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Topic: Lap Steel Slants |
Eldon Cangas
From:
Ontario, Canada
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Posted 9 Apr 2009 6:56 am |
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| I've been trying to work a bit more with slants lately and I'm finding them a bit ornery (home made 10 string lap A6 tuning). The bottom note wasn't quite sounding right. I thought perhaps my steel was out of whack so I put a straight edge on the strings and experimentd a bit with the slant angle. That seemed to sound better so I did the same with my tuner attached and there it was - alas!! it turned out that the musician was at fault not the instrument. It pays to experiment. If anyone has any other ideas I'd like to hear them. Thanks! Eldon |
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Rick Collins
From:
Claremont , CA USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2009 8:28 am
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Here's a clue; and I found it to work quite well:
When you think you have the slant angle just about right, give it a bit more slant.
Begin making the slants "a bit extreme" when you practice and they will begin to sound better.
It's like using a bigger and heavier tone bar for practice and then using your regular smaller bar when you play a job. |
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Twayn Williams
From:
Portland, OR
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Posted 9 Apr 2009 11:33 am
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Wobble them thar slants! At some point in the oscillation it'll hit the right notes 
Seriously, vibrato is your friend.
_________________
Primitive Utility Steel |
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Charley Wilder
From:
Dover, New Hampshire, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2009 6:02 pm
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Twayn's advice is right on. 
One thing that helps me when I get lazy and my slants aren't up to par I find moving the bar more with my forearm instead of my wrist helps. |
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Chris Morrison
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 11 Apr 2009 8:33 pm slant practice
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| In a workshop, Stacy Phillips suggested this way of practicing slants: for example a forward slant on strings 1 & 3: bar the 5th fret, then slant up to 7th fret on 1st string (staying on 5th fret 3rd) -- >> but only play the 3rd string <<. It's startling how tricky it is to keep that note constant as you slant! This helps me a lot (I like slants!) -Chris |
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George Keoki Lake
From:
Edmonton, AB., Canada
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Posted 11 Apr 2009 9:04 pm
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| Rick is dead-on....when you THINK you have the slant 'in-tune', push your steel at a more severe slant and you WILL be in tune. Slants are an integral part of the beauty of playing a non-pedal steel. |
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