Improving Your E9 Playing is Just a Computer Click Away!

[John McClung]

Is 2019 the year you finally get serious about truly understanding and playing the E9 tuning?

This opening month of the new year is the perfect time to consider studying with me via Skype. I have a handful of time slots available to dedicated and serious E9 students.




E9 101: Bandstand Fundamentals
My personally-written “E9 101” curriculum is an easy-to-understand, logical and thorough presentation of the fundamental things you MUST know to survive on the bandstand, or any live playing situation. A handful of study songs will teach you:
• how to play major, minor and 7th chords;
• swing styles using 6th, 9th and 11th chords;
• how to accurately follow bass and melody lines via solid ear training;
• how to use the Nashville number system, including how to write clean, compact charts;
• most importantly, how to weave all the above together into a flowing, smooth, professional style.

While E9 101 is a solid foundation we work from, I do adapt to each student’s starting point and preferred learning method. Anything you already know we can just quickly skim over. This is not a cookie cutter experience for any student.

Before every student’s first lesson, I always ask: What is your prior experience? Who are your steel guitar heroes? And, what are your personal goals for your steel playing? I then begin thinking about how to best tailor the course to YOUR needs.

This course is for you if:
• you're a beginner who wants to get off on the right foot, avoiding blundering into bad habits because you don't know any better;
• you feel you don’t have a good grasp of the structure of the E9 tuning;
• you’re not sure how to best utilize your pedals and knee levers to play chords;
• you’re worried you’re not doing things “right”;
• you’re mystified about how to connect things and craft a smooth and elegant playing style using fills, intros, and solos;
• you’re looking for help with tuning, tone, technique and music theory;
• you want help prioritizing what to study and learn next;
• you want the “inside scoop” from a seasoned professional player.

My teaching mission is to help players “pull it all together” in playing the E9 neck:
Many students come to me with bits and pieces of knowledge, but very little coherent understanding of the E9 neck or how to really play it fluidly. Others come to me with decent prior experience, but feel “stuck” and need help setting goals and making forward progress.

Big benefits of live Skype learning are:
• I can monitor your personal development and assess how best to accelerate that process (you’ll never get that personalized guidance and feedback from DVD’s, tablature, or YouTube videos);
• You can study without having to tear down your gear, drive across town, take the lesson, then do everything in reverse order. Just turn on your computer and away we go!

My friendly and positive style of teaching has been a big help to hundreds of students. Don't just take it from me!
Here are Steel Guitar Forum links to comments and endorsements from current and former students:
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... 17#2468417
http://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopi ... highlight=

My Credentials:
I’ve been playing steel guitar for 46 years, and teaching for 25 years. Last year I was inducted into the Sacramento and Northwest chapters of the Western Swing Hall of Fame. Most of my career was spent in the competitive Los Angeles region, handling bandstand gigs, sessions, and soundtrack work.

For yet more perspective on my teaching, check out Bryan Daste’s interview with me on his great Pedal Steel Podcast:
https://tinyurl.com/McClungInterview

He and I discuss my teaching at 18:50, then Skype learning at 30:15.

To contact me, just click the “email" button at the bottom of this post, or the active link in my signoff, share your email address with me, and I'll send you a detailed PDF explaining what and how I teach, including the hourly rate, how to get set up for Skype lessons, what webcam to use, what Internet speed you need, and more.

How can I help YOU?

Sincerely,
John McClung
aka “Professor Twang”
Olympia, WA 98512
steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net
http://www.steelguitarlessons.com
cell 310-480-0717

[Brian Saulsman]

I want to add that I have worked with John both in person and over the internet and I have found him to be an excellent teacher.

He provided a strong instructional program along with really helpful feedback. He is very committed to supporting his students, and works to tailor the experience to fit your personal needs.

If your looking for a teacher, I suggest you consider contacting him and see what he has to offer.

All the best.
Brian Saulsman

[John McClung]

Still some room for serious learners...

Thanks for the endorsement, Brian!

[John McClung]

TTT

[Ben Pittenger]

I’d like to chime in here to endorse Professor Twang. I try to keep a very low internet profile, but this is the rare event I feel the need to speak up!

I’ve been studying with Mr. McClung for close to a year now, and I can’t imagine where I’d be without his guidance. I “played” for ~5 months using Jeffran material that came with my steel before looking for an instructor, so at the very least I could ‘crawl’ (so to speak) before learning to ‘stand up’, then hopefully ‘walk’.

As I didn’t want to just learn some basics then call myself a ‘steel guitarist’, I looked for a teacher that could help me build a rock-solid foundation and gain a true comprehension of the instrument. To make a long story short, that’s precisely what I found with The Professor. Each session we have together breaks and melts the iceberg that is understanding pedal steel a bit more; the progress I’ve made by following through on his teaching and assignments is far beyond what I’d expected.

He is very intuitive with what you’re looking for, your progress, your pacing, and where improvement is needed; the lessons are tailored for a custom fit. The structure of the course makes a lot of sense and builds on itself as you progress; we’ve also gone on a number of ‘side quests’ to discuss related topics of interest. The format is perfect for analytical types like me who want to get deep into the details.

I’m still very much a beginner, but I can say that Professor Twang is an excellent pro teacher who knows his stuff top to bottom; to boot, he’s a super nice guy with a great sense of humor. The excitement of learning/playing keeps growing for me since I signed on, and I think anybody who is dedicated and willing to put in the time it takes will feel the same.

If there’s anybody who has any questions for a current student, feel free to send me a message. Big +1 for Professor Twang, you’re the man!

Ben

[John McClung]

Thanks for the kind words, Ben!

Still a few openings, friends, and the free CD offer is still active, see original post.

[Robert Herr]

I have worked with John for the past year, and let me tell you I am light years ahead of where I was when I started. Great teacher.

[John McClung]

Thanks, Bob Herr!