The Steel Guitar Forum

I'm looking for Bluegrass beginner lessons for the 6 string lap steel. Any suggestions of where I might find some?

Thanks,

Counsel

Assuming you're talking about open G tuning, there are many tablature lessons online. One of these links (perhaps the last one) should be very helpful.
Is this the same Counsel Brinton who used to live in the San Jose, California area? If so, howdy.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Thanks Brad, I found those links helpful too.

Yes, Nancy and I lived in San Jose for years. We now live in Livingston TX.

I bought Nancy a dobro at Scotty's International Steel Convention this year which has the G tuning. I have an old 6 string Oahu acoustic. Because of its age I have not tuned it above a C6th. So I'm looking for bluegrass lessons (tab)in Amaj and C6th.

I've played bluegrass for almost 30 years, and never seen bluegrass dobro player play in anything but high G tuning GBDGBD low to high- except for Jerry Douglas, who used open D, but not so much for bluegrass.

Your Amaj tuning is GBDGBD capoed at the 2nd fret; most resos seem to be optimized for GBDGBD open tuning, but YMMV etc.

Many dobro classics in bluegrass like "Fireball Mail" are played in G, which would be at the 10th fret in A tuning...

Mike Auldridge does play an 8 string in a 6th tuning on occasion, but I don't think for bluegrass...I don't think you'll find much out there for bluegrass in a 6th tuning, but I may be wrong.

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by John McGann on 29 October 2005 at 05:08 AM.]</p></FONT>

The Oahu is a lap steel. It does have a square neck but being 60-70 years old I'm not sure it would take a G tuning.

So, if I tuned it to Amaj, could I just move tab for the Dobro G up two frets?

Thanks,

Counsel

Counsel, there are a huge amount of tab and video lessons for bluegrass available, as far as I know all for the high bass G tuning. (Stacy Phillips 6 CD lesson on Homespun is particularly good for amount of material, variety, and being able to hear each example.)
If you are tuning your lap steel to A major, ie: Low to high A C# E A C# E, you're already tuned a whole step higher than the standard G bluegrass tuning, and your guitar will certainly take that tuning. It's mostly a function of finding the right string gauges for your scale length, (so they're not too slack or too tight when tuned to the proper notes.)

The problem with A tuning in bluegrass is that a lot of songs and tunes are played in G, so you lose your typical open string licks, which are a huge part of the vocabulary, if you are trying to play in the key of G. If you are playing on your own, you can play anything written for G tuning in A tuning, it'll just be two frets higher than usual-but if you go to a jam, you'll want to let people know the key first to avoid a train wreck

If you are learning from any recordings or video, that A tuning is also going to sound a whole step higher and be confusing. The G tuning is lower in pitch, all things considered, it will put less stress on an older instrument. Also consider that almost everyone who buys an old dobro tunes it to the G tuning- that would be EVERYONE who plays bluegrass, although the A tuning and others are used for Hawaiian music. If your music store has "dobro strings" they will be gauged for G tuning.

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http://www.johnmcgann.com
Info for musicians, transcribers, technique tips and fun stuff. Joaquin Murphey transcription book, Rhythm Tuneup DVD and more...

<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by John McGann on 30 October 2005 at 04:05 AM.]</p></FONT>

Comparing the string guage of C6th and G:
C6th
G E C A G E
10 14 18 24 26 34

G
D B G D B G
16 18 26 36 46 56

Would there be a problem if I used the C6th guages and tuned to G for bluegrass dobro?

Thanks

I think the strings would sound pretty bad - not enough tension on the low strings.

I used a set of regular acoustic guitar strings (.013-.056) on my squareneck Oahu acoustic and had no problems with it in open G tuning.

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Brad's Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars

Thanks everyone for all the information.

Counsel