Bar Slants Grrrrr

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 28 Mar 2014 6:29 am

I've been playing for about a year now and love my lap steels. Gotten pretty pleased with most aspects of my playing but bar slants, especially across gapped strings still give me fits. I just can't seem to get the sound right. I've tried different bars, etc. but it is still a problem. I'm playing 22.5 inch scale guitars for the most part. For example, the arrangement of "Always" from Doug's first book, the first slant just seems to not come out right. I guess just more practice is the answer.

Post by **Brad Bechtel** » 28 Mar 2014 6:39 am

More practice is indeed the answer. What I found useful is to try to get the main melody note completely in tune first, then adjust the slant so the harmony note is in tune.

It may take a while, and it will drive any listener crazy while you're doing it, but the result should be worth it.

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 28 Mar 2014 7:25 am

more practice and give it time - a year on the steel is not going to give you the skill of dead on intonation yet - we all struggle with it no matter how long. pick tunes with lots of slants and stay at it - drop the bar, lose control, drive yourself nuts, whatever, but stick to the fundaments of proper technique and develop your ear.

a tip is to overslant more than you think when learning - i've heard it mentioned Jerry Byrd often said to his students "more thumb" - meaning to push it out more.

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 28 Mar 2014 7:30 am

Jerome is correct about overslanting. When you do that, you pass thru the correct pitch and since steel is all about gliss, the ear is more forgiving. If you underslant, you never get to the correct pitch.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 28 Mar 2014 11:39 am

What exactly is the problem, Jim?
After a year that part should easily be down pat unless there's something inhibiting your development. Otherwise it reminds me of a smoke addicted friend telling me my smoking 10 years wasn't enuf to get addicted. I went thru many steel learning fits initially but accurate slanting came quick and almost natural. Once you get it going it'll become an automatic thing and not really thot about as long as the ear is happy.

Bill Hatcher · Post by **Bill Hatcher** » 28 Mar 2014 11:50 am

use the leavitt tuning. you wont have to....

Chuck Christensen · Post by **Chuck Christensen** » 28 Mar 2014 12:34 pm

Jim, As Bill said with the levitt tuning you won't have to but, you can keep your tuning move up to the 12th fret and play the 2nd measure(the a-c notes)straight instead of slanting at the 9th fret...you probably know that though. Chuck

Doug Beaumier · Post by **Doug Beaumier** » 28 Mar 2014 1:52 pm

For example, the arrangement of "Always" from Doug's first book, the first slant just seems to not come out right.

Jim, try this...Set your tuner on your steel guitar or near your amp and play the slant. Play each note separately and look at the tuner. Adjust your slant until each note (separately) reads 440 on your tuner (I'm ignoring temperament for this example). When each of the two notes reads 440, look closely at the angle of your bar, the exact position of the bar. Then go back to the straight bar and try to do the slant again, without looking at the tuner. BTW, slants on adjacent strings are the hardest IMO. Slants on non-adjacent strings are easier.

Here's the slant you are referring to... the first slant in ALWAYS in my first lap steel song book.

AUDIO ---> http://www.playsteelguitar.com/Always.mp3

[tab]
ALWAYS
3/4 time

F SLANT
E ----------------------|------
C ----------------5 ~7--|--9---
A -------------5--5 ~7--|------
G ---5---------5--------|------
E ---5------------------|--8----
C ---5------------------|------
[/tab]

Jerome Hawkes · Post by **Jerome Hawkes** » 28 Mar 2014 1:59 pm

oh yeah, that slant should easily be doable - i thought you were talking about adjacent string slants like strings 2 & 3 - those are tough to nail.

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 28 Mar 2014 2:03 pm

Yes, I agree but I just can't get it to sound right. Strange thing is too that the same slant appears again later in the song in another context and it sounds ok when I play it there. lol

Don McGregor · Post by **Don McGregor** » 28 Mar 2014 2:12 pm

I use some other bars, too, but the bullet bars have my favorite thumb indentation that really helps me hold onto the sucker when slanting. What I've found, is that my left hand learns the movement that is needed for a forward or backward slant, much in the same way it learned to automatically grab a chord on regular guitar. I still have to use my ear to get it perfect, but eventually, using muscle memory, your hand should be able to go to that position without thinking about it. I do concentrate on the melody note somewhat, and sometimes have to fine tune the harmony note,but I love slanting now. It's opened up a whole world of new possibilities. Took a while to get here, and still learning, but it's a joy.

Tom Snook · Post by **Tom Snook** » 28 Mar 2014 2:42 pm

Jerome is right,better to over slant with the thumb and use a little vibrato and practice,practice ,practice.