Pedal Steel Lessons

Neil Flanz · Post by **Neil Flanz** » 13 Jan 2006 10:37 am

Looking for some new students who wish to take one on one pedal steel lessons in Austin. Please email me at neilflanz@austin.rr.com. Beginners are welcome.

Larry Robbins · Post by **Larry Robbins** » 13 Jan 2006 1:21 pm

Hi Neil,
Sure wish I lived in Austin my friend!
Anyone in the area who is in need of first rate instruction, better get ahold of Neil!
You dont get the chance to get lessons from a legend every day!

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SHO~BUDS,FENDER AMPS & GUITARS,TUT TAYLOR RESO'S

..."what a long, strange trip its been"

Wade Branch · Post by **Wade Branch** » 16 Jan 2006 6:42 am

Neil I sent you an e-mail.

Justin Griffith · Post by **Justin Griffith** » 20 Jan 2006 2:47 pm

I started with Neil this week. He has got to be one of the most patient people I have met. Instead of reaming me out because I was out of tune he said "let me stop the tape so you can tune" I did and nothing else was said.
When the lesson was over he asked if he could play my Blanton. I told him sure have at it. The strings on it are old I mean green and rusty old. Most people would have went crazy but he just said these strings dont sustain like a new set would.
He gave me the cassete tape of the lesson as well as a "chord finder chart" that he wrote by hand and invited me back. If anyone in the austin area is looking at taking lessons please consider Mr. Flanz.
A super picker, great teacher, and most important to me a nice guy.
One piece of advice he gave me I'd like to share is "There are lick players and real players which would you rather be?"
I am having surgey on my foot next week (still fighting the auto accedent) and soon as I can walk I will be back with Neil.
My Best,
Justin

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Justin Griffith
D-10 Blanton 8X4, D-10 Sho-Bud Professional,Nashville 400,Matchbox 7-A,Goodrich L-10K,Walker seat.

Colm Chomicky · Post by **Colm Chomicky** » 21 Jan 2006 10:11 am

Justin, that sounds like a good teaching method plus having your lesson taped is a great idea also. Sometimes there is so much going on during a lesson that it is hard to remember or appreciate the advice given. It may not sink in until you get the chance to review on your own time. What a great way to prep. for your next lesson and focus on what you learned. Also wishing you all the best on your upcoming foot surgery.

Larry Robbins · Post by **Larry Robbins** » 29 Jan 2006 8:40 am

Bumpers

Tim Harr · Post by **Tim Harr** » 7 Feb 2006 10:33 am

Neil,

I thought you lived in Nashville?

Tim

Larry Robbins · Post by **Larry Robbins** » 7 Feb 2006 1:40 pm

Bump for my favorite steeler!

Check out:
Gram Parsons and the Fallen Angels
Live.1973.

------------------
SHO~BUDS,FENDER AMPS& GUITARS, TUT TAYLOR RESO'S

"What a long, strange trip it's been"

Neil Flanz · Post by **Neil Flanz** » 22 Feb 2006 11:00 am

Jud Thomas · Post by **Jud Thomas** » 6 Mar 2006 4:19 pm

Bump for a great teacher. I took several lessons from Neil. If finances allowed it, I'd still be taking from him. He's really patient and extremely knowledgable. You can't go wrong!
Jud

Larry Robbins · Post by **Larry Robbins** » 10 Mar 2006 5:46 pm

Once more.

Kurt Newman · Post by **Kurt Newman** » 13 Mar 2006 3:39 pm

Hello everybody. All of the praise for Neil Flanz's private lessons above is absolutely true... if anything it understates Neil's amazing talents as a teacher! I have been taking lessons with Neil for almost two years, ever since Ricky Davis did me the kind of favor of letting me know that Neil was in Austin and accepting private students.

Even while I was learning on a problematic MSA 3 and 1 student model for the first year of my steel education, Neil patiently introduced me to an incredibly vast world of classic steel guitar techniques, intros, licks, even some hip Buddy Emmons instrumental arrangements...

Once I got my Sho-Bud D-10, we were off to the races-- there really is nothing in the repetoire of classic E9 steel music that Neil can't show you, and he can always give you a million cool variations, as well. His C6 instruction is fantastic too, and as anybody who has heard the Gram Parsons recordings he played on knows, he can also play (and teach) incredible bluesy and rock stuff. Neil's lessons are way longer and more thorough than any others I have taken (on other instruments), and Neil will make sure that if, like me, you have only a sketchy knowledge of steel guitar history when you start, you will hear all the right players and recordings and tunes.

Finally, there is no substitute, as a beginning or developing steel guitarist, for the experience of sitting opposite a master. There are so many things that tabs or books cannot teach-- intangibles like tone, blocking, phrasing, intonation,etc. that really can be learned by closely watching and listening to a legend like Neil. The tapes he makes of every lesson also provide an amazing learning resource... and if you transcribe them, like I do, (or listen to them in the car, as Neil tells me some of his other students do) you can really reinforce the material from the lessons and progress quickly.

I am shocked that Neil doesn't have millions of students right now. It is well worth the money to drive or fly in for lessons. Committing to regular lessons, for those in the Central Texas area (and especially for those going it alone or with books) is a decision you will not regret. I plan on taking lessons with Neil for as long as possible... we have only just scratched the surface of what I can learn from him on the steel. He's a great guy too-- warm, generous, and funny-- and I feel really really lucky to know him. Give him a call!

Red Kilby · Post by **Red Kilby** » 15 Mar 2006 4:12 pm

Bump!!!

Kurt Newman · Post by **Kurt Newman** » 26 Mar 2006 4:22 pm

I had another mind-blowing lesson with Neil Flanz this week, and wanted to bump this ad up so the word would continue to spread about how amazing a pedal steel teacher he is. Neil's standard lesson time is a "generous hour" (which is always a lot longer than 60 minutes!). I let him know by email what I am interested in learning a few days before the lesson, and he always has awesome stuff prepared when I get to his place. Folks from out of town should definitely consider traveling to Austin for a weekend or a few days, checking out a few sets of Neil playing with Alvin Crow, and doing a lesson with Neil. That would indeed be steel guitar nirvana!

Neil Flanz · Post by **Neil Flanz** » 10 Apr 2006 8:41 pm

Chris L. Christensen · Post by **Chris L. Christensen** » 8 May 2006 6:09 pm

Neil Flantz is a fabulous player, teacher and overall great guy! Neil is very knowlagable, patient and extremely genuinely interested in the success of his students. His many years of devotion to the pedal steel guitar and his wide variety of experiences make it a privilege to study with him and his lessons are always fascinating and extremely informative. You'd be hard pressed to find a better teacher than Neil Flantz!

Mac Martine · Post by **Mac Martine** » 8 May 2006 10:17 pm

Looks like I need to start looking for cheap plane tickets. Now accepting frequent flyer mile donations

Bill Fuentes · Post by **Bill Fuentes** » 9 May 2006 10:58 am

Hey Neil,

What could we do in a Saturday afternoon. I drive down to the family farm in New Braunfels every now and then, and stopping in Austin is a regular habit. How about four hours or so of beginner E9 stuff. Do I bring my own rig?etc..

thx

Neil Flanz · Post by **Neil Flanz** » 10 May 2006 4:21 pm

Sure thing Bill! Have sent you a reply by email. Have had a couple of students recently fly in for lessons. Besides the lessons, Austin is an absolutely great place to visit as it's one of the very few remaining places in the United States where one can go to a club and listen to some great traditional country music. There also happen to be some mighty fine players that live here and can be heard playing around town. <font size="1" color="#8e236b"><p align="center">[This message was edited by Neil Flanz on 10 May 2006 at 06:16 PM.]</p></FONT>

Daryl Brooke · Post by **Daryl Brooke** » 12 May 2006 7:10 am

I had the opportunity to travel to Austin and take lessons with Neil for a few days, recently. It was a fantastic experience!

Not only is Neil a great steel player, but an excellent teacher as well. Neil is very generous with his time when teaching you, and sincere in his desire that you, the student, get your money's worth, and that you get it right! What I found particularly interesting were the stories and backround of songs that Neil shared while teaching. I came away with a much deeper appreciation for the history of pedal steel guitar and the people who made the music with it.

And to top it all off, Neil also introduced me to some other great steel players and musicians in Austin and I got to hear them play live, which was a real treat. I am really looking forward to going back!

Mac Martine · Post by **Mac Martine** » 7 Jul 2006 7:57 am

I just got back from spending several days with Neil. It was such a great experience! He is so generous with his time, his knowledge, his record collection... !
He is so thorough, and he continued to go out of his way to make sure I got the information I needed on tape so that I'd have it when I got home for reference.
He also took me out to see (and meet) some really amazing players.
Thank you so much, Neil!
-Mac

Dyke Corson · Post by **Dyke Corson** » 16 Jul 2006 7:41 pm

You can add my name to the growing list of satisfied customers of Neil Flanz! I spent the afternoon with him and it was great!! All things mentioned above are true, I came away with a bunch of GREAT stuff and I'm fired up to get back home and work on this new material. THANKS NEIL!!

Bill Baseman · Post by **Bill Baseman** » 14 Aug 2006 6:30 am

I just got back from a quick trip to Austin. I was able to have a lesson with Neil. Neil is a great teacher. Neil is patient and knowledgable and I will be sure to include lessons with him on my subsequent returns to Austin. Thanks Neil.

Bill

Kurt Newman · Post by **Kurt Newman** » 8 Sep 2006 9:07 pm

Just wanted to mention that I recently had the good fortune to be back in Austin, and was able to get a hold of Neil for a few hours of delightful steel guitar talk and mind-blowing viewing from Neil's incredible collection of vintage country music videos... whoa! Listening to Neil play "Nameless Shuffle" reminded me that he really is as good as it gets on the pedal steel-- a true living legend. We who can get to Austin on a regular or occasional basis are very very lucky that he is giving lessons! (and for such a reasonable price!)

I started taking lessons with Neil a couple of years ago, and I can firmly state that Neil is a wonderful, patient teacher who will show you whatever you want to learn on E9 or C6, from beginner basics to expert-level tunes and licks. I can't speak to my own level of competence, but I can definitely say that studying Neil got me from novice to post-novice much much more quickly than I would have without his instruction.

Neil's ears and attention to detail are incredible, and his confidence in his students' ability to get the right sounds from their steels really helped me learn to "think" like a steel player. If you make the very wise decision to get some lessons with him, he will definitely give you a wealth of advice and instruction about intonation/vibrato/volume pedal/slants/phrasing and other things that simply cannot be taught any other way than one-on-one.

Many players have been flying in to Austin for intensive blocks of lessons with Neil (plus guided tours of Austin's great steel guitar players and honky tonk bands). Now that I am living in California, I plan on doing the same! If you are considering making an investment in lessons or instructional material, you really cannot do better than coming to Austin and booking a few sessions with Neil. You will no doubt make a true friend and come away with a renewed appreciation for the beauty of your chosen instrument.

Thanks Neil!