The Steel Guitar Forum

I am a pre-beginner at PSG, and need to get some instructional courses.
Jeff Newman's "Jammin' Tracks" look very good to me, but I'm wondering if a video might be better, because I could actually see HOW to play, not just WHAT to play.
Tommy White's "Hot Licks and Cool Tricks" look like fun, but are they too advanced for me?
Any suggestions, comments, or recommendations? Thanks, Lincoln

Hi Linclon,

Jeff's "Just Jammin" is a good way to expand on what you know. The only problem with this course is the tab. In the tab, he did not mark the chords above at the change of bar position and therefore it may be harder for a novice to associate specific chords with a fret/pedal/knee action.

He has some very good courses though.

I´ve read somewhere - I believe it was in a PSGA newsletter last year - that Tommy White´s "Hot Licks..." are too advanced even for many advanced players.

Hi Lincoln, I suggest you click on "Links" at the top of the screen, go to instructional material, than go to "Joe Wright".
His video instruction tapes ,in my opinion, are the best there is for the beginner.
I wish they were available when I started out.

Herby Wallace is my instructor and he will be glad to get you started on a PSG course with no prior experience needed! His courses are designed to get you going in a short amount of time. Good Luck and welcome aboard! ( His # is 865-453-7476)

Dittos on Joe Wright's materials for pre-beginners & up. Good luck & go to steel conventions!!

Doug Jernigan should be added to this fine list as his new methods are beyond reproch. We have never had a complaint on his beginner videos. Jeff, Herby, Joe, All these guys have devoted their lives to teaching newbies and pros alike. You have so much more of an advantage today than we did in the fiftys and sixtys.Get after it kid,you have no excuse not to be great in this day and time!
Bobbe

Boy, aint that the truth, Bobbe!!....al

Thank you for your advice, everyone! I just have one more question one this topic- are videos better than TAB and CD's, simply for the reason that I would be able to SEE the techniques? I have played standard guitar for several years, and I think I could write all the chord changes for Jeff Newman's Jammin' Tracks, if that was a worth while course otherwise. Lincoln

"Lincoln, I have both the "Up from the Top" series Jeff Newman does and also the "Just Jammin" - The Up from the Top has tapes, tabs, and video, and goes into great detail on how to use certain pedals, progressions, etc. - the Just Jammin is super for learning an instrumental (each instrumental track runs for about 8 minutes, so you play the song about 5 times), and fun to play with, but the Up from the Top is more useful in total (in my opinion)...Hope this helps.

I'd think that the Videos are probably really good because you get to SEE it.

As a Pre-Beginner, Keep it simple.
I haven't looked at any of the current instruction stiuff, so can't tell you much.

I do know that the thing that got me started was a great instruction record by Neil Flanz that was put out by Sho-Bud. He played a lick, then talked you through it.
I also got LOTS of good stuff from Jeff Newman's first stuff.
I got it, listened to the whole thing, then went to the parts I wanted to learn. Some I could figure out on my own.

Big thing: LISTEN LISTEN LISTEN get the sound *in your head* before you try playing it.
Keep it slow and simple.

And then... there's my book... still printed by Oak Publications. It got a lot of folks started. There is a lot of info in there.

Winnie