Songs using harmonized scales?

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 2 Apr 2015 8:47 am

I'm looking for songs as examples for my students where the steel player makes extensive use of harmonized scales, major or minor, for melody and fills. One that comes to my mind is John Hughey and his great parts on Conway's "Lost in the Feeling."

More ideas from y'all would be appreciated. Thanks in advance! PLEASE suggest song AND artist; youtube link if you have it.

Mike Neer · Post by **Mike Neer** » 2 Apr 2015 8:53 am

Jitterbug Waltz

John Peay · Post by **John Peay** » 2 Apr 2015 10:27 am

What about the steel ride on "Together Again" ?

Joseph Napolitano · Post by **Joseph Napolitano** » 2 Apr 2015 6:29 pm

Mel Tillis' " Old Patches"

Jon Alexander · Post by **Jon Alexander** » 4 Apr 2015 2:32 am

Though not necessarily a "steel" song,"Away in the Manger" and any one of a number of recognizable Christmas songs/carols are excellent examples of harmonized scales and phrasing possibilities.

Marc Friedland · Post by **Marc Friedland** » 4 Apr 2015 7:41 pm

Hi John McClung!
Jon Alexander is right. Joy To The World is a good example of that. (No, not 3 Dog Night's version)

Andy Volk · Post by **Andy Volk** » 6 Apr 2015 6:28 am

Whether harmonized scales were used on the original versions or not these three standards (below) cry out for harmonized scales. Really, any song with a simple, diatonic melody would work as a student exercise - the more familiar the better .... Red River Valley, Happy Birthday, etc.

1. Cold, cold heart,
2. Blue eyes cryin' in the rain
3. Spanish eyes

Joachim Kettner · Post by **Joachim Kettner** » 6 Apr 2015 6:39 am

"Tains And Boats And Planes" and "(There Is A Rose) In Spanish Harlem".

Mark van Allen · Post by **Mark van Allen** » 6 Apr 2015 10:49 am

John, I can't think of a whole song right off, but one thing I always show my students is the extensive use BE and others made of the horizontal thirds harmony scales on intros and the kickoffs to solos on so many of the Price shuffles, and the the "vertical" thirds harmony Buddy used so often as parts of melodies (Wichita Lineman, Touch My heart, Invitation To The Blues come to mind) moving through strings 3&4, 1&2, and 4&5. Wonderful stuff.

Joe Burke · Post by **Joe Burke** » 7 Apr 2015 8:35 am

One of the things my lap steel teacher taught me was different ways to harmonize with You Are My Sunshine.

Henry Brooks · Post by **Henry Brooks** » 8 Apr 2015 10:57 am

Hal Rugg did that a lot on E9th. You can see him moving up and down the neck in the DVDs he did with Buddy Emmons and Herby Wallace. Jeff Newman at one time put out a monthly course for E9 that came with a booklet and a small 33 1/3 record. In months 3 thru 5 he taught how to do what he called walkups. In the fifth month he used the walkups to backup a singer. The song was Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain. It was popular at the time, Willie Nelson had recorded it.
Henry

John McClung · Post by **John McClung** » 14 Apr 2015 12:32 am

Thanks for all the ideas, folks! Keep 'em coming.