The Steel Guitar Forum

Hey everybody im a beginner steel player.I can see theres a ton of info on here about things to do when your just startin out.What are some of the things NOT to do when your a beginner? Been playin guitar 25 yrs so i know bad habits early on, are hard to break later on. Any tips or suggestions would be great !! thanks Bob

Don't spend a million dollars on tab courses,
Do get a quality course and use it, Do try to find a local player for advise and inspiration. Don't try to play everything the first day, Don't try to play everything the second day..( you get the point ) Do give yourself several months to work on the physicals, Don't give up, Do try to play with some friends or jam, Do have fun, Do apply your guitar playing theory to the steel. Right hand, Left hand technique and intonation are probably at the top of the list for all players at all times.

Welcome to the Steel World, it's the Best and this Forum makes it even better.
TP
www.tprior.com <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 04 October 2006 at 08:17 AM.]</p></FONT>

Realize that some incredible music has been played on a 2x4 with strings stretched across it. Don't deceive yourself into thinking that you can improve your playing by purchasing stuff (instruments, effects, etc.). Unless the purchase leads you to spending more time playing, it won't work. And you can avoid the purchase if you just spend more time playing.

You're a musician -- you know the routine. Learn scales and patterns and learn how to link them together. Technique is critical. Watch a good player carefully. This is not an easy instrument to sound good on -- most any player who does sound good is doing something right -- probably intentionally. There are many techniques that work and some general principles to follow. Don't cover more strings with your bar than you need to -- it makes noise and slows you down. Learn to alternate between thumb and finger in a motion similar to up and down strokes with a flatpick (called crosspicking -- often used for rapid single string playing).

I'll stop there. There are many more, but the best way is to find a player in your area who can help get you started with technique. Video lessons may help but nothing takes the place of a teacher or mentor who can answer questions, watch you play, and critique your progress. It's worth whatever you have to pay but many players are so flattered they'll do it for free.

Good luck. It is an adventure.

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<small>Larry Bell - email: larry@larrybell.org - gigs - Home Page
2000 Fessenden S-12 8x8, 1969 Emmons S-12 6x6, 1971 Emmons D-10 9x9, 1971 Dobro

<CENTER>some Beginner's Tips</CENTER>

I'm going to start with your right hand. Make sure your thumb is straight out so the pick hits the string straight on. And pick down close to the pickup.

Bob.

Get some C/D's to play along with!
Playing the steel guitar and playing steel guitar WITH other instruments is two different things.
Learning to play even the most basic steel part over a set of chord changes in time/tune with a band is one of the biggest steps in learning to play IMHO.
JE:-)>

I too, am a newbie on steel and an oldie on guitars.
Right hand. Right hand. Right hand. Find a player/teacher that can show you the right hand technique.

Practice with a drum/rhythym machine. Practice scales with it. Practice picking and blocking with it. Practice chords with it.

Sometimes I think I sound pretty good, then I turn on the drum machine. Duh.

When you really feel frisky, do a simple recording at home. Lots of learning here.

Ron




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Fender Stringmaster T-8
PV N400
Dobro squareneck
Dobro roundneck
Lots of Taylors

Welcome to the Forum, Bob! Like Tony said, find yourself a teacher. Watching close up while a pro plays will open new worlds for you. Get a good beginner's method (the Winston book is great) and work through it until you know it backwards and forwards.

For technique; hold the bar straight and exactly over the fret and DO NOTpick it up to move it. Slide it from fret to fret and block with the right hand.

Ron, I'm glad you mentioned simple recording. This is a tool I use almost exclusively now. I practice, record the whole deal, then while driving listen to it and ...barf....but it tells no lies !

Things were much simpler when all I owned was on old Gibson Melody Maker and a Deluxe. As Archie Bunker use to sing "Those were the days"... I wouldn't have it any other way...

tp
www.tprior.com <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 04 October 2006 at 08:18 AM.]</p></FONT><font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Tony Prior on 04 October 2006 at 08:19 AM.]</p></FONT>

I agree with right hand, right hand, right hand for sure. I think videos are the greatest thing since sliced bread. I agree with the statement about not getting hung up on buying gear to improve your playing, except, spend the money and get a good instrument. The last thing you need to worry about are mechanical issues. A good steel will last for your kid's lifetime, or you can sell it with no loss.
Good luck!

Don't lean on your volume pedal for balance. I'm trying to break that bad habit right now!
-John

It has already been said, Right Hand, Right Hand, Right Hand. Here is a way to get to what I consider the proper right hand. If I am wrong, then all these guys that know so much more than I do will correct me and then I will learn something too. Place your right thumb against your left middle finger, just like you are getting ready to snap your finger. Now, look at your first finger main nuckle, back against your hand. It should be pointing to your right about 20 degrees or so--not straight up toward the ceiling. Most of your picking is going to be done with this "snapping the finger" motion with middle finger and thumb, your hand tilted slightly to the right. Gee, I hope I haven't been doing it wrong all these years.

Volume pedal tip, I learned this right here on the forum. If you've got that volume pedal rockin up and down , ( volume swell ) to break the habit, take your foot off the pedal and place it on the floor. Do this for a few weeks and the habit will be gone..

Good luck
TP

Yes Bob, some of these fine forumites can give you some really good pointers as beginners.However if you were really smart here is what you should really do.First of all you should by no means sell your guitar.Second ask your self is it time for a divorce, and do I need psychological help now.You should sell the steel, amp, volume pedal, and seat. Take the money and buy a great lap top computer> Whatever money you have left over go to the exoctic dance clubs have some fun. Then spend the rest on strong drinks and smoke.

I believe everyone else has hit it right on the mark, but... I would like to add one thing and I believe a very important thing. If you are serious about learning Steel Guitar, don't try to learn on bad equipment, at least have a very good learner steel and amp or if you think you are going to stay with it, buy a pro setup. Nothing worse than trying to learn on something that doesn't stay in tune, or has a setup thats half setup, or a poorly sounding amp. You're only as good as your equipment.

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Gene H. Brown<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Gene H. Brown on 11 April 2002 at 12:05 AM.]</p></FONT>

Bob, try and get hold of a copy of the "Winnie Winston" book, although some consider it a little dated it soon becomes a fantastic source of information and you'll always gain something from it including all the necessary set up procedures and adjustments to keep your steel in a good playable condition.

Tom Bradshaw - in the late 70s and early 80s had out a veritable bible of steel guitar magazines but sadly they fell by the wayside although I believe that Tom still has a stock of them - great reading and information with all kinds of interesting history not to be missed.

If possible try to play each day, because even just sitting at the steel and playing anything that pedal and knee lever combinations can come up with can be construed as a learning curve - even for memorising where each move takes you.

Good plan is also to relate to regular guitar positions to identify your whereabouts on the neck - C6th is a lot different and will require another few steps before trying it out.

Just my 2cs worth.

Bob Mainwaring. Z.Bs. and other weird things.

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Yes!
Get the Winnie Winston book! I'll get my 10 cent royaly! <g>
I just had a chance to go through it again. The "beginning tab" which Bill Keith did is NOT very beginning-- some of it is pretty advanced, and you won't know that until you've been playing five years and go back to it.
The book is chock full of tips and info.
The "builders" and "resources" are a bit out of date (understatement!) but Scotty is still there as is Tom Bradshaw.
Some of the records can no longer be had, but some are still there on CD-- Buddy's stuff with Roger Miller (from "A Trip in the Country") is on CD, Lloyd's stuff with Charlie Pride is out too, and so is Buddy Cage's "Poweglide" with the New Riders of the Pupple Sage. I guess you wait long enough and all the stuff that was available in 1978 and then NOT available in the 80s and 90s is now all back again!

If you want good solid classic E9th, Jeff Newman's early courses are still great.

Winnie

Joe Wright has made an excellent series of videos which in great detail show you how to acquire the techniques of playing the steel.

Joe teaches you what you need to know in order to get started steeling the right way.

If you`re interested, you should try this: http://www.pedalsteel.com/

Thanks everbody, for all the good advice, I dont know where i would start if it werent for this forum.Where I live it isnt exactly what you would consider "pedal steel territory" But I did actualy find a good player to teach me that lives not too far from me. (lucky).I practice a couple hours a day and actualy sorta guessed my way through a couple of simple Chrirtmas songs. Thank you all once again! Bob

glad to see Winnie doesn't think the tab in his book is basic . When I first started, that book was all I had and after trying to play the first few tunes in there I darn near gave up !
A year later, I find myself going back to the book more and more and I can now make a half-decent attempt at just about everything in there. Its got some great stuff tabbed and also lots of background info.

Winnie, you're so right about the tab not all being beginner stuff. That book is one of the few places you can get the tab for Bud's Bounce. And if thats beginner stuff...

And it only costs twenty bucks and now comes with a CD.

Bob.

I second the nomination about Winnie's book.

Beyond that, I suggest you get a guitar with 3 or 4 knee levers. (I really like the Carter Starter for a student guitar.) Once you learn about the E to F change, you'll want to use it, and will only be frustrated of your guitar doesn't have it.

Learn the 3 positions for the major chord. Pedals up, pedals down, and the A pedal R knee lever position, and practice going from one to another.

And finally, as soon as you have any kind of command of the instrument, join a band. You might know that you're a beginner, but nobody else will. There's nothing like playing on a bandstand, and no better teacher than experience.

<SMALL>You might know that you´re a beginner, but nobody else will.</SMALL>

Well I have found that it´s always better to tell them that you haven´t been playing for a long time. In that way, they will be more understanding if you make some mistakes or play just simple stuff. If they aren´t, they are probably not the right band for you anyway.

Got a METRONOME? (Dr. Beat, Seiko Rhythm Trainer, inexpensive drum machine, etc.)

I also agree strongly with the right hand emphasis. Having played for just about two years now (and guitar for > 35 years) I feel as though I'm just now crawling out of the beginner zone. One of the things that's taken lots of practice for me is aiming at a fret with my bar and not overshooting or undershooting. I thought I could never do it, but recently, I think I'm actually doing it. Your eye will look for a fret five frets above or below where your bar is and then, zoom, you gotta move it and hit it square on. That took a lot of practice.

I too bought Winnie's and Bill's book and continue to find it very useful. (Don't spend that dime all at once, Winnie). I didn't find the tabs difficult to read -- and the CD gives you an idea of what the tunes should sound like.

Now I just need to work on my tendency to drool on my instrument while in the thick of knee/pedal/bar/finger concentration. Yuck.

--Rob
<FONT SIZE=1 COLOR="#8e236b"><p align=CENTER>[This message was edited by Rob Hamilton on 12 April 2002 at 08:41 PM.]</p></FONT>