Non Pedal Steel Guitar 6thTunings and Big Band Swing Music

[Dom Franco]

Non Pedal Steel Guitar 6th Tunings and Big Band Swing Music is a marriage made in heaven!

I have always loved the Swing era music,(usually played by big bands with brass and woodwind instruments)

The 6th chord is often used in this musical style, and the attack and sustain of the lap steel guitar is similar to these instruments. In fact a solo clarinet sounds a lot like a single string melody played on a Hawaiian guitar.

I have been playing this style of music for many years on the lap steel, since I learned "In the mood" while taking lessons on the Hawaiian guitar as a young boy.

I often play for older folks at convalescent homes and they really appreciate the old big band songs.

My song list includes; Chatanooga Choo Choo, In the Mood, Night train, Don't sit under the apple tree, Sentimental Journey, Sing Sing Sing, Caravan, and many more.

I have some very nice background tracks that I created in my home studio. If you are interested send me an email and I could send you an MP3 of the song you want.

Sincerely;
Dom Franco

[Mel Taylor]

Hi Dom, I sent you an email regarding the track for In The Mood.
Thanks,
Mel Taylor

[Dave Clark]

Hey Dom -

Thanks for sending Sleepwalk back up tract my way. I was able to downlod with no trouble.

How about a list of other tracts you have. Tracts like this sure do improve practice time. Any chance you would have Steel Guitar Rag in key of E?

Thanks again, Dave

[Dom Franco]

Sorry I play it in the Key of C (A6th tuning at 3rd fret)

Dom

[Kay Das]

Dom,

I share your enthusiasm for steel guitar in a big band setting and would like to hear some of your recordings either here in the forum or e-mail. I am told that the early non-Hawaiian recordings on steel guitar were in fact steel guitarists playing woodwind and brass parts. I really like the contrast of steel guitar and woodwind/brass timbres. Billy Vaughnn's recording of "Trade Wind" was one of my favorites in my teen years.

I have recorded a few numbers in the big band/strict tempo genre and some are on the HSGA forum, maybe four or five. One recent is:

http://www.hsga.org/membersrecordings/K ... sAlong.mp3

There are others: Elmer's Tune, I Understand, Makin' Whoopee, Old Devil Moon....

Let me know what you think..and would sure like to hear your own contributions to this style of music.

[Terje Larson]

I love that kind of music (although I suppose I love bebop more) and I'm about to buy and start learning how to play a lapsteel. I'm beginning to see the benfits of the C6 tuning.

Playing G then A then C and then slide up to E from Eb, how many times haven't I started a blues solo that way?

[Dom Franco]

I tried to respond to all your requests for TRAX but I can only send one or two attachments of that size before it exceeds the limits of my e-mail.

Do any of you computer wizards have a better way to upload or send music. I am not too good at this computer stuff.

Thanks
Dom Franco

[Mel Taylor]

Thanks Dom, I received the track for "In The Mood" in the key of G. Downloaded it with no problems. This is much appreciated.
Mel Taylor