The Steel Guitar Forum

I've read about a "Peterson system" for learning and playing lap steel. What is it? I have yet to find an explanation of it online; just a vendor selling e-books purporting to teach how to play lap steel using the "Peterson system."s

Is it an effective way to learn? Is it antiquated or lousy?

Well looking at their website it doesn't seem like much. Seems to be a reprint from a 1916 method.
Lots of hype that makes little or no sense. It doesn't even say what tuning the "system" uses.
But wait!!! Here is a cut & paste from the site.
"You'll learn how to play tremolo, slurs and learn how to play barre chords with the steel/slide."

And, evidently you will also learn....
"How to hold the guitar to play authentic Hawaiian Steel Guitar."

I would save my 19.95 and get one of the books that B0B has for sale here on the forum....
http://steelguitarmusic.com/instruction/nonpedal.html

garry

Wow, what a scam. Unless I'm missing something, this person is selling a reprint of the 1916 "Peterson System of Playing the Guitar with Steel in the Hawaiian Manner".

More information on Don MacClean, apparently the person behind this.

The Peterson System teaches Hawaiian guitar playing using low-bass Hawaiian A tuning (EAEAC#E, low to high). The first 27 pages of the book explain in words and illustrations (drawings and photos) how to read music, how to hold the slide, how to hold the guitar, how to create various “Hawaiian” techniques. The remainder of the book (pages 28-39) consist of Solos arranged by J. Kalani Peterson. The instruction and solos make use of notation with tablature. These old instruction courses can be interesting and useful. One strong point of a lot of this old Hawaiian-style instruction and music is that it is intended for the self-accompanied solo performer. Using this music, you’ll get good at doing the alternating thumb in the bass, plus fills and ornamentation. I have a ton of this old stuff and have found much of it to be as useful as, and in some cases better than, some of the more modern methods.

Original copies of the Peterson System show up on Ebay somewhat regular for less than $19.95. That's where I got mine from, for less than $10 (delivered).

Just my $0.02 -- YMMV.