The Steel Guitar Forum

I find Hawaiian-style vamps a lot of fun to play. You can really get creative with them. The way they choose to play vamps are often the hallmarks of a particular Hawaiian steeler's style. If you alter your phrasing, vibrato and use of legato vs staccato, many of these work well in swing and blues as well. Unfortunately, it's impossible to notate the grace note slides and phrasing so this is just a blueprint.

Hawaiian Vamps in C6th Tuning

[tab]


From the playing of Jerry Byrd C7
E---------------------------------------------| |---------5-----------------------|--------
C---------------------------------------------| |------------5--------------4-----|--------
A---------------------------------------------| |*--------------------------------|--------
G---------------------------------------------| |*--------------5--------5--------|--------
E---------------------------------------------| |------------------5--6-----------|--------
C---------------------------------------------| |---------------------------------|--------


F C7 F
E---------| |--------5--------------------------|--------| |-----------------------------
C------5--| |-----------5-----------------4-----|-----5--| |-----------------------------
A---------| |--------------3-----------3--------|--------| |-----------------------------
G---------| |-----------------2-----3-----------|--------| |-----------------------------
E------5--| |-----------------------------------|--------| |-----------------------------
C---------| |-----------------------------------|--------| |-----------------------------


C7 F C7
E---------5-----------------------|-----------| |-----------------------------|------------
C------------5-----2--------4-----|--------5--| |-----9-----------------4-----|------------
A---------------3-----1--3--------|-----------| |--------8-----5-----3--------|------------
G---------------------------------|-----------| |-----------5-----3-----------|------------
E---------------------------------|--------5--| |-----------------------------|------------
C---------------------------------|-----------| |-----------------------------|------------


F From Alan Akaka A7 D7 G
E------------| |--------------------------| |------------7--6--5--------|-----------| |------
C------5-----| |--------------------------| |---------7-----------6-----|--------7--| |------
A------------| |--------------------------| |*-----7--------------------|-----------| |------
G------------| |--------------------------| |*--6-----------------------|-----------| |------
E------5-----| |--------------------------| |---------------------------|--------7--| |------
C------------| |--------------------------| |---------------------------|-----------| |------


A7 D7 G
E---6--7--------------------5--|-----| |---------------------------------------------------
C---------7--------------6-----|--7--| |---------------------------------------------------
A------------7--------5--------|-----| |---------------------------------------------------
G---------------6--5-----------|-----| |---------------------------------------------------
E------------------------------|--7--| |---------------------------------------------------
C------------------------------|-----| |---------------------------------------------------


From Early Steel Great Ralph Kolsiana:


D7 G A Few of My Favorites
E---| |---7--5--7--5-----------------5--|-----3--| |----------------------------------------
C---| |---------------6-----------6-----|--------| |----------------------------------------
A---| |*-----------------5-----5--------|--------| |----------------------------------------
G---| |*--------------------5-----------|--------| |----------------------------------------
E---| |---------------------------------|--------| |----------------------------------------
C---| |---------------------------------|--------| |----------------------------------------


C7 F7 C7
E---| |------------0--|-----1-----------1--| |--------8--6-----------------|----------------
C---| |---------0-----|--------0-----------| |--------------7--------------|----------------
A---| |*--0--1--------|-----------0--------| |-----------------7-----------|----------------
G---| |*--------------|--------------------| |--------------------5--4--3--|----------------
E---| |---------------|--------------------| |-----------------------------|----------------
C---| |---------------|--------------------| |-----------------------------|----------------


F C7 C7
E---------5-----5-----------| |-----------8-----------6--|--------5-----------3--|---------
C---4--5-----5-----5--------| |--------------------------|-----------------------|---------
A---------------------5-----| |--5--6--7-----7--6--5-----|-----3-----3--2--1-----|---------
G------------------------5--| |--------------------------|-----------------------|---------
E---------------------------| |--------------------------|-----------------------|---------
C---------------------------| |--------------------------|-----------------------|---------


F C7 C7 F
E------1--| |-----------8-----------6--|--------------5-----------3-----|--------| |--------
C---------| |--------------------------|--------------------------------|-----5--| |--------
A------0--| |--5--6--7-----7--6--5-----|--------------------------------|--------| |--------
G---------| |--------------------------|--------4--5-----5--4--3--------|-----5--| |--------
E---------| |--------------------------|--------------------------------|-----5--| |--------
C---------| |--------------------------|--------------------------------|--------| |--------


Pick-up G7 C7 F A7 A7 D
E---3--4--|-----5-----------|-----| |-----7--8--9--7--|-----------------|-----| |-----------
C---3--4--|-----5--8--7--6--|--5--| |-----7--8--9--7--|-----9--8--7--1--|--2--| |-----------
A---3--4--|-----5--8--7--6--|--5--| |-----------------|-----9--8--7--1--|--2--| |-----------
G---------|--------8--7--6--|--5--| |-----7--8--9--7--|-----------------|-----| |-----------
E---------|-----------------|-----| |-----------------|-----9--8--7--1--|--2--| |-----------
C---------|-----------------|-----| |-----------------|-----------------|-----| |-----------


A7 A7 (strum) D (Strum) A7
E------9--7--5--3--|-----------|-----------------| |-----------2--9--8--7-----|------------
C------9--7--5--3--|--------1--|-----2-----------| |-----1--2--2--9--8--7--1--|------------
A------9--7--------|--------1--|-----2-----------| |-----1--2--2--9--8--7--1--|------------
G------9--7--4--2--|--------0--|-----2-----------| |-----1--2--2--9--8--7--1--|------------
E------------------|--------0--|-----2-----------| |-----1--2--------------1--|------------
C------------------|-----------|-----------------| |--------------------------|------------


D John Ely Taught Me This One. Pick-up
E---------| |--------------------------------------------------10--11--|-------------------
C------2--| |--------------------------------------------------10--11--|-------------------
A------2--| |----------------------------------------------------------|-------------------
G------2--| |--------------------------------------------------10--11--|-------------------
E------2--| |----------------------------------------------------------|-------------------
C---------| |----------------------------------------------------------|-------------------


C7 C7 F6 Gliss ------
E------12--10--8------|--------------|-----------3--4--5--| |------------------------------
C------12--10-----10--|-----7--------|-----4--5-----------| |------------------------------
A--------------7--10--|-----7--7--3--|-----------3--4--5--| |------------------------------
G------12--9----------|--------7--3--|-----4--5--3--4--5--| |------------------------------
E--------------6--10--|-----6--6--3--|-----4--5-----------| |------------------------------
C---------------------|--------------|--------------------| |------------------------------


Bm E7 A
E------------2--9-----8--7--|--------| |---------------------------------------------------
C------------2--8-----8--7--|--8--9--| |---------------------------------------------------
A------------2--7-----7--7--|--8--9--| |---------------------------------------------------
G---------------------------|--7--9--| |---------------------------------------------------
E---------------------------|--------| |---------------------------------------------------
C---------------------------|--------| |---------------------------------------------------

[/tab]

Good stuff here Andy.......thanks pal. And your tab before is super too my friend. Keep'um coming eventhough most may not respond.......they are copyin' and your work here is admirable.
Ricky

Thanks, Ricky, it's nice to know someone cares.

Ah shucks Andy...we all care! Nice vamps. I have been using most of them for years but not necessarily in the C6 tuning. Yes, they are fun to play, aren't they ?

Andy,
I'm so glad to see some non-pedal tab. Keep it coming. I love it!!!!

Andy I believe there are a lot of us out
here who are thirsting fro more tab---
gives us MORE! We appreciate it! J. Gray
downin S.Tex

Thanks Andy,I know I'll take all the C6 you can give me

------------------
BJ Bailey

OK Andy, now I gotta retune the dobro.