The Steel Guitar Forum

I've been playing guitar for 50 years, but a recent accident means I can no longer use my left fingers for fretting but I think I can hold a slide. I have a dobro that I have in low G tuning and I have tried playing some blues and slide guitar stuff with it. I also have a National Dynamic lap steel, basically because I rescued it from a horrible fate around 10 years ago, but I've never really tried to play it. I'd like to try playing it, and get a more straight ahead melodic sound than I get with the dobro (which seems to be blues and all blues, at least for me).

Is there a best/easiest way to transition from playing guitar to playing lap steel? A tuning that is intuitive and lends itself to playing melodies? Do you look at lap steel as a completely different instrument or can lean on instincts from 50 years of guitar? A book or on-line resource that can answer lame newbie questions like this?

I started in open E on the lap steel. If you play lead on the guitar it's pretty easy to switch to the lap steel.

Thank you. I'm a little confused on tunings, can you relate your open E to the notes I'm accustomed to from standard guitar?

Here is a tuning that's been suggested - "Here's E9th tuned down to D9th:(Low to High) C, D, E, F#, A, D"

Without reference, this seems like the tuning is only just over one octave, and the first four strings are only a tone apart. Is that actually so? also, what string gauges would you use based on a short scale lap steel like my Dynamic? I am so confused...

Here is another question I just came up with, based on that suggested D9 tuning. Are you supposed to play chords with that, or mostly play single note lines? When I play my dobro in modified low G (E G D G B D)I can mostly play chords with the root on the G, or m7 chords with the root on the E. Everything else is so close to regular guitar, but single note lines all seem to come out pentatonic. I'd like to be able to play jazz lines... I don't know how to think in Lap Steel...

Tune your steel as if you were playing an E chord. EBEG#BE.

I'd highly suggest a 6 tuning if you want to stray a bit from blues.
C6 & A6 are great & you can use the same strings for both tunings (and quite a few others).
It really wasn't until I strung up my guitar to C6, that I really fell in love with it.

I transitioned from armpit guitar, to slide guitar, to steel. First thing I did was start practicing finger-style... basically threw away the pick. Muting is important in steel... both hands get involved, so the sooner you start muting with both hands the better. I don't use fingerpicks, most folks do... you'll eventually be better off with them if you can.

I started with slide guitar tunings, like open E chord, open A chord, etc. Eventually I bought a lapsteel and put a C6 on it... that's when it all started to make sense. You'll want more than one tuning though... that's why you see multi-neck steel guitars.

Were I you, I'd put C6 on the lapsteel and keep playing slide guitar in E, work on both. If your left-hand fingers are having big problems you might want to check into the ring-bars... they hold the bar in your hand using a finger ring. Sounds like that's going to be the hardest issue for you, depending on your injury.

Sorry to hear your fingers got messed up... good luck, steel guitar is a natural path for this kind of thing. Don't be afraid to take some lessons and get some pro advice... somebody needs to evaluate your injury to steer you the right way I feel.

Hi Brian- Sorry to hear of your accident. I have a ring/bar that Stephen is referring to and I will it to send it to you. It will assist you in holding a bullet bar. Please forward your mailing address. One night a man walked up to the stage and gave it to me. I do not have a need and I would like for you to try it out. All the best to you. I recommend trying C6 tuning. It is a powerful tuning in my opinion. Randall

Thanks, I think i will try C6 since that seems to be an often recommended tuning. My injury is a bit odd, yet could happen to anyone. No idea if permanent or might resolve over time. We had a hurricane come through my town, Dorian visited on Sept 7. Power was out, we went to bed and apparently I decided I needed to check on things downstairs and fell down the stairs. I broke my neck, broke 6 ribs, dislocated two fingers on my right hand. They put in a plate to stabilize C6 and C7 vertibrae, but my left hand is numb, apparently nerve damage to the median nerve which is associated with C7. I can move my fingers (I can even type with them), I just can't feel them, yet any pressure, heat or cold is quite painful. Very odd. I can hold a bar just fine. I am a long time guitarist and a luthier, so I have two hobbies on hiatus.

I think i will try C6 since that seems to be an often recommended tuning. A plate to stabilize C6 vertebrae.

It looks like your vertebrae and your tuning will have much in common. In all seriousness, best of luck to you......and welcome!

Brian, that D9th tuning I posted was just an example targeted to that person's question and not a good place to start cold. As others have said, when first moving from guitar an E major tuning is a great place to start with C6th a good follow-up. When you're first wrapping your head around lap steel after years on guitar it's important to understand that, while many aspects will cross over, they are fundamentally different instruments when it comes to attack, sustain, approach, etc.

With a lap steel, you are playing guitar with one finger. Because of this fact, many, many tunings have been developed for 6 and 8 string guitars over the past 80 or so years. There are also many personal variations on the standard tunings so there is less standardization in the steel guitar. world in general.

So it can be dizzying and a little intimidating to jump in but please do because this is one of the world's most amazing and fulfilling instruments. Everyone's personal touch is really amplified on steel in a way that doesn't always happen with guitar. E Major is a good place to start because three of its strings are familiar and there's a lot of music available (this is the same tuning as Open D). C6th is popular because you can get multiple inversions of maj, min, deominat, aug, dim, maj7 chords and scales lay out in a very logical manner. If you can think of tunings in terms of their intervals, you'll be a head of the game. Initially, practice playing in tune and blocking - these take time to develop but are essential skills. Make a conscious decision not to slide into every chord or not at first. So .... please jump in and feel free to ask questions here - it is one of the best moderated BBs you'll find on the web

C6 is a good recommendation. When I transitioned to lap steel C6 was where it all came together for me. Suddenly I could play along with Hank Williams, Bob Wills and similar music, although it's not limited to just old time country. Here is something that I found incredibly helpful in navigating the tuning. Get a Dymo label maker and label the root positions on the neck. C is your open position so start with D on the 2nd fret, E on the 4th fret and so on, as shown in the photos below.

Dyna printers are now lurking in antique shops, a non permanent sharpie style pen would be a better bet.

Lee

Sorry to hear about your injury, I hope you are on the mend!One more thing about lap steel...it's fun! It's a very satisfying instrument to play. Enjoy!

Dyna printers are now lurking in antique shops, a non permanent sharpie style pen would be a better bet.

"It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so."

- Mark Twain (there's some controversy over that attribution)

Lee Holliday wrote:Dyna printers are now lurking in antique shops, a non permanent sharpie style pen would be a better bet.

Lee

Thanks Lee - know you are trying to be helpful but DYMO labelers are available in most office supply stores for about $20. I picked on up at Office Depot about three months ago. The labels can be easily removed. Sharpie might be more difficult.

Over the years i've seen a few threads here an don dobro/reso forums (you're not supposed to call them dobros anymore, y'know) about easier to hold bars or adaptations to secure them ot the fingers

https://www.resohangout.com/archive/43191

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=2752215

https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtop ... &start=550

and I learned in C6 using Andy Volk and Dewitt Scott's books (and if you go to pedal steel, you can play the same tunes in Scotty's PSG tunes)