The Steel Guitar Forum

I wrote a book years ago called Steelin’ Scales and Modes and this short video is an introduction to concept rather than a demonstration. I talk too much, but there is a little playing.

I wrote the book years ago in a series of late night sessions and was so proud to have it published, only to have it pointed out after shipping about 100 copies that there were some major erros! Man, I freaked. The hoops I had to jump to make those corrections were the stuff of nightmares. Haha

The book has sold many copies over the years, I hope it’s helped someone. But truthfully, I wrote it for myself.

https://youtu.be/xH-5BK41UCc

Nice little demo there, Mike. I got a copy of your book back when you first brought it out, and after going through the exercises a bit I started doing exactly what you just did there: using the patterns to either play tunes I already knew, or make up new ones in free-form. It felt like just “noodling”, but at the same time my understanding of the neck expanded hugely without me really noticing. Thanks again.

The way to get beyond noodling is to only play what you hear, and to create melodic content. It is really cool to narrow your focus like that and commit completely to what you’re playing.

Yes, playing what I hear in my head - always a goal, often elusive. One thing that I have definitely gained from taking advantage of tetrachord patterns is an ability to more easily see where a melody will sit best on the neck, both to learn it and to improvise around it.

David Knutson wrote:ability to more easily see where a melody will sit best on the neck, both to learn it and to improvise around it.

Just finding choices for playing melodies really opens everything up and puts you in control of the articulation of every phrase. I spend a lot time with this. I am not happy until I have put those finishing touches on a melody, and these days I play very long ones.

At 2:47 you you channeling “Tijuana Taxi”…….

Mike Neer wrote:I wrote a book years ago.....

But truthfully, I wrote it for myself

Writing is one of the best ways of learning. Writing it out 5 times is magic; The 5th time a person can almost write it by memory, thus the "lesson(s)" well learned.

David Knutson wrote:It felt like just “noodling”, but at the same time my understanding of the neck expanded hugely without me really noticing.

See my answer to Mike's posting. Your answer is what the 5 times trick is all about.

Hey Mike, I'm working my way through Steelin Scales and Modes right now. I'm trying to expand my vocabulary outside of position playing, and it's been really helpful and empowering to see such a visually balanced and pleasing approach. I've been using Band in a Box to wrap my head around how the different tetrachords sound in different contexts. I think it'll be awhile until I play something slick on stage that isn't too old hat, but I can already see the tetrachord approach changing my playing and giving me new ideas.

Mike Neer wrote:so proud to have it published, only to have it pointed out after shipping about 100 copies that there were some major errors!

I wrote a 386 page jazz theory book for guitar that was used at Berklee School of Music for awhile. I proof read it three times and was confident it was ready. Then I had my wife proof read it and she found corrections in the text on ALMOST EVERY PAGE!

So then I hired a really good jazz guitarist to proof read all the music notation and diagrams. She found a few corrections.

Yep, it's a good rule of thumb to have a proof reader - or two - when writing a book.

It's said inside every big book is a little book trying to get out. I rewrote the initial 386 book after a few years and got it into a more user friendly format that was reduced to 220 pages.

The Fretboard, Vol.1, Scales, Modes, and Arpeggios http://www.masterguitarists.com/store

And don't run a global spell check and replace after the book is proofed!