The Paul Franklin Method is the definitive Modern pedal steel guitar instructional course from Pedal Steel Guitar and Musician's Hall of Famer Paul Franklin. A comprehensive study of E9 and C6 tunings with Paul's 50 years of detailed insights and helpful tips to make you the most complete and original player you can be. From simple back-up to advanced improvisation to practical theory, Paul uses all musical approaches to teach you what you need to know. Instead of just copying licks, Paul analyzes them and breaks them down into easy-to-understand concepts to show you how to compose your own licks... and play with your own voice.
Paul was directly mentored by the great pedal steel masters of the '60's and '70's and is now sharing what they taught him... and adding all of the knowledge he has learned from a lifetime of playing the pedal steel guitar for a living on stages and in studios all over the world. New Lessons are added to the Method regularly, and direct access to Paul via the invite-only Facebook Group gets you as close to private lessons as possible.
OTHER COURSES
Foundations: E9 Pedal Steel Basics is a great place to begin whether you're just getting started and need to know what your options are as you learn the fundamentals of the guitar, or need to correct some old "bad habits". Taken from selected lessons in The Paul Franklin Method, the Foundations course explores all of the essential techniques and concepts to go from bedroom to bandstand.
Applications: E9 Pedal Steel Toolbox is the perfect follow up to anyone who has completed the Foundations course, and like Foundations, you can apply the enrollment fee towards the complete Method at any time. All lessons are taken from the Method. If you are looking for an injection of cool E9 pedal steel ideas to put into your trick bag, the Applications: E9 Pedal Steel Toolbox is for you.
NOTE: If you have already completed Foundations, enrolling in Applications gets you an
additional year of access to the Foundations lessons.
C6 Essentials is for those who've been neglecting "the back neck" or need a fresh take on how to approach it. Paul breaks down the C6 tuning and how to look at it from an E9 player's perspective. Learn to play the C6 tuning by understanding
how it was derived,
why it is such a logical extension of music theory concepts and see why so many great players call it their favorite tuning. You'll go from memorizing the tuning to improvising over an original Jazz Blues tune. All C6 Essentials lessons are taken from the complete Method.
E9 Pedal Steel Vocabulary From Paul: For many years I have received requests from players to do a "Licks" course, where I demonstrate some of the classic sounds that have made the pedal steel guitar so beloved to us and to the public. I have hesitated to do so because I believe that just learning a bunch of licks is not a great way to learn how to play our instrument. There needed to be more to it than just a series of unconnected licks with no guidance on how to use them.
I wanted to find an approach that shows the vocabulary, but also teaches a bit of pedal steel history as to where these licks came from, shows you how to adapt and change any lick to fit other styles, and how I use this process to generate endless licks. To reach that goal, I recorded 50 lessons where I break the licks down into small components and make them easy to combine and alter. I cover some of the trademark sounds of the early greats and many of my own licks taken from my 50 years of live and studio playing.
These are the "pedal steel cliches" that artists and producers will often reference when you get a gig with a band or on a recording session. The marketing copy says "50 Licks", but there are many more than that as I dive deep into modifying them. As you work through the course, you can hear how I have absorbed the key playing styles of the early greats and added - or subtracted - to their ideas to create more. The ability to create an original part based on a style or genre is not magical...it comes from being familiar with this vocabulary and studying and analyzing it...learning how and why it works. Once you have done that, you now know how to generate your own new licks at will. Best for players who already possess the skills needed to complete Foundations and Applications.
NOTE: Paul Franklin Method students get free access to the Vocabulary lessons while enrolled in the Method.
Contemporary Pedal Steel Guitar Vol. 1 For more advanced players, Paul teamed up with steel legend Tommy White to create the definitive study of Paul's "Fingertip Blocking" and Tommy's "Palm Blocking". They analyze and teach their individual techniques and those of players like Lloyd Green, Curly Chalker, and Weldon Myrick. They discuss their mutual influence Buddy Emmons, who came up with the "3-Element Blocking" concept. Tons of tabbed licks and great conversation between these two titans.
FREE COURSES
Paul has two free courses, as well.
Backing A Singer: Shenandoah is a complete breakdown of an Americana overdub session, and
Together Again breaks down his solo from the Vince Gill & Paul Franklin album "Bakersfield".
TUNINGS AND COPEDENTS
Paul uses the standard "Buddy Emmons" pedal setups on both necks. For all of you Universal tuning players, the key material is taught as concepts, so you can easily apply them to any tuning.
You can learn more about all of Paul's courses here:
Paul Franklin Courses.
Be sure to visit and bookmark Paul's blog for lots of tips and insights:
Paul's Place
