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Post new topic "Easy" Pedal Steel Songs for Beginners?
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Author Topic:  "Easy" Pedal Steel Songs for Beginners?
Jason Fredensborg


From:
Zimmerman, Minnesota
Post  Posted 3 Jul 2019 5:57 pm    
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I know nothing must be "easy" on pedal steel, but are there any relatively simple classic country bits that a new guy can focus on to have some small early successes on PSG? I know a lot of the 60's and 70's country tunes I have in my head sound simple, but are probably anything but...
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Dick Chapple Sr

 

From:
Hardin Montana, USA
Post  Posted 3 Jul 2019 7:37 pm     easy music
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Jason, there really is a lot of easy songs available through many tabbers on here if you are playing using tablature.

If you like, email me or PM me and I can let you know what I did to start out with everything I found on SGF to help. I will be glad to chat and share ideas with you.

There is a lot available.
Enjoy Independence Day tomorrow.
Dick
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 12:18 am    
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What instantly sprung to mind when I read your question was 'Mansion On The Hill' as it harmonises in 3rds and 6ths which is what so much steel playing is about. But like Dick says, there's plenty out there. I got my first book from Don Sulesky here on the Forum.
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Frank Freniere


From:
The First Coast
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 4:46 am    
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See Winnie Winston’s “Pedal Steel Guitar.”
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 4:53 am    
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The reason I hesitate to suggest Winston is that although the book has attained biblical stature, the musical examples get quite difficult quite early on - showing what the instrument can do rather than what the beginner might be able to.

Yes, it's an important book to have, but not as a tutor.
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Donny Hinson

 

From:
Glen Burnie, Md. U.S.A.
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 5:35 am    
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The old Hank Williams song, "Mansion On The Hill" is de rigueur for most country steel players. I'd suggest you find a teacher and get a few one-on-one lessons. That'll help you get started a lot faster than any book will. Winking
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Brian Hollands


From:
Geneva, FL USA
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 5:35 am    
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I agree on Winston. As a beginner myself I did not find the Winston book easy. I do think it's a great technique builder. If you want easy, Troy Brenningmyers videos are that. He has a nice arrangement of Amazing Grace that you'll be playing in minutes.
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Paul McEvoy

 

From:
Baltimore, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 5:55 am    
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I'm working on the Winston book now. Is there something else that has a bunch of easy arrangements that would a good intro?
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Bruce Bjork


From:
Southern Coast of Maine
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 6:23 am    
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Mel Bay’s Pedal Steel Guitar Method is a very thorough book, starts out easy, great reference.
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Ian Rae


From:
Redditch, England
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 6:27 am    
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Yes, I should have mentioned Mel Bay. It's what finally got me going - very methodical.
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Pete Burak

 

From:
Portland, OR USA
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 7:07 am    
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Buck Owens songs on YouTube are fun to play along with on Steel.
Act Naturally is a good one for getting used to twanging on/off the AB pedals and working the bar through basic Nashville Number system chord positions.
Here is a version that is pretty close to G: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpBEBV1wkq4

Here is a great Charlie Pride version in E:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAPDhkUu4pI


Last edited by Pete Burak on 4 Jul 2019 7:23 am; edited 1 time in total
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ajm

 

From:
Los Angeles
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 7:12 am    
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It's not a steel song.
I've never heard anyone do it on steel.
But the guitar backing part would be easy.
Marty Robbins, "White Sport Coat".

It has the 1,4,5 and occasional 2 chords.
IMO, spend your time learning where those chords are.
They will take you a long way.

Augment that basic knowledge by working through one of the books mentioned.

It takes time, but hopefully you'll have fun doing it.
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Jack Hanson


From:
San Luis Valley, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 7:54 am    
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Jamming along with two-chord songs such as C'est La Vie or A-11 and a modicum of selective mashing up and down on the A & B pedals should get you started in the right direction. Don't try to copy the pedal steel parts verbatim at first, just go for the "feel" and follow the changes. Two-chord songs are great for jamming along, because if it ain't one chord, it's gotta be the other!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zv6fdib3GBI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKwlvJNKNJA
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Dick Chapple Sr

 

From:
Hardin Montana, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 8:19 am     easy
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Erv Neihaus has a tab for White Sports Coat which I like, sounds good to me. Erv is another very fine tabber, I must have over 400 of his tabs. Paul check with Erv, he could probably suggest some good easy tabs for you. At $2 a pop, they are well worth it. He still sells gospel tunes and hymns for $1 each, they are excellent as well as being a bargain.

Today with the advent of the internet, and you tube there is a wealth of excellent help now.

An excellent aid freely given on this forum is Patricia Warnock's chord charts she made for E9th and C6th also.
They have been a big help for me, I have them blown up very large and had them laminated so I can set them on the music stand and refer to them as I play along. In fact I have them in front of me to help as I follow along on a great freebie on the internet called chordU. Wow that is pretty darn slick.

As soon as you can, get involved with a couple other musicians to play along with, you will gain a lot very fast.

Well the floodgates are open now, you are seeing lots of help and advice pouring through.
Happy Independence day everyone.
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Fred Treece


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 8:31 am    
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I remember having tremendous fun with the intro on “She’s Acting Single, I’m Drinking Doubles” when I was first starting. It’s all on two strings and you only use the A pedal and E-lower lever and you get to sllliiiiiiiiide way up there! It probably sounded terrible because I had ZERO technique in the bag, but that didn’t stop the addiction...
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Rh-KEYAN9dg

The Forum store has lots of instructional material. The DeWitt Scott stuff is in there, which is not a bad place to start. Forumite Dick Sexton has a collection of over 300 licks called “Beginner’s Notes”, that I use as a reference and practice material. And there’s always the Paul Franklin course online, too.
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Ron Funk

 

From:
Ballwin, Missouri
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 9:03 am    
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Jason -

Try to locate a copy of the (old) Sho-Bud 8-1/2 x 11 introductory PSG booklet..... The booklet has a color picture of (very young) Jeff Newman on the cover.

It contains a good variety of good stuff for the beginning to intermediate player.

Ron
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Jason Fredensborg


From:
Zimmerman, Minnesota
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 9:08 am    
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Lots of good suggestions here, thanks all. I didn’t realize there were TAB’s available for purchase on here...I’ll be checking that out for sure.

The Paul Franklin Method was mentioned as well, has anyone on here done it? Is it set up
For total beginners?

I do also like the idea of a few lessons, Bill Rudolph mentioned that there is a guy not far from me in Otsego MN who offered lessons...I think it would be good to at least sit down with a teacher a few times initially.
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Ron Funk

 

From:
Ballwin, Missouri
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 9:13 am    
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Nothing beats a one-on-one lesson

If you can, try to take along at least an audio recorder - a video camera at best.
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Fred Treece


From:
California, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 9:21 am    
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A link to a discussion on Paul Franklin’s course:
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=344829&highlight=
Forum member John Spaulding represents Modern Music Masters, which offers the course. You could pm John and get any information you need, or just search his posts.
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James Quillian


From:
San Antonio, Texas, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 1:02 pm    
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8 years ago I asked the same question. Here is what I recommend. Order a few tabs for easy songs from Erv Niehaus for $2.00 each. Start with something like Red River Valley or Amazing Grace. These have the basic grips and most make use of both both pedals and knee levers. If there is a tune you can easily whistle, go with that one. That way it is certain be easy. Actually you can get Amazing Grace or any other gospel song with his free one per month Gospel music offer offer in the tablature forum.

In addition to that, order Don Sulesky's basic E9 course.
http://www.donzpedalsteel.com/
It is only $25.00. There are no bells and whistles. It starts with real simple stuff and covers everything you need to get into more complex stuff.
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George Kimery

 

From:
Limestone, TN, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 1:21 pm     Easy pedal steel songs for beginners
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Mansion on the Hill, We Could, What a Friend We Have in Jesus.
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Sonny Jenkins


From:
Texas Masonic Retirement Center,,,Arlington Tx
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 1:25 pm    
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Doug Beamier had a real good easy songs for E9. What ever you choose,,,play with a backing track. A VERY good, inexpensive program would be chordpulse.com
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Dick Chapple Sr

 

From:
Hardin Montana, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 1:56 pm     easy
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I re-started on lap with Doug's books, they are my life saver after starting to play again, they are totally top quality tabs, the pages are high quality, they are easy to read, you bet.
and then I re-started on pedal steel again with a huge boost from Erv Neihaus tabs, he is my lifesaver on pedal steel.
I then went on to buy Doug's E9th book and again, same quality as his C6th books Tops!!.

I do still wrestle with page turning, I'll make copies and tape together pages into one sheet so I don't have to flip pages.
Erv's tabs I tape the 2 or more pages required for a song into one sheet. I use a Pedal steel guitar tab rack from Tommy Bradshaw. Now if I am just chording along with a song, then I just need a slip of paper with the chords on it and don't need a rack.
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Norman Evans


From:
Tennessee
Post  Posted 4 Jul 2019 2:31 pm    
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Free Tab
http://rebelsteel.net/archive.html
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John McClung


From:
Olympia WA, USA
Post  Posted 7 Jul 2019 1:07 pm    
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I second Sonny Jenkins' reco of the 60 Popular Songs For E9 by Doug Beaumier. I use it for many senior citizen students who just want to learn to play some nice songs with as little muss and fuss as possible. There are still a few challenges here and there, but overall doable for beginners.

Also: Gospel pedal steel guitar by Dewitt Scott on Mel Bay.
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