Beginner in need of help.

Dustin Sink · Post by **Dustin Sink** » 3 Apr 2020 6:08 pm

I just purchased an MSA Classic D10. I am in need of beginner instructional videos. What do you recommend. I am a guitarist but this is a whole new world for me and I need to start at square one. Any help is appreciated.

Jack Hanson · Post by **Jack Hanson** » 3 Apr 2020 6:15 pm

Although not a video, highly recommended nonetheless:

Steve Hinson · Post by **Steve Hinson** » 3 Apr 2020 7:12 pm

Figure out all you can without'em!

If you can play guitar already,you ain't gonna believe
how logically the steel is laid out...

The"Mount Rushmore"cats didn't have anything to learn from except records and the radio...

You'll have more fun this way!

Good luck!

SH

Post by **Dave Mudgett** » 3 Apr 2020 8:10 pm

I'm all for figuring everything you can figure out on your own. I agree that time spent listening, playing, listening, and playing over and over to be critical. And as far as the layout of the tuning and basic functions of the pedals, I agree that it's not rocket science. That is, if you have a pedal steel that is already tuned correctly, with properly set up pedals and levers. I didn't - I was in basically a pedal steel desert and needed something.

So when I started not all that many years ago (I was in my mid-late 40s with 30+ years of guitar and initial training before that in classical piano for 7-8 years), I still found a basic video that explained a lot of the tactile, non-cerebral stuff, like tuning, bar control, picking and picking grips, harmonized scales, what the basic stuff is supposed to sound like, and especially BLOCKING, to be very useful and I think got me a bit of a jump start.

I used the beginning videos by Tim McCasland on Texas Music & Video in Levelland, TX. I was running a vintage guitar store at the time, and I was a dealer for their guitar videos, so I ordered some of their steel videos, and found Tim's very good - very basic but to-the-point on the stuff that was really important.

I see those videos are now on DVD (and VHS if you want) here - http://www.texasmusicsupply.com/pedal-steel.html - as well as other useful videos by Wally Moyers, Lloyd Maines, and Herb Remington, the latter being for non-pedal steel.

There are lots more options these days, including free stuff on youtube, whole courses by Paul Franklin, and many many other sources. Even a cursory search of the forum will reveal lots of these. I'm mentioning these Texas Music videos because I rarely hear about them anymore, but I found them useful, personally, when I started out without the slightest hope of finding a teacher anywhere near me.

John Spaulding · Post by **John Spaulding** » 3 Apr 2020 8:22 pm

You can get your first year of online streaming video instruction taught by Paul Franklin for $99.00. You'll learn the basics of the instrument, proper technique and solid musicianship from a modern perspective.

Paul Franklin's Foundations: E9 Pedal Steel Basics.

For a good look at the history of steel guitar tuition, check out this blog post: A New Era

Jamie Kitlarchuk · Post by **Jamie Kitlarchuk** » 3 Apr 2020 8:31 pm

Check these Joe Wright videos out. They're free and should get you on the right path.

http://www.sierrasteels.com/lessons/e9th-lessons.html

Justin Emmert · Post by **Justin Emmert** » 4 Apr 2020 4:00 am

Paul Franklins Foundations E9 course for sure.

Jim Goins · Post by **Jim Goins** » 4 Apr 2020 4:42 am

Jeffran Music videos for beginners.Jefferan College.

K Maul · Post by **K Maul** » 4 Apr 2020 4:56 am

There is a lot of basic instruction on YouTube. Start slow and simple, get left and right hand technique going before you even step on one pedal. Learn how to hold the bar straight, I mean REALLY straight, and how to hit the fret points accurately. Remember:just because you are holding a slide in your hand you donâ€™t need to â€œslideâ€ into every note or chord.

Al Evans · Post by **Al Evans** » 4 Apr 2020 5:41 am

Here's another recommendation for the Paul Franklin Method. I was in exactly the same position as you are a little over two years ago -- I bought a D10 MSA Classic off Craigslist, playing guitar (and other instruments) for many years and wanting to learn pedal steel.

About a month in, I signed up for the Paul Franklin method. I just re-enlisted for my third year, and I'm playing happily away, with some hope of attaining semi-competence if I live long enough.

They didn't have the E9 Basics course when I started, but I agree that it's a good way to get your feet wet up to above the waist or so.

--Al Evans

James Sission · Post by **James Sission** » 4 Apr 2020 6:48 am

If your already a guitarist, then this is not a whole new world. The Paul Franklin E9 course has a section at the beginning of it for guitar players wanting to transition to steel. His lessons move on to teach all the very basic that many of the courses out there never really teach. It's well worth the money and you can get a discount on the longer course should you decide you like his method.

This video will likely help you understand the steel a little better.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yKM2DwOwoHk

Allan Haley · Post by **Allan Haley** » 4 Apr 2020 9:26 am

+1 on the Foundations course. $100 well spent

Paul Norman · Post by **Paul Norman** » 4 Apr 2020 10:31 am

Bruce Bouton Easy to learn
amazon