The Steel Guitar Forum

Seek help wherever you can find it. There's a sense of pleasure when one figures out things on their own. But simply asking someone or buying the sheet music sure is a time saver. I learned in an era when we had to slow down a 33 rpm record to try to copy a solo or lick. Today, with tabs, courses and such so available, there's not much need to go through all that.

Ken

Play with live players as often as possible. JP

Learn to play bass, and play it well; you'll be loved, and work much...

Just remember: Playing this beast well is sort of like making pancakes in a toaster! Oh yeah when playing cowboy events, don't forget and squat on your spurs. Good Luck

Here's more than just one idea. Practice, practice and more practice. Learn another instrument like bass maybe. There'll come a time when the PSG gigs are all gone or taken or the material a band you work with won't call for PSG much. 36 years ago when I started learning PSG, there's one mistake I made and that was not learning enough on another instrument. Whenever you're trying to steadily gig, it'll come in handy at some point. At 50, now I'm to the point, I don't really care one way or the other about regular gigs. If I'm playing fine, if not, I'll just find a steel show somewhere and go to it. I get a lot more enjoyment out of being around other steel players anyway!

Take the time to listen to a variety of things so that you can then DECIDE what it is you want to get good at, then pursue those aspects vigorously. There are a million different neat things to play, but unless you're one of the rare few, you're not likely to master jazz, classical, rock & country simultaneously. You will get good at reading music by reading music, you will get good at playing by ear by trying that, you will get good at speedpicking by practicing with a metronome - your desired skills can shape your practice time most effectively when they're most clearly defined.

Play in front of people, weather it's your wife, kids, neighbors etc... when learning to play we might do well in and of ourselves, but when it comes down to it when we get in front of others we seem to freeze up. I know I did.
J. D. Maness gave me these words at the Texas Steel Guitar convention several years ago after I had asked him what advise did could he give a guy starting out.
J.D. said 1)practice everyday, even if it's for 15-30 minutes. 2) There will always be a level of frustration, weather it is a high level or a low level. when you get frustrated get up walk away for a bit, then come back sit down and hit it again. 3) Practice every day.....

Practice, scales, patience: practice, scales, patience: practice, scales, patience: practice, scales, patience.

Nothing else comes before these three.

You can't put the icing on the cake before you learn how to bake the cake.

Did anyone mention 'Practice' yet? *

* Ah, but the trick is in knowing what and how to practice, isn't it? Search the Forum for some good threads on that

Marry a woman with a good job who loves steel guitar music. And practice is not a bad idea.

Get through the Winnie Winston book, then play out. Rule of thumb: one gig is worth 10 rehearsals. If you're like me, you'll suck for awhile then the pressure of gigs will get you better in a hurry. Remember, most people will not notice that you're just starting. Only other musicians, and if they're good musicians, they'll understand.

Make sure your guitar is in tune. That means pedals, knee's and open strings.

If your guitar is out of tune... and you practice out of tune... it may actually sound 'in tune' to you when you play in a band.

Best of luck

Don't believe everything you read on the forum!

learn your scales forward and backwards so you can play them without hesitaion.

Don't drink down stream from the herd.

Don't get to wrapped up in emulating anybody. If I want to listen to the latest hot steel player, I'd rather listen to him rather than listen to you trying to play like him. Being influenced is fine to a point. We all are somewhat. Keep in to a minimum. Use the tuning YOU like. I heard a player play some of the best Western Swing I have ever heard an amateur play. He was playing in DBGDBG! That's right a Dobro tuning. Or is it? Don't worry what tuning anybody else is using. Listen as much as possible, but play it your way. Don't worry about the practice issue, it will work itself out. How much desire you have will determine how much practicing you will do. Simple as that!

Have fun and don't get into drinking tuning fluid.

even after you learn all the above , the one thing that
helped me was !
( I would repeat this to my self )

I'm a steel player ! I'm a steel player ! I'm a steel player !
I AM A steel player ! I'm a steel player ! I'm a steel player !

it didn't help but it made me feel better about myself .

PS - I still do it !! ( Also what Kevin said )

Hick

Don't ever, get in a vehicle with Smiley driving. And if he plays your PSG, be sure to check for LED lights that have fallen off of him onto the fretboard.

Michael Haselman wrote:Get through the Winnie Winston book, then play out.

Winnie Winston Book...been mentioned on this thread at least 4 times with no link or information on how to aquire one. Now I gotta log out, go to google and put winnie winston in the search engine. Wade through all the junk that comes up and hopefully, after 3 or 4 hours, I'll find out how to get the book. I'm gonna feel real silly if it is listed in the catalog section of this forum....and it's ALL youse guys fault.... maybe not...I guess I'll check the catalog section first...then send out an S.O.S for a used copy..

OK...I have returned. Yep, right there in the catalog. NOw I don't feel silly. I looked in the right place. Sometimes, us new folks need a little more guidance than normal folks. For the rest of the newbees:
Item # Description Price
I-200 Winnie Winston: Pedal Steel Guitar (book + CD) $26
I'm off to count the savings jar...

I think the best way to learn songs is to find a good song on a record with good steel parts and first, listen to the song and the steel parts, then get behind your steel and see if you can play along with the song. That's how I learned to play steel, by playing along with records.


Brett

Stay away from substances, alcohol or otherwise. They make you stupid.

And yes, there is a time and a place for everything, but to really be on top of your game, you should be focused, alert and sober. If you wanna do your thing (have a beer, etc) , do it as a reward AFTER playing a good show.

Wear safety glasses when bringing G# up to snuff in cold weather...

Winnie's book, entitled "Pedal Steel Guitar" is published by OAK PUBLICATIONS and can be purchased or special ordered at most music stores, most steel guitar shops, and on-line retailer like Amazon.com.

I am one of the many who learned the basics from this excellent book, and also recommend it.

But my piece of advise is to join a band and start playing out in public as soon as possible, even if all you can do is play simple chords.

DON'T eat the yellow snow!!!!! FZ