The Steel Guitar Forum

Posted: **24 Feb 2003 7:21 pm**

Well I finally got my Carter-Starter and I've been playing(sortof) non-stop ever since.

Don't know if I'll get any sleep for the next couple of weeks.

Boy, I've got A LOT to learn!!!

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brand new.

Posted: **24 Feb 2003 8:58 pm**

Congratulations! If I can help ya in any way let me know!

Posted: **24 Feb 2003 9:28 pm**

Hey is that A Dale Watson T-shirt???ha...way cool Kenny...good luck to ya and don't hesitate to ask questions.
Ricky

Posted: **24 Feb 2003 9:28 pm**

Kenny, congrats!
That looks great!
But...
aren't you supposed to sit on the other side of the guitar?

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Peter den Hartogh-Fender Artist S10-Remington U12-Hilton Volume Pedal-Gibson BR4 lapsteel-Guya "Stringmaster" Copy-MusicMan112RP-Peavy Rage158- - My Animation College in South Africa

Posted: **24 Feb 2003 9:30 pm**

Very cool! Just don't rest that right wrist on the guitar, and eat your vegitables, and clean your room, and...

Posted: **24 Feb 2003 9:57 pm**

Ricky--yeah man, it is a Dale Watson shirt--I'm always proud to support Dale AND the Lonestars! Thanks for all of your help and encouragement.

David--thanks for pointing out my wrist--I was hoping someone would chime in about any corrections that need to be made.

Peter--man I just hope you're playin' around, b/c if I'm sitting on the wrong side, I've been doing that since 2pm CST today!

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brand new.

Posted: **24 Feb 2003 10:06 pm**

... and keep wearing the Dale Watson t-shirt. Ricky's the man.

Posted: **24 Feb 2003 10:20 pm**

OK Kenny, congratulations on the start of a lifetime of enjoyment, (and frustrations).
Since you have asked for any correction we might see, we need to get you to move to the right about 3 or 4 inches I think. The normal seating is to center yourself at about the 12th to 14th fret. In my case it is right on the 14th fret. Holler if I can help. Picks at about 24th fret.
Jerry[This message was edited by Jerry Roller on 24 February 2003 at 10:22 PM.]

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 5:42 am**

David and Jerry made good suggestions, I'd add: use a taller seat, or perhaps a cushion, that will help level out the wrists. And get used to using a thumbpick. Good luck!

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 6:04 am**

Did you see what's on the computer? It's the forum!

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 6:10 am**

Yes, I agree, move to your right a bit, get a tall enough seat that your right forearm is parallel to the floor when your hand is over the strings, and keep your elbow kinda "tucked in" to your right side...

pat your head, rub your tummy, walk backwards, chew gum and recite the circle of fifths all at the same time whenever you are away from your guitar; that should help prepare you for the "brain splitting" you will need to handle the pedals, knees, bar, right hand position, posture

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 6:22 am**

Hey Kenny,
Glad to hear you're going strong on the steel. I'd say you just need to turn your hat around as we ain't no hip-hop instrument.

....Have a good 'un..JH

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Livin' in the Past and the Future with a 12 string Mooney Universal tuning.

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 6:43 am**

Thanks to each of you for the corrections and advice.

I realized right away that I need to be sitting higher--It didn't feel right to have to reach with my legs for the knee levers.

Also thanks for the "positioning" of where I should be sitting--thank you very much.

I'm not kidding when I asked for critque/help--I meant that and I'm grateful to each of you who have jumped in there with something to say. My policy is ALWAYS let me know. I am so much less than an amateur, so I need all the help I can get. Nobody is going to hurt my feelings either, so tell me about my hat, wrists, how I'm sitting, anything is fine with me.

I really didn't expect to have this much input from folks and I'm pleasantly surprised and grateful to each of you--can't say that enough.

Thanks,

Kenny

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brand new.

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 7:13 am**

See, I told you this was a great group of folks!

The only thing I see that you need to do is take that Hank Williams showbill off of your wall and send it to me immediately for safe keeping. Then, when you learn to play as good as Buddy Emmons, I'll send it back to you!

Sounds like a good motvation to learn?!?

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Help prevent juvenile delinquency...teach children to STEEL

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 7:44 am**

When I learn to play as good as Buddy Emmons? Well, I might as well just let you have the Hank Williams showbill because I don't ever expect to be as great as Mr Emmons!

In the meantime, if you really like the showbill--I got it for about 6 or 7 bucks from the museum in Montgomery.

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brand new.

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 7:45 am**

Kenny,

Yes, get a taller chair, and move it to your right a few inches so that your left knee can go between the levers. You won't have to tilt your body, and you'll be more comfortable.

You should break the habit of resting the heel of your right hand behind the strings. That will keep you from blocking correctly. Your right wrist should be straighter, so that you can use the edge of your hand to block (mute) the strings between notes.

Looks like a fine guitar. Wear your hat any way you want to. It won't hurt your pickin'.

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<img align=right src="http://b0b.com/b0b.gif" width="64" height="64">Bobby Lee - email: quasar@b0b.com - gigs - CDs
Sierra Session 12 (E9), Williams 400X (Emaj9, D6), Sierra Olympic 12 (C6add9), Sierra Laptop 8 (D13), Fender Stringmaster (E13, A6),
Roland Handsonic, Line 6 Variax[This message was edited by Bobby Lee on 25 February 2003 at 07:47 AM.]

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 7:48 am**

I might add one more thing, sit on the front half of your chair for better mobility.

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 9:27 am**

Congratulations from another happy Carter owner, Kenny...and welcome to the fantastic world of steelguitar.
Don't forget to get some sleep tho'

JS

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 9:49 am**

Go Kenny! I wish I had started this journey when I was your age. You will learn this much quicker than I will I'm sure, but I still enjoy the challenge. I admire your attitude in taking advice also. Good luck.

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 12:40 pm**

And for heaven's sakes turn your hat around! Ya think you're in Brooklyn or sumthing?
Enjoy.

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<center>FCarter U-12 7+8E
FStartUp SteelE
FPhoto GalleryE</center>

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 12:42 pm**

Amen to all the above suggestions. But I especially gotta go with b0b's, which is the most crucial in my opinion! Before you develop the same bad flat-handed technique that's hobbled the potential of so many steel players I've seen, even a lot of great ones, train your right hand correctly, a la Jeff Newman & Mr. Emmons. To explain it a little differently, it's like this:

First, extend your hand out as if you're going to shake someone else's -- i.e., not horizontally as in your picture, but vertically.
Next, rest the side of the hand right down on the strings just in front of your pickup, with your hand still perpendicular to the guitar in a handshake poise. Then roll your palm over a little towards the strings (about 25 degrees) while curling in your fingers until your picks come to rest on the strings you want to pluck. (Some can even curl the pinky finger in, but for others like myself that just doesn't work, so we leave the pinky extended.)

What you have in that position is a natural block: When you then pluck the strings, you'll lift your hand up slightly from the strings. When you go to pluck again, your hand will come down again with the side of the hand making contact with the strings before your picks do. That's blocking. Study pix of Buddy Emmons playing; he's the best model for this right-hand technique.

One more thing: Be patient with yourself. One day it'll all start coming together for you if you persevere.

Posted: **25 Feb 2003 1:33 pm**

Hey Kenny,
I just got the same instrument a couple days ago as well. Looks like were both at the same starting point. Good luck.

Posted: **26 Feb 2003 5:21 am**

I suggest start working on palm blocking NOW. You don't even have to play a melody, just block. I'd make this the first thing you do everytime you practice. 3 or 4 minutes at a time. Something like this.......

<pre>
-------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------0---
---------------------------------0--------0
---------------------------0--------0------
---------------------0--------0------------
---------------0--------0------------------
---------0--------0------------------------
---0--------0------------------------------
------0------------------------------------
0------------------------------------------
t m t m t m t m t m t m t m
</pre>

and then reverse it from the first string without stopping. I do stuff like this on my 8-string lap steel while watching tv. I can't tell you how much my playing improved in just a week or so after I started doing this.

1 play a note
2 lift your entire hand off the strings
3 put your hand back on the strings to kill that note
3 play the next note and repeat

As you practice this more and more, the motion will become smaller, faster and more accurate. BUT, be sure that in the beginning, you don't play this any faster than you're capable of. The speed will come but be sure you're doing it right.

<pre>
---------------------------------------------
----------------------------------------0---0
----------------------------------0---0---0--
----------------------------0---0---0--------
----------------------0---0---0--------------
----------------0---0---0--------------------
----------0---0---0--------------------------
----0---0---0--------------------------------
--0---0--------------------------------------
0--------------------------------------------
</pre>

....and keep going then reverse it. Make up your own exercises like this to practice different right-hand grips.

Hope this improves your playing.

gs

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Posted: **26 Feb 2003 6:32 am**

Well last night I sat down and decided the first thing I'm going to do this weekend is get a chair/stool that I can adjust the height. My kitchen table chair just isn't going to make the cut.
With all that in mind, I tried positioning myself correctly and worked on my posture in front of the steel. **I also noticed that keeping my right arm "in" close to my body made a big difference in the way I picked the strings and I wasn't resting my wrist as seen in the above picture.
I worked on palm blocking last night and then I started putting some things to memory such as 3+ ways to make the same chord(and what strings to play)
All of that activity began at 9pm and the next thing I new it was midnight again.

I did get overwhelmed at one point, but that didn't last long--it'll only make me get better.

Thanks for the palm blocking exercise--I will make that a part of my daily routine.

Kenny

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brand new.

Posted: **26 Feb 2003 2:16 pm**

Kenny:
If you will email me, I'll send you some things for chords that I made up and sent Janice Brookes when she first got her steel. They are done as Word documents.

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