The Steel Guitar Forum

Who is the king, or queen, of rock and roll steel guitar? Who should I listen to for a good example, either on tunes or instructional material. What is the best tuning for this? I've been sitting in with a band that is playing about half country rock and half straight-up rock. I'm looking to develop some technique in the styles of Chuck Berry, the Stones, the Black Crows, etc., for both lead, but even more so for rhythm comping, ala Chuck, Keith, etc.

Thanks!

Cliff

I don't know who the "KING OF ROCK" steel might be but I came up with a way of playing a pretty fair slide type of lead...

Try deciding on a key and move up one fret, with your E's lowered, staying in that fret
play sttrings 8-7-6, the note on the 6 string will be the 4 note..slide up 2 frets to the 5, on that same fret move up to the 5th string hit that one then slide up 2 frets to the 1 again. Then look for some notes in between those as your moving around.

That also brings you to the fret for your normal 4 chord with the E's off.

Using that pattern and a little distortion, I find that I can "ROCK ON" With rock and blues stuff.

I was kinda proud of myself finding that on my own..usually I gotta cop things from others,, I'd also bet that others can tell you other patterns that will work too...probably even better.

I'll be checking this out to see others suggestions...good thread.

Good luck...let me know if it works for you.

Joe Wright is the king of rock steel, hands down. I saw him live - he's all rock.

Bobby Black for sure!<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Bob Wood on 21 August 2006 at 04:08 PM.]</p></FONT>

Joe Wright can hang like a side of beef but Buddy Cage was playing Jeff Beck licks in 1973.Sneaky Pete - well what can I say... That said,I've heard Buddy Emmons,Bobby Black,Al Perkins and a few others rock in a big way. If you want to(easily)play Chuck Berry 2 string boogie rhythm guitar lines in the correct octave,you really need a 12 string with a pedal or lever that raises your low B and G# strings a step and a half - otherwise,you're just approximating it.
All the rest of the blues/rock dominant or minor pentatonic lexicon can be found on just about any tuning if you're motivated to dig it out. Just find the pockets and connect the dots. The trick here is to NOT listen to steel players playing rock but to go to the source - listen to guitar players,sax players,organ players or whatever playing rock and play their licks on steel.

Great tips and advice, guys. Keep 'em coming!

Gotta go with Mike J. on this one.

But also add
that Dave Ristrim does some great Jeff Beck stuff,
and Dan Tyak is killer on blues RnB rock stuff.

Still, David Linley is very well represented
by playing slide on hit records more than most.

He, John Paul Jones and David Gilmore are the best known world wide
as lapsteel players.

John Lennon is also heared world wide on lapsteel,
but most people don't know what he is playing...

Most seen/known pedal players are Robert Randolf
and Paul Franklin with Dire Straits.
<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by David L. Donald on 21 August 2006 at 11:09 PM.]</p></FONT>

Poco's Rusty Young!!!

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<font face="monospace" size="3"><pre> ~ ~
©¿© It don't mean a thang,
mm if it ain't got that twang.</pre></font>

If you want to play rock on the steel, I suggest you start by listening to Fred McDowell's slide guitar work, and emulating it on a lap steel.

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Warning: I have a telecaster and I'm not afraid to use it.
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My web site

... or you could start with Red River Valley, work in a country band for about 5 or 6 years, and work your way up to it from there.

Cliff, I don't know who the king of rock steel is - I reckon that posistion is still being advertised. I agree that you're better off listening to rock guitarists and trying to work it out on steel. Duane Allman might be a great place to start.

As part of my practice I've been trying to work up a steel part to the Stones' Country Honk from Let it Bleed. The track is a countrified version of Honky Tonk women inspired (some say arranged) by Gram Parsons. The lead part is provided by Byron Berline on fiddle.

So I'm copying fiddle licks to a country version of a rock song - which is an education. My stumbling block has been that most of the rudimentary E9th licks that fall to my fingers sound too 'sweet' for this track, it really seems to call out for more of a blues treatment despite the country angle. It's an interesting challenge.

Here's a tutorial on Doug Beaumier's site on E9 penatonic scales you might find helpful, although I haven't get this to click yet myself. I'm used to playing blues licks on a six string but I just can't seem to get it to sound right on steel.

Jack I was intrigued by your suggestions but I haven't got it to work for me either. I'll keep trying. If you've got any cool little licks or runs in that position perhaps you could tab them out?

I just found another tutorial on Joe Wright's site that might help in this area, based around B&C pedals.

The real "King" of Rock n' Roll.



uhthankyouverymuch.<font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Mike Shefrin on 22 August 2006 at 07:50 AM.]</p></FONT>

I'll let Paul Franklin and Joe Wright fight it out for the title - wouldn't want to bet against either one of those.

At a completely other level, I play in local amateur rockabilly and blues-rock bands. I couldn't do it without my S12 uni. You need the same changes on the lower strings you have on the top strings for the A and B pedal, and the F lever. There are octaves, power chords and comping gallore down there on those uni low strings. Start on the open pedal I chord and drop back two frets and hit the AB pedals for the all-important IIIb chord. A vertical lever to raise strings 1 and 7 to the 7th with the pedals down seems essential.

I prefer the uni to extended E9 because of the simpler strums at the bottom. And because with the A pedal minor position, the low B string becomes the low root, and you have pentatonic notes all the way across all 12 strings for over two octaves. Also, for the early rock'n'roll and rockabilly sound, the B6 mode is a natural.

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<font size="1">Student of the Steel: Zum uni, Fender tube amps, squareneck and roundneck resos, tenor sax, keyboards

Smiley Roberts.

I'd suggest doing what most 6 stringers do- exploring the playing of a few of the classic rock and blues players from earlier generations. Robert Johnson, John Hurt, Fred McDowell, Muddy Waters, the Kings, Clapton, Page, Beck, Duane Allman, etc.
Delving into their styles will yield a bounty of minor or blues inflected lick ideas, as well as great insight into how they influenced each other.
As with many 6 string players, studying those guys may leave you still a bit light on soloing over Major chords and progressions where blues aren't appropriate.
A thoughrough study of David Lindley's major key phrasing on just Jackson Browne's "Running on Empty" album will amaze you with what can be done with only a few major key patterns. Another great resource for major key ideas is Leslie West from the rock band Mountain.
For truly swinging major/bluesy stuff, especially on C6, try figuring out some of Charlie Christian's stuff. He was a genius.

Take a listen to John Hughey on Dickie Betts' Highway Call and I think you will agree John is definitely in the running.

"Crazy" JOE WRIGHT!!!!!!!
Joe is under rated...but is a funny, entertaing steel guitarist! He rocks and rolls and then some! and I've got to add a very nice and hospitable guy!
Grouchy

Hey, The "BIG E" didn't do a bad job of playing rock steel on an old Brenda Lee recording intitled "Rock On Your Steel Guitar Little Jona" It has been a favorite solo of mine since I first heard it. You have to check it out. I think It was recorded in the late fiftie's. This is just another name to add to the great players mentioned before. Bobby