The Steel Guitar Forum

Playing in the "major positions" generally involves playing "vertically", changing strings as much as fret position to move up or down the scale. Robert's original suggestion is that there's a lot to be gained by looking to play scale steps "horizontally", moving up and down the neck on the same strings instead. You are right Birney that this opens up almost limitless possibilities, and in that direction madness lies, but this is all of our fates.

Jeff L.,

(Sorry, but I must vent a little first. I had typed out a nice long post that took, well, longer than I have -- and long enough for Jeff Watson to post! -- when my wife's AOL connection decided to "flip me off," if I may put it that way. I can't tell you how angering that is.)

Anyway, to borrow your phrase, you clearly >do< understand my question! And heeding what you, Bob H., and now Jeff W. have said, I just need to master some basic scales now, then learn a little more later, then a litle more after that, ... repeat and fade. Well, ... at least I can look forward to always having something new to learn!

And yes, Jeff W., that's a good point that Robert's scale stays on the same two strings, which can be very nice. I do at least know the scale like that beginning at the A&B position and staying on strings 5 and 6 on up to 12 frets above through the AB and E's lowered lever positions (though you don't use that lever on strings 5 and 6).

But here's why I'm zeroing in on the scales: Besides woodsheddin', I'm only playing in the church folk group so far (all I have time for, really). And in that setting, most of your standard country licks are gonna sound way over the top. So on the songs where it fits at all (I play bass where it doesn't), I'm either playing nice, lush chords, or working out understated little fills and turn-arounds based on what I think will work and what I'm able to figure out. The scales I have learned so far have been huge, huge helps in figuring out how to play what I'm hearing in my head for those fills, and I figure that when I'm ready to play in other settings, all my work "inventing" my own fills with those scales will be an even bigger help then.

So, thanks for your efforts, help, and encouragement! Some things are beginning to fall into place for me, and that's always fun!

Birney