Lap Steel & the Blues

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 22 Sep 2004 3:03 pm

Just wanted to let everyone know about my weekend playing the lap steel. One of the bands that I play in, is a blues band called the Matt Hill Band. Matt is the lead singer/guitarist, & I play lead guitar & lap steel. This weekend we competed in the Piedmont Blues Talent Showcase ( www.piedmontblues.org/ ) & finished 1st place. I played lap on four out of seven songs that we got to perform, & the blues fans seemed to love the instrument. The band now gets to go to the IBC, International Blues Challenge, in Memphis, Feburary of 2005. I can't wait to play lap steel at the National contest.

Ron Victoria · Post by **Ron Victoria** » 22 Sep 2004 3:48 pm

Are you using a C6 tuning?

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 22 Sep 2004 4:21 pm

Ron...I have mostly been using open E (EBEG#BE) or open D. I am a huge David Lindley fan, & he used that tuning with a lot of his Jackson Browne work. It really works well with the Blues style.

Richard Shatz · Post by **Richard Shatz** » 22 Sep 2004 4:32 pm

I think E is the best for blues, but I also like D. Just tune down one note.

What kind of rig are you playing?

Bill Leff · Post by **Bill Leff** » 22 Sep 2004 4:34 pm

Congratulations Terry and thanks for spreading the lap steel gospel.

Steinar Gregertsen · Post by **Steinar Gregertsen** » 22 Sep 2004 4:44 pm

Now I'll only have to figure out a cheap way to get your band over to my local jazz and blues festival. Are any of you guys good rowers by any chance?

Congrats, Terry.

Steinar

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www.gregertsen.com

Gerald Ross · Post by **Gerald Ross** » 22 Sep 2004 4:58 pm

Yay Terry! Keep spreading the word!

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Gerald Ross
'Northwest Ann Arbor, Michigan's King Of The Hawaiian Steel Guitar'

Gerald's Fingerstyle Guitar Website

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 23 Sep 2004 7:01 am

Thanks guys...I really try to "spread the word" while playing music. I have been playing lead guitar 20 plus years, & playing lap steel for the last 2 years. I love playing lap so much that I would like to play steel only.
Richard...when playing live I play guitar & lap steel & must be able to switch between the two quickly,many times playing both instruments during the same song. I run my guitar & lap into an A/B box, I put the lap on a modified keyboard stand, then out of the A/B box into a Mesa Boogie DC-3. This way I can stand & play guitar, walk over to my steel & hit the A/B switch and play a lap steel lead. When I play lap only, I like to sit in a chair to play. My main laps are my new Harmos Model One, my '51 National Dynamic, or my early 40's Oahu Tonemaster. My main guitars are my SRV Strat & my Les Paul Classic Plus w/57 Classic Pickups.

Roger Marshall · Post by **Roger Marshall** » 23 Sep 2004 7:15 am

Congratulations Terry! I bet that Harmos with that Chicago Steel pu really sings the blues. Of course, you must be not half bad yourself.

Roger

Mike D · Post by **Mike D** » 23 Sep 2004 7:26 am

Congrats Terry.
I also play some steel in our electric Blues band http://www.blueswizards.net/ using it for 'C' tunes like 'Kansas City', 'Born In Chicago' and 'When The Saints Go Marching In'

I'm not much of a steel player and play in more of a bottle neck than a 'steel' style but that guitar gets more comments after the show than anything else I do. People just don't see them much and the tone is so different, it really sets those songs apart.

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Half-assed bottleneck and lap slide player. Full-assed Builder of resonator instruments.

Zayit · Post by **Zayit** » 30 Sep 2004 2:17 pm

Hi Terry, Congrats!

My current band is more 'folky' than bluesy (spanish acoustic, bass + me on 8-string lap steel & backing vocals) fronted by a female singer/songwriter, but we cover some blues tunes too. Tuesday nite we did 2 sets at the Academy St bar & coffee shop and managed to cover Patsy Cline's Walking After Midnight, the Delmore Bro's Blues Stay Away, some Fleetwood Mac, a Dire Straits & a Clapton tune in between the originals. I used a straight C-6 tuning ('G' on top) and dobro on about 4 tunes. The audience acceptance of the steel seemed genuine- it wasnt my playing either, just the beautiful tone & voice of the instrument.

Last winter, I did a few shows with an electric blues band. I used my S-8 with an expanded C-13/9 that gave me a 'D' & a 'Bb' on the bottom for some cool diminished sounds & a strummable dom 9th on the last 4 strings.

I love the C-6 for blues & rock- from Clapton's Bellbottom blues to Santana's Black Magic Woman, to Fleetwood Mac or Dire Straits, but I always schlep along a metal-body Ricky 6 tuned to open E/E7 for straight ahead 12-bar & rock songs in E. Thats the poor man's double neck!

Steven Black · Post by **Steven Black** » 9 Oct 2004 4:10 pm

Hey Terry, do you have any upbeat blues songs tabbed out that I could try out on my lap steel tuned to D?. steveb Desert Rose Guitar 8+5.

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 11 Oct 2004 8:17 am

Steven...I have not thought about it until you asked...but I have never tabbed anything out for the lap steel. When I used to give guitar lessons, I used tab a lot for my students. Maybe when I get some free time, I'll try to put something down!!!

Michael Devito · Post by **Michael Devito** » 12 Oct 2004 8:26 am

Blues on lap steel works for me. When I go to jams now, I only play lap steel and bottleneck (on a funkly little supro regular guitar with a lap steel pickup). The response to both is great curiosity and appreciation. Other musicians really notice the sound quality. Best thing is, I'm not likely to run into a long line of other steel players waiting to play. Most times I've take the steel out, a substantial portion of the crowd (including musicisns) have never even seen one before.

Terry VunCannon · Post by **Terry VunCannon** » 12 Oct 2004 11:11 am

I play lap at a couple of local jams also. Like you said...not many other lap players in line.
I also have some pictures of our blues band with me on guitar & lap at www.sonicbids.com/thematthillbluesband .