The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi folks,
I'm a new player of C6 lap steel and I wanted to get some advice about achieving good technique. When I play chord grip quarter notes and I'm going from a grip at one fret to another, say from the 7th fret up to the 11th. I've played the notes, dampened the strings and I'm leaving the bar on the strings as I move. What I'm hearing sounds like turning the frequency dial on an old time radio.
To prevent these, should I be working on keeping the back of my right hand down (palm blocking) until I pick the new notes or should I be lifting up the bar between notes?

Any advice would be appreciated!
Yossi

Hello from GeorgeBoards

These 2 Video Demonstrations should help you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uaW45yjSFDg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtmF6hh7MoE

Best Regards

Mr.Boards

a lot of times those issues work themselves out (for the new player) with practice - i had all kinds of unwanted noise even 9+ months into my playing - it was awful - but you just keep tracking down the source of the noise and eliminate it bit by bit. it could be several things, including holding the bar wrong, not putting enough pressure on the bar to get a good tone (or mashing), not blocking, etc - all kinds of stuff. being totally "lost" in general will add all kinds of noise as you slide around trying to hit the right note (in tune)
it sound to me like you have a bit of all thee above...yes, you have to block the notes with either right or left hand - it can be done with either (for a staccato block chord sound, i've seen people like Chris Scruggs and others pick up the bar and mute with the left hand - kind of a percussive chop chord)

every player regardless of skill is working on getting a good strong clean sound daily. i learn something new every time i sit down and try to work out a tune/problem.

try concentrating on 1 simple move - do it over and over so easy you can dial in what needs to happen to get a clean sound. its just like riding a bike - one day all that noise just starts to disappear and music comes out...it aint gonna happen in a few weeks though.

The fingers on your bar hand that are not manipulating the bar (typically ring and pinky) should be on the strings at all times to mute the strings behind the bar. If you have your pick hand muting all of the strings, and you are muting the strings behind the bar correctly with your left hand, you shouldn't hear any tones at all being produced as you move the bar up and down in contact with the strings.

Unless you are going for a glissando effect, pick the bar up, making sure to mute the strings with both the right and left hands as mentioned by Iestyn. Dragging it on the strings as you jump from position to position will slow you down.

Thanks for advice and suggestions.

I understand it's working slowly and carefully (and listening) on discovering the source and then taking measures to correct it.

Watching others play seems to be a good thing to do too.

Thanks again,
Yossi

Hi Yossi, I'm still trying to play without extra sounds also and I know it will come someday.
Good video's to watch are the one's by Doug Beaumier.

Tim, picking up the bar is a good tip-thanks