I too are a new Lap Steel Player

Neil Smith · Post by **Neil Smith** » 3 Jan 2015 9:59 am

Hello Everyone - go steady on me im a first time poster.

I am literally hours into learning to play my new Morrell 8 String Lap Steel - I have it tuned to a high C6 ?? and i'm going through the "Rob Haines" Anyone Can Play DVD, and im not doing too bad, ive been rewinding the DVD and refreshing each time I play. My only issue is that sometimes he doesn't tell you quite what strings he is playing and there are no chord diagrams. Pfft !!!!

So I have a simple question what stings should I be playing for a Major Chord ?? im tuned to GECAGECA. Can anyone recommend a Scale / Chord Book ?? Website for this tuning ??

Many thanks

Neil

Jeff Mead · Post by **Jeff Mead** » 3 Jan 2015 10:36 am

For a major chord, any combination of the G E and C strings will work - just avoid the A strings so, assuming the high G is string 1:

123
235
356
567

Will all give major chords.

Deirdre Higgins · Post by **Deirdre Higgins** » 3 Jan 2015 11:09 am

Hi Neil and welcome to the forum !
Here is a link to a very informative website for steel guitar, John Ely covers tunings and has a chord locator too.
I wish you success Neil.

John Ely:
http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/index.php

Chord Locator:
http://www.hawaiiansteel.com/chordlocator/generic.php

Deirdre

Jeff Mead · Post by **Jeff Mead** » 3 Jan 2015 11:32 am

Deirdre Higgins wrote:Hi Jeff and welcome to the forum !

Thanks for the welcome but I've been here since 2006.

I think you meant to welcome Neil.

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 3 Jan 2015 3:31 pm

Neil the beauty of this tuning, or one of the strong point is the minor/major relation.

Like Jeff said the main major grip are (C in open position)

123
235
356
567

Use the sames grip and move them one string lower and you have minor chords (Am in open positions)

234
246
367
678

Also move these minor chord 2 fret lower (a hole tone) and you have 7th chord! (C7 at fret 10), you can do a lot of playing just with that!

If you consider that you can substitute a 7th chord with is relative minor 5th (Gm for C) and minor 6th (Am for C) you have lots of chord harmony just in these root position and 2 fret lower position. I hope its clear.

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 3 Jan 2015 5:21 pm

Learning the names of the notes in all the MAJOR and minor chords is very helpful for all musicians.
MAJORS: CEG..DF#A..EG#B..FAC..GBD..AC#E..BD#F# being most common and Minors: CEbG..DFA..EGB..FAbC..GBbD..ACE..BDF#..

My Steel guitar teacher had us learn those by memory, when I was taking lessons In the 1960's.
Dom

Deirdre Higgins · Post by **Deirdre Higgins** » 3 Jan 2015 7:40 pm

Jeff Mead wrote:
Thanks for the welcome but I've been here since 2006.

I think you meant to welcome Neil.

Thanks Jeff Lol, I edited my post.

Jean-Sebastien Gauthier · Post by **Jean-Sebastien Gauthier** » 4 Jan 2015 7:55 am

Dom Franco wrote:Learning the names of the notes in all the MAJOR and minor chords is very helpful for all musicians.
MAJORS: CEG..DF#A..EG#B..FAC..GBD..AC#E..BD#F# being most common and Minors: CEbG..DFA..EGB..FAbC..GBbD..ACE..BDF#..

My Steel guitar teacher had us learn those by memory, when I was taking lessons In the 1960's.
Dom

It sure help to know the names of the notes, its essential, but when I play I think more of the degree, root, third, fifth ect... I think you always have to know where are the degree you need.

Paul Honeycutt · Post by **Paul Honeycutt** » 4 Jan 2015 9:43 am

Thanks for the Joe Ely links, Deirdre! There's some good information in the chord and scale selectors. That's going to help me a lot.

Tony Lombardo · Post by **Tony Lombardo** » 4 Jan 2015 11:24 am

I think that link was for the site belonging to my old buddy John Ely, not Joe Ely. Joe Ely is a great performer from Texas. John Ely is a steel guitarist from Minnesota.

Neil Smith · Post by **Neil Smith** » 4 Jan 2015 12:49 pm

Dom Franco wrote:Learning the names of the notes in all the MAJOR and minor chords is very helpful for all musicians.
MAJORS: CEG..DF#A..EG#B..FAC..GBD..AC#E..BD#F# being most common and Minors: CEbG..DFA..EGB..FAbC..GBbD..ACE..BDF#..

My Steel guitar teacher had us learn those by memory, when I was taking lessons In the 1960's.
Dom

Thanks Everyone...

And thanks Dom

For the MAJORS/Minors what strings and frets
Eg
CEG - Fret ? And strings ???

That would help me no end...

Thank you...

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 4 Jan 2015 2:16 pm

Your tuning is a open C, so frets are:

Open C
1 D flat
2 D
3 E flat
4 E
5 F
6 G flat
7 G
8 A flat
9 A
10 B flat
11 B
12 C (Octave higher than open C)

note that flats can also be referred to as sharps. In other words fret one is also a C sharp. It is a half note lower than D, a half note higher than C. Note that B and E have no sharps however.

You might want to check out some kind of pocket book or basic primer on music theory.

Cindy Cashdollar has a very good set of lessons on C6 steel and they are written and demonstrated on 8 string steel. You can order these on DVD's or download them digitally through Homespun music.

Starting on an 8 string might be a bit confusing since much of the instruction material is written for 6 string. Keep in mind that you can always remove the highest and lowest strings if they are confusing you initially in following lessons. Probably better to leave em there and get used to them, but just sayin...

Also, Lessons with Troy has some good basic downloadable lessons on C6, they are affordable and well done. Make sure you start at lesson 1, and go through the basics before getting into the song lessons. Patience and learning the basics will pay off later down the road.

Welcome and good luck.

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 5 Jan 2015 4:55 am

Key: Look at the music staff for the note you want to play... then look directly above it at the tablature. You will see all the strings/frets where the note is accessable to play.

Bill Creller · Post by **Bill Creller** » 5 Jan 2015 5:34 pm

I always heard that the quickest way to make guitar players disappear was to put sheet music in front of them (notation)

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 5 Jan 2015 6:32 pm

I always heard that the quickest way to make guitar players disappear was to put sheet music in front of them (notation) Very Happy

The chart I posted can be a bit overwhelming, but it serves the purpose of showing all the notes on all the strings of the C6th tuning.

I have memorized all the notes on the 1st and 5th strings (that's easy if you know standard guitar)

Being able to play any note at up to 6 different places on the fretboard is mind boggling, especially to a piano player!
[/quote]

Neil Smith · Post by **Neil Smith** » 7 Jan 2015 11:03 am

Thanks for that chart Dom, that looks like the kind of thing I am after - however I don't mean to sound ungrateful but I am playing a HighC6 tuning on an Eight string Lap Steel...

thanks

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 7 Jan 2015 1:40 pm

Neil;
Everything on the chart still applies, you could just pencil in another line on the tablature starting at "G" with a zero above the 3 on the E string... etc.

George Piburn · Post by **George Piburn** » 7 Jan 2015 4:04 pm

http://www.steelguitarcamp.com/index.html

Scroll down to the bottom area , and there are links to some new Chord locators we are developing.

Click Web Page Versions for Computers and Click Android App for Smart Phone and Devises.

Hopefully these will clear up your needs for now.

Best Regards

GeorgeBoards

George Rout · Post by **George Rout** » 7 Jan 2015 4:41 pm

Hi Neil and I too welcome you to the most interesting and helpful website for steelers. I'm an old geizer and do not play in C6th tuning, but if I had to start all over again, I would choose it. You're in for a good time. Good luck

George
georgerout.com
check me out George Rout 9 on Youtube

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 7 Jan 2015 6:56 pm

That's a neat chart Dom, going to print and keep that one.

Spats Davenport · Post by **Spats Davenport** » 10 Jan 2015 2:15 am

Hi Neil, and welcome from an infrequent poster.

Keeping away from that string with the 6th (A for you) is tricky. I've just started on a home made 8 string.

I'm a singer guitarist and just play steel when recording at home - I don't play it out. So even if I find it unwieldy, I like the 8 string for having the 5th on top - it saves me having to do slants. (Was it sacrilegious to say that around here?)

Best of luck on your journey,

Spats.

Jim Williams · Post by **Jim Williams** » 10 Jan 2015 11:36 am

While practicing this morning I came across a few pages of scales I had printed out from steelc6th.com. This is very good practice material and the statement at the beginning of them is profound. Some of the scales have slants, which will prove difficult for the beginner, but are extremely important to learn. Playing scales is not as much fun as learning songs, but it will pay off greatly when you start wanting to "find" your own arrangements rather than learning from others. http://www.steelc6th.com/tabs/c6th_scales.htm
David refers to these as "chord scales". You will also see them referred to as harmony scales. As a fun exercise try finding simple melodies like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star using the scales.

Dom Franco · Post by **Dom Franco** » 14 Jan 2015 2:39 pm

Here's all 8 strings. I will send the original Excel sheet to anyone who wants it. (Much easier to read) Just email me.

This was a fun chart to make. It was eye opening for me to see that the 1st string pitch (G) is obtainable on all of the other strings as well. The way each of the other notes are available at fewer places as you play in the lower or higher end of the range makes for a very graphic pattern and to me demonstrates beauty in the math of music.

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