Pedal Steel Guitar Instruction

[Noel Clarke]

I'm a Country Lead Player who just got his first pedal steel and could do with some guidance as to the best online pedal steel lessons or cd lessons etc.
Appreciate your help

[Georg Sørtun]

Joe Wright's site might be worth a visit.

[Lane Gray]

Not to mention Bobbe Seymour and Mickey Adams both have YouTube channels full of useful tutorials.
I've forgotten Bobbe's, but Mickey's is
www.youtube.com/singlpilot

[Kevin Lichtsinn]

I have learned alot from both Bobbe Seymour and Joy Wrights' videos. Heck, because of Bobbe, I can play San Antonio Rose. Not perfect of course, but havin' fun!

[David Beckner]

Mickey Adams has some great online instruction.

For dvd at a fair price try Mike Archer or William Littaker.Good instruction from great players.

[John Castelletti]

i highly recommend mark van allen's e9 theory course. it explains why the layout is the way it is and how to use it. aside from that get the right hand alpha dvd from jeffran.com, its a dvd on the picking/blocking technique. these 2 courses have been very useful in getting me up and going.
http://www.markvanallen.com/store_books.html
http://www.jeffran.com/courses.php?content=VideoCourses

[Rick Schacter]

I'm a Country Lead Player who just got his first pedal steel and could do with some guidance as to the best online pedal steel lessons or cd lessons etc.
Appreciate your help

Not an online course, but I'd recommend that you start here:

http://www.steelguitarshopper.com/produ ... Keith.html

Jeff Newman's Right Hand Alpha is also a course that I'd recommend.

Last but not least, find an instructor near you.

Rick

[Ross Shafer]

Take a look at the free lessons Joe Wright has posted at www.sierrasteels.com

He's posting a new lesson there each month. He also gives private lessons over skype which is super deluxe!

[Ross Shafer]

Take a look at the free lessons Joe Wright has posted at www.sierrasteels.com

He's posting a new lesson there each month. He also gives private lessons over skype which is super deluxe!

[Kevin Lichtsinn]

I checked out Mickey Adams last night. He has good stuff too.

[Mark van Allen]

Although it can get expensive, I would seek out any teaching material you can find, you'll soon discern which are most valuable to you personally. I've learned something from every course I've looked at.

It matters quite a bit what your immediate goals are, for instance if you want to quickly assimilate some steel playing into your stage show you might want to accumulate a bunch of licks and patterns that allow you to play right away, while studying fundamentals of technique as you go along.
Many courses and methods are complimentary, for instance a theory course or collection of songs in tablature address completely different areas than courses like Newman's Right Hand Alpha. (Which I also recommend as a good starting point for technique).

I can particularly endorse that van Allen guy's courses. He taught me almost everything I know.

[Erv Niehaus]

I found Scotty's material to be the most helpful when learning.

[Bo Legg]

I’d start out with a good Pick Blocking plus course and practice it until you do it without thinking about it.
This will give you discipline and good technique which is an important factor in becoming a good player.
It will save you a lot of time in that it will eliminate the possibility of developing those bad technique habits that come with the “do it yourself” learning process.
You think maybe Franklin might know a little about Pick Blocking?

[Noel Clarke]

Thanks Guys for all your help,I've purchased three courses to cover all your advice,now it's practice,pracice practice.

[Bill Howard]

GET winnies book most of us oldsters on here learned and played our first licks from it I DID...

[Larry Baker]

Mike Archer here on the forum, has some great teaching DVD's at a reasonable price. Larry

[Tim Konecky]

I’d start out with a good Pick Blocking plus course and practice it until you do it without thinking about it.

And where would one find such a course?

[Joe Gall]

This is all good info and much appreciated. I find myself in a bit of an odd scenario as I am losing my vision so reading books, or studying online tabs/theory isn't going to cut it for me.

Watching/listening & practicing online and or DVD I believe will be my best bet so I will scour the online lessons and see which ones I like etc.

I did take a couple of lessons from a local PSG player. But unless the person understands my situation and has the time and patience I think I might not be a good student. I wish there was a retired PSG player in my area who was willing to take me under his wing and teach me everything! How awesome would that be? Take lessons and practice every single day for 8 hours. A dream come true! That would be like wining the lottery. LOL

Also, are there any of these "teachers" better so to speak at teaching specific types of music? For example, I myself want to learn old style, classic country for example Merle Haggard, George Jones, Gene Watson style/type music specifically.

I just want to be able to play along with any good ole classic country song and have it sound decent. That's all I am hoping for, just a nice simple, clean, traditional steel guitar sound. If I could do that I would be a pretty darn happy camper!

[Al Carey]

I'm just finishing Jeff Newman's Right Hand Alpha course, and have found it extremely helpful. A few of the exercises will remain part of my regimen for a LONG time, I'm sure.

I also have the Bruce Bouton video course from homespuntapes.com. While a little disorganized in it's approach, there is a lot of good stuff there, and it's all in a pretty traditional country style.

[Craig Schwartz]

Tim

{And where would one find such a course?}

Joe writes got an great pick blocking dvd for a beginner to extremly advanced player, it makes sense
mind boggling at first, but very good,

I learned alot of palm blocking off of Jeff Newmans material, I think a good player needs to understand both teqniques, Lots of training

[Bo Legg]

I don't suggest any particular players pick blocking method because I've never purchased or read them.
I used an old old book that I lost and don't know who wrote it.
A person who is not capable of pick blocking only
fails to grasp that there is all sorts of necessary blocking going on other than just the narrow view of blocking with the picks.
Without this other part you won't be able to use pick blocking only.
Frankly all the negativism about pick blocking comes from folks who just plain do not know what they are talking about.

[Jason Rumley]

I don't suggest any particular players pick blocking method because I've never purchased or read them.
I used an old old book that I lost and don't know who wrote it.
A person who is not capable of pick blocking only
fails to grasp that there is all sorts of necessary blocking going on other than just the narrow view of blocking with the picks.
Without this other part you won't be able to use pick blocking only.
Frankly all the negativism about pick blocking comes from folks who just plain do not know what they are talking about.

I agree Bo. A versatile player can do both anyway.

[Mark van Allen]

I’d start out with a good Pick Blocking plus course and practice it until you do it without thinking about it... It will save you a lot of time in that it will eliminate the possibility of developing those bad technique habits that come with the “do it yourself” learning process.

I don't suggest any particular players pick blocking method because I've never purchased or read them.
I used an old old book that I lost and don't know who wrote it.

Bo, I don't know what your agenda is, but I don't see how this kind of thing is helpful to the Original Poster, or anyone else seeking helpful information on learning pedal steel.

[Terry Sneed]

Well, let me say that after you've learned your right/left hand technique, and have learned where most of your chords are on the neck. If, and when you get ready to learn the number system and chord theory, you won't find a better course than the one Mark Van Allen has out. E9 pedal steel guitar 'Theory and the number system'. These 2 CDs have taught me more about how to build chords, using the number system, than any pedal steel course I've ever used hands down! I've been lookin for for an instruction course like this for ever! Thanks Mark!!
terry

[Mark van Allen]

Many thanks, Terry! And you might tell Bo... no tablature needed...