The Steel Guitar Forum

I thought since there are so many seasoned players here on the forum it would be interesting to hear what advice to give to newbees like myself that are just starting to learn the instrument. If you had one piece of advice to pass along , what would it be?

1. PRACTICE

...and practice some more. Work on technique and consistency, everything else will come with time.

The "one" thing I would tell any new player is......
"get the Winnie Winston book and start reading it at the front cover and go to the back cover and then start over".
JE:-)>

Yeah I got some advice - Get out of the music business while you're still young.

After all of these many years I've been attempting to play the steel guitar, my words of wisdon would be:

LISTEN to everything with steel guitars playing on it. LISTEN VERY CLOSELY......don't just skim it.

Enjoy it all.......but find that one STYLE that has some kind of special appeal to YOU.... This will happen, be it Don Helms, Roy Wiggins, Herb Remington or whomever.

Then, place all of those other artists in the background......for awhile.

Start playing simple little songs. Red Rive Valley and others like that until you've been able to develop a picking technique. Along with that, tone will enter into the equation, and you will recognize you've made some large steps.

THEN, delve into the Winnie Winston book and take it slowly, a chapter at a time. This will help you to develop further picking combinations and use of pedals.

As time goes by, you'll be able to hear an Emmons lick, or Green or Newman lick, and will be able to merge it into what you've thus far learned.

DO NOT GET IN TOO BIG OF A HURRY! That's easy to do but AVOID IT at all costs. Don't move ahead until after you've mastered the early steps.

Very few professional musicians can play another artists style. Perhaps one or two songs but not a life time of playing 'their style". They can make it appear to be easier than it really is.

Good Luck to you!

start slow

repeat your daily practice routine with discipline everyday

even if it's only 10 minutes a day...

10 minutes/day of a consistent routine is way better than NO minutes a day with no routine.

Don't join a band on your 2nd week...

Go see fellow players whenever you can! (It's the fastest route to learning.)

Play what compliments the song and not what you think just sounds good.

A well placed passage can be compared to an Artists brush stroke in that too many strokes will turn the whole thing to mud.

I'm inclined to agree with Ray and Dick on their recommendations; don't start out by attempting to copy a particular players style. The late & great Jerry Byrd once advised me when I first started playing [ some 55 years ago ]. Bernie, be yourself; develop your own style, and take your time and practice everyday. It'll all fall into place, eventually.. Bernie

Get with a band. Practicing at home is nice, but dosent get you thinking on your feet like playing in front of an audience does. Live shows are sink or swim situations. Nothing like blowing a few clams in front of 100 people to inspire you to be a better player.

Of course, youll have to practice at home for a bit beofre you get to the level of being able to play with a band, but dont wait forever. If you keep thinking "I'm not good enough yet" you probably never will be. Dont let self fulfilling prophecy keep you in the "steel closet"

I had a very good friend who said,

"If I miss practice one day, I know it. If I miss prctice two days, my friends know it and when I miss practice three days, everyone knows."
.

Don't let anybody take your picture naked.

There ya go!!! We Joe's think alike.The presure of getting paid will make you try harder.When you take the man's money ya gotta produce.That means hard study and hard practice.Well,anyway that's my [unqualified] opinion.

"Don't let anybody take your picture naked."
Unless it's a good lookin chick photographer,then you get naked too..

I've always been suspicious of naked photographers.
Here's some hand-me-down advice:
1) Don't quit your job.
2) If you haven't made it by the time you're in your mid 30's, you probably never will.
3) Don't settle for "good enough".
4) You won't sound any better than the worst musician in the band.
5)Work with musicians that are better than you.

Come down to Texas and get some lessons from Reece Anderson for a few days! It will take years off the learning curve and you'll know "what" to practice.

I don't mean there aren't other good teachers but I know for a fact that Reece is top shelf!

Do what Joe said,As soon as you can play enough to set in with a band do it,[Don't have to be a great band]DO IT,DO IT,DO IT!!!!!I don't care what ANYONE says,playing with a LIVE band,no mind if they are real good or not,You WILL learn more in a month,than playing alone in your living room in a year.

Michael J., Sage words of wisdom ......

Find a "one on one" living teacher.



EJL

Don't listen to anything I say.

EACH AND EVERY PRACTICE SESSION YOU DO,,,,,,,,,, TRY TO LEARN one LICK one LICK CORRECTLY AND AFTER A WHILE YOU HAVE A BUNCH OF THEM AND PRACTICE SOME """"EVERY DAY"""" even if its not but 15 minutes
TOMMY YOUNG



MAX-TONE MODIFICATIONS

Play the melody, dammit.

Don't eat meat or drive cars.

All of the above and one tip is to try to play with as little vibrato as possible. I think almost every beginner has the left hand shake going on. It's something that I always try to be conscious of, and remind myself to nail the pitch and keep the bar steady with just a bit of vibrato at the end of a tone. At first when you try no vibrato you'll still be doing it. Anyhow that's my free advice.