The Steel Guitar Forum

Just starting, don't play a stringed instrument-
Working on basic picking technique now-
Hoping for suggestions/strategies for learning the C6 neck.

Thanks

suggestions/strategies: take lessons!

"don't play a stringed instrument". Do you play piano? Any instrument with applied harmony theory? This will give you the best advantage starting steel guitar.

Dina
you might start here -
http://www.steelguitarshopper.com/categ ... %26-dobro/


if you like the country sound --- look for Cindy Cashsdollar's video - it starts from where you say you are -- picking and basic C6th plus a few good old standards to play

Good luck

I am going to jump in here and say to start practicing scales right from the start. Get the sound of those notes in your head and they will stay with you. You can play the scales with any picking technique you can come up with. It's recognizing the sound of the notes that is paramount.

Dina,

If you are just learning any new instrument I think that the best way is to learn songs that you are familiar with and that are relatively simple. Just like when you learned to read (Dick and Jane). Now seeing as how you are talking C6th tuning, the best that I have found is Doug Beaumier's 25 songs for C6th Lap Steel (vol 1&2) There is quite an eclectic collection of songs and they are written in easy to read tab as well as note form. I am a beginner and there are many here on the forum who may disagree, but for me when I played a song that while not 100% correct I actually could recognize it took days to wipe the grin off my face. I listen to a song a few times on my computer so that I have the basic melody and timing in my head and then go to the book and slowly but surely I am starting to understand and grasp the tune. Like I said just my two cents worth but hope it gives some food for thought. Don't give up and just take it as it comes and above all just enjoy.

Tom

Thomas, thanks for mentioning my C6 song books... much appreciated.

Dina, if you're new to lap steel, I suggest learning some basic techniques first: picking, bar vibrato, blocking, etc. If there is no teacher in your area, search YouTube for lap steel videos and watch the players. Also learn some of the chord positions, majors, minors, the string grips, and stay with the same tuning for a while before experimenting with a lot of different tunings. My song books are not method books (do not teach how to play the instrument), but many players have told me that they've learned a lot about chord positions, chord motion, two note harmonies, slants, etc. by playing the songs in the book. Enjoy your lap steel!

http://www.melbay.com/product.asp?Produ ... =&s=&next=
I can't reliably recommend this book, as I haven't actually seen it, but what I have seen of it looks to be a very basic beginer's guide to left and right hand techniques all for $10.00 including CD. Steve

Here are some C6th learning resources Dina if you like Hawaiian steel guitar...

STEELC6TH.COM

Kindest regards and God Bless

Dina,

Just to add one more source to the vast array of available C6th info:
http://www.gregcutshaw.com/Tab/LapTab.html
Lots of tab, backing tracks and free, but he does take donations!

Tom

Stephan, That new Mel Bay lap steel book for beginners looks pretty good.
But I don't see the tuning listed anywhere in the advertising.
I assume it's C6 like their other lap steel book written by DeWitt Scott... also a very good beginner book.

The AUDIO Files for the new Mel Bay beginner book can be downloaded for free ===> CLICK

Small images, sample pages:

I'd like to chime in and recommend taking lessons with John Ely via Skype. I swear I thought I was starting to sound good and that I had certain techniques down, then I had an hour session with a real professional. It was humbling to say the least, but it only took a handful of lessons to really get me cruising'. It could have taken years to unlearn the bad habits I was forming. I really liked the Cindy Cashdollar series I started with, and may go back to it at some point, but for me at least the eye and feedback from a lifetime professional is priceless.

Also take into account I DID play a stringed instrument (the guitar) for 18 years before I started with steel and I still needed more than a video or book to be able to perfect the techniques I needed to in a reasonable timeframe. Of course this, like guitar is more than a hobby to me so I really needed a way to accelerate things.

Cheers,
Benjamin