The Steel Guitar Forum

I just felt like I had to write on here about John McClung. He's been teaching and working with me the past 6 months plus and I just felt it was only fair to give credit where it's due. John is hands down the best pedal steel instructor out there. There is not a more organized, well thought out, well written program on the market period. I wish words could do justice to what he offers in his lessons and his program. Whether you're a complete beginner or advanced, he offers so much guidance in a way that I've never seen anyone else do. I honestly think it would benefit every single person to work with him in one way or another. He has helped me tremendously in every way shape and form behind the steel guitar. Pushes you to get better, answers all questions you have, and if there is a rare one he doesn't know, he goes far and beyond out of his way to research and give you the best response. I can't thank you enough John for making me crave the pedal steel and fall in love with the journey (which as we know, can be a huge pain with the pedal steel). I wish I could articulate how important I believe it is to get with John and be guided the proper way through this beast of an instrument. Thanks Professor Twang. You the man.

What Scott said!

I could not agree more. John has had a huge impact on me and my playing.

From deep down in my soul, John, thank you.

You're a good man Johnny. It shows on here how much people appreciate you as a person and your work and knowledge you put in to being the best teacher you can be. I think I can speak on behalf of all of your students saying thank you for doing what you do.

The reward in teaching is hearing such nice compliments from those I work with. Thanks, guys!

Please check out my redesigned website, http://steelguitarlessons.com
If you have questions, please write to me at steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net and I'll send you a PDF with full info on my curriculum, how to get set up for Skype, and much more.
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2nd note: starting now, I'm giving every new student a free 1-year membership to the Southwest Steel Guitar Association. I can't say enough nice things about my friends at the SWSGA, and the fabulous show they host every January.

There are 2 key benefits to belonging to SWSGA, even if you don't live near their Phoenix home base:

• discount admission to the show, which you should try to attend, it's a great show and gathering of the tribe;
• you'll receive their monthly newsletter, the Steel Guitar Rag, which includes useful and informative articles written by me and others. It's like getting free extra lessons (sometimes thoughtful essays and musings) from Professor Twang!

So how can I help YOU?

Bump. I have just a couple of openings for new students. Visit my website to learn more about my teaching and curriculum.

I absolutely agree with Scott. John is the BEST!! Fred

Well, classes started on Thursday, and in just a few minutes John McClung had noticed disadvantageous details about my playing that I had never noticed or thought of. Astute observer!
I really enjoyed his constructive teaching style, and being as well organized as he is, he would make the late and great Jeff Newman proud!
I should also mention that although my web camera didn`t work and nor the recording software, John never lost faith, but patiently tried all he could to help out. He even contacted me half an hour before my appointed time to make sure I was properly set up, and that was both very generous and helpful.
John is a great guy and a terrific teacher, and since he lives in the city where Don Rich went to high school, - with me being a great Buck & the Buckaroos fan - well, what more can I say!!

is THE MAN!!!!

After a few months muscling my way through the pedal steel, with little progress... At only the first lesson with John, so much more made sense! That lesson alone saved me 6 months of trying by myself! Now on Lesson 4, I am already able to play along with some of my favorite records, while building on good and sustainable technique, and having a lot of fun along the way! I rushed back after dinner to go practice my scales, so excited to keep going!

John is the real deal. A great teacher, with humor, patience, and skill. His curriculum is very effective, meticulous, and well-prepared, with tons of details and nuances that are helping me to make sense of "The Beautiful Beast". It is even helping me become a better player on my other instruments, and improving my overall musicianship. Also, he is a top-notch player, and all-round cool guy!

Don't wait! Get started for real! Contact John!!

I had reached my personal limit as far as learning goes about 8 months ago. I had transcribed a huge amount, bought lessons here and there and was just on a plateau. I felt like I was playing the same safe licks all the time and never really knew how or why to use my steel guitar properly. And improvising? Forget about it... I knew I was missing something and needed direction, but I wasn't sure how to get it.

Luckily one morning I was listening to the Steel Guitar Podcast ( sup Bryan ) on my way to work and heard a great interview with John McClung. The way he talked about the application of the steel guitar sounded tangible to me. With that and the fact that I could take lessons in my own home via Skype without having to breakdown and carry my gear anywhere, I was sold.

I have to say, it is the best decision I have ever made in regards to music. Putting myself on a biweekly regiment of well thought out lessons that grow on each other picked me up by my bootstraps and sent me sailing.
I get continuous compliments from the artists that I've been playing with about the improvement in my playing and I've picked up a bunch of new gigs!

It's not magic.
It's hard work.
But It's damn well worth it.

If you're serious about being a better player and fully understanding music theory as applied to the E9 neck, call John now! You will not regret it.

Have a few openings for E9 students...

John McClung
Pedal Steel Lessons, Casuals, Sessions
Olympia, WA 98512
Email & PayPal fees – steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net
Easy PayPal link: paypal.me/JohnMcClung
Website – http://steelguitarlessons.com
Skype name: professortwang
Cell & text: 310-480-0717

John is not just a great teacher, he's a terrific player. I saw him play often when he lived in L.A. He always played great.

Thanks for the compliment, Mike. Y'all should see Mike whenever he plays out in the Los Angeles area, you'll hear quite a varied mix of genres that'll open your eyes to what pedal steel is capable of, which is absolutely anything.

I’d like to give props to my awesome teacher John McClung! For anyone out there wanting to learn or improve playing on The Beautiful Beast, I highly recommend John!

My personal story: I always loved the steel sound since I was a kid and kept wishing one day I would be able to play the pedal steel guitar myself. However I could never find a teacher close enough to where I lived.

Thankfully, through this blog, I found out about John’s live online courses. At first I was a bit reluctant, not knowing for sure whether PSG can be taught remotely online. But all those concerns were unnecessary. John provided me with amazingly clear and detailed instructions (with diagrams as well) on how to setup the learning space appropriately (with computer, camera, headphones, etc.).

I have now been learning under John for a few months and absolutely love it! His coursework printouts are fantastic and his teaching approach is thorough and a lot of fun. I went from an absolute beginner to now being able to have jam sessions, understand the ins-and-outs of PSG theory, play songs, etc.

In short, whether you’re an absolute beginner and an experienced player wanting to further advance, don’t hesitate to reach to John. He’s a teacher par excellence!

+1 for skype lessons with John McClung.

John is an amazingly accomplished steel player but what is even more impressive is his teaching abilities and his E9 pedal steel guitar curriculum. Playing and teaching are two separate abilities- and John is one of those people that excels at both.
I was originally unsure how well lessons would work out through skype- but John has it down to a fine science and has multiple cameras set up on his end that he switches between depending on what you are focused on in that moment. It works really well, and its just as good as if I were able to be in the same room with him.
John has a full written out curriculum for E9 pedal steel that has blown me away with how detailed it is and how well it covers topics. It is incredibly well thought out and has been "road tested" with dozens and dozens (maybe hundreds?) of students- When you start lessons it is very obvious how much time and effort John has put into it- its like a full book. Prior to every lesson John sends you a PDF file of the upcoming lesson so you can go over the material before hand and already be prepared during lessons with any questions you may have. This is such a great way to learn, and really helps you get the most out of your lesson time with him. The material is well thought out and progresses in such a way that every lesson builds upon what you have already learned. I find that this kind of structure is SO MUCH better than the sit down "so what do you want to learn man?" kind of lessons, and really helps prevent holes in your knowledge of the material and helps you use your time effectively. John covers everything from ear training, to reading/writing tablature and Nashville number system chord charts, to chord theory and steel playing techniques and sooooo much more. If you send him an email he will send you a PFD explaining everything his lessons cover and answers any questions you may have. Its all practical application stuff and all things you need to know in order to "survive the bandstand" on steel. I've been taking lessons with John for awhile now and I have learned more in even just the first few lessons than I did the previous year trying to figure it out on my own. Steel is pretty dang hard when you are first staring out! John makes it all seem a lot less daunting and is an incredible wealth of Steel guitar knowledge and I really cant go on enough about his teaching skills. Hes also just a super nice guy with a great sense of humor. I really look forward to our lessons every two weeks- partly because of all the material I'm going to get to learn and partly because I get to "nerd out" with a steel guru. Also if between lessons you have some burning questions hes super great about answering his emails with student questions. I live up in Alaska and originally started lessons with John on skype as nobody teaches steel up here- but if that somehow changed I would without a doubt stick with him.
Sorry for rambling a bit- but I really cant say enough good things about steel lessons with him.

Johns the man!!!

Having taken 6 skype lessons now with John I agree with everyone else. John is a super nice guy and a great teacher and his written material is second to none. I have a couple of years of steel study under my belt and John really helped me clear up my thinking and improve my playing. I would certainly recommend him to anybody at my level.

John has easily earned my recommendation for anyone looking to learn or to take their playing to the next level. I met John at the TSGA show this year with little to no knowledge of playing. In the five months I've worked with John, I could have never imagined my playing improving to this extent. John is an excellent teacher and has far exceeded my expectations. If you're willing to put in the time and apply the ideas John teaches, your playing is certain to improve quickly.

I would be remissed if I didn't also mention just how great of a guy John is. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who cares as much about their students and their student's success as John. He's a world class teacher and an even better person. I'm thankful to have gained a friend in John while also having learned so much about playing!

Well Spoken. I agree 100 percent!

Just wanted to express thanks to all my former students who have kindly said nice words about the efficacy of my teaching!

And all of you: please keep in touch, I have high hopes for you all, and would love to hear about your ongoing successes playing pedal steel.

John's a swell guy. He'll treat you right and set you straight.

John is an excellent teacher and a nice guy to boot. His program is very well thought out and puts beginning players on a logical path to understanding the fretboard, tightening up their technique, and improving their musicianship. I completed his course and my playing and knowledge of musical theory both took huge leaps forward. I still have lots and lots to work on, but John helped me establish a foundation and the skills to keep moving forward on my own. John is sure to get you going in the right direction so give him a call or send him a PM.

I just wanted to congratulate John McClung aka Professor Twang on celebrating 25 years of teaching pedal steel and helping so many people improve their playing. John's a knowledgeable player with the patience and well thought out course materials to help students at all levels.

Thanks for sharing your knowledge, John.

I finished John's E9 101 course a few months ago and have to comment that it is so well laid out. I like the way John sends a PDF file a few days before your lesson so that you can prepare for it. The lessons are stepped, always building of the previous lesson.
My schedule did not allow me to take the lessons continually because we move around a lot, but John was always able to accommodate my schedule.
If you have a problem John will work patiently to help you through it. He is an excellent teacher and a great guy. When I felt nervous he helped me to become more relaxed about my playing.
If you need a great teacher, John fits the bill!

Kind words, Warren, thank you!

Reminder: in celebration of my now 25 years of teaching, new students can get a one-off Skype lesson with me for just $25, less than half my normal rate. Topic can be whatever you need help or guidance with. Offer good through June 30. Very limited openings! This is the only special I've ever advertised, take advantage.

Prefer email, text or phone inquiries, please.

All best,
John McClung
Pedal Steel Lessons, Casuals, Sessions
Olympia, WA 98512
Email & PayPal fees – steelguitarlessons@earthlink.net
Easy PayPal link: paypal.me/JohnMcClung
Website – http://steelguitarlessons.com
Skype name: professortwang
Cell & text: 310-480-0717