj tunings very long). thats a good year + of work in there even for an intermediate player - getting it just right - all his phrasing, etc. i skipped over the first chapters just cause i didn't want to restring my C6 & knew i wasn't gonna play those tunings..so i jumped around, but i'm going to go back and start over (some day).
his thinking on that method was for the total beginner, and obviously its easier for someone just picking up steel to start with the major tunings to learn all the proper techniques. also to show the tuning evolution and how NOT to be afraid of all these different tunings, they are all related and have certain strengths and weaknesses. he knew what he was doing and thought it all out very well.

[Ray Montee]

WHY would you change strings each time you changed a tuning?

I have, and Jerry Byrd, routinely changed tunings right on stage in order to play a different tune with a specific sound.

I think it's entirely possible to play in four or five different tunings without any need for a string change. If you were playing in a recording studio for a big name artist, you might choose to change strings but otherwise.................?????

One set of strings.......should be sufficient.

[Russ Wever]

I spent many memorable 'extra-curricular' hours in Scottys family-room,
which was converted into an 'editing workshop' for purpose of putting
together the 'Big Course' for Jerry.

Jerry would mail the material to Scotty, written in his own hand and most
often with his own comments for the way he wanted it 'layed out', and
would phone often to clarify certain aspects.

Scotty, Mary and myself and from time-to-time Scottys children and my
'then-wife' would spend hour-upon-hour, night-upon-night laying out
the 'masters' (pages) from which the finished books would be printed.

It involved using sheets of â–º'dry transfer' lettering, numbers and various
'characters' that we would meticulously 'press' onto the page with a tool
to create the tabulature, digit-by-digit, letter-by-letter, etc..

No computer, no word-processing, no 'desktop publishing'!

Often for certain charts or illustrations I would put to use my limited
drafting experience.

I would estimate that the entire project, on our end, took perhaps near a
half-year to complete, while it took Jerry, 'a lifetime', you might say, to
culminate all that is offered up in this tome.

It was quite tedious but at the same time very interesting and Scotty
would, per his usual self, invoke a good deal of fun along the way.
~Russ

[Jerome Hawkes]

Ray brings up a good point and since this thread is regarding the JB method i thought i'd clarify my post for any beginners interested in the book (as it is over $100)
- the first chapters are A maj & E maj / E7 tunings progressing on up to C6/A7 - unless i'm missing something Ray discovered, you can't get ALL those tunings thru the course from one set of the same string gauges. you don't have to change ALL the strings, but if you have only 1 steel and you are learning on an older steel with the tuning keys barely working (try finding replacements when one goes) you need to stick to the recommended gauges within their limitations. in my case, i think 1 whole step (thats 2 semi-tones) up or down is about as far as i go until i can hear / feel it plays different. i.e. you don't want to pull a string rated for an E up to a G, etc.
i clarify this because when i got the method, as a beginner, all this was entirely confusing - why would i learn a tuning i wasn't going to be playing - only to relearn all over on the next one? later, you begin to see the relationship between tunings and how & why players progressed to get more out of the limitations of the instrument (i.e. a fixed tuning and a straight steel bar). it also confused me with the "why" C#m / F#9 / D9 / B11 - why those tunings & not say, Cm / Fm / C9... well, that goes to Rays point that with a standard C6 string set, you can by tuning a string or 2 up or down only 1/2-1 step get all these other sounds using the same instrument/string gauges.
but you can't go from Amaj to C6 without changing some strings around

[Ray Langley]

Here is a link to the full table of contents of the Jerry Byrd course. I posted it in January 2009.

http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=149235

Ray Langley

[M J Scott]

OK, not to bore (boar?) any of you folks, but here is a brief update on my "Jerry Byrd journey" so far. I was out of town most of the last week or so, so I started with all the exercises last night including the first A maj. song. Odd that I actually did OK and better than I remember previously. I had been playing dobro almost daily though. My biggest problems to date are dobro techniques that are different from the lap steel - like lifting the bar frequently, but I am sure that will be rectified over time. More to come.....

[Ray Montee]

As a newer player........you likely know from nothing.

By following Jerrys' program step by step, you will learn the various tunings in such a way that it will lead you thro' the steps that the actual tunings ultimately evolved.

You won't have to be an expert player in each of those tunings however you will acquire a much broader understanding of the instrument.

THINK ABOUT IT! The E9th tuning that is so popular today did not simply fall out of the sky and land on your lap. It evolved out of years of masterful playing by a host of professional musicians. If and when you embark on E9th, after studying the JB Course, without realizing it, you will be able to draw on the materials that you discovered in the earliest chapters of Jerry's Course.

I constantly fought this temptation when giving flight instruction. Most students would arrive ready to learn whatever it was I had to teach them. They typically were successfully during their course of study.

Others would come out to the airport and immediately start telling me what they wanted/expected to do...... They felt they were already hot enough to rush into landings and take-offs. These were usually the same individuals that would fudge on their log books and more often than not, the first to wreck their airplanes.

Start at #1 and then #2 and so on. You and only you will be the loser for taking any other course.