Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Slow Blues Dani & Ol' Grey Bear on November 29, 2018 at 12:41am

I'm not a lapsteel player at all but I've looked into playing when I was considering building a lapsteel  My only advice I can give is to look up Troy Brenningmeyer on YouTube (not sure on the surname spelling but I think it's close). I believe he has a course available to purchase on open D lapsteel playing and it's not much money either. His YouTube channel has lots of great information too though so you can see if you like his teaching style first.

Best wishes with your playing. 

Bear :o) 

Permalink Reply by Peter Hendley on November 30, 2018 at 12:14am

Thanks Bear. I have had a look at his website too. And will give that a try. Nice to get other advice..see what's out there. Nice to get your reply. Regards Peter

Permalink Reply by Reg Seward on November 29, 2018 at 2:17am

Hi Peter,   I have been playing guitars for years, but arthritis has messed up my digits quite substantially. Therefore, I have gone down the road of learning slide stuff. I built a 6 string lap steel (pictures on here somewhere) and began the slow re-learning. I can no longer hold a conventional plectrum, so I have a standard thumb pick, with a normal flat pick Araldited on. These work quite well to a point, then strumming difficult bits gets a tad hard to control. I am fast learning thumb pick, short bladed, together with a long finger pick (cheap). Then of course we come to the different tunings. With my lap steel, I learnt to do a slide version of 'Cocaine'. This took me about three weeks to render it recognisable, but stick with it, it does get simpler. 

https://youtu.be/-Ok4oZk1XP4

In fact, anything is more or less the same as a conventional slide guitar, so any tunings can be amended to suit. I personally prefer a resonator, but three string guitars are excellent for slide, slide is all I have left to me anyway these days.

I tend to play along with the millions of rhythm tracks in all keys on Youtube. They go on for ages, so I just dig in and enjoy like an expert...??????  Good luck to you..!!!

Permalink Reply by Peter Hendley on November 30, 2018 at 12:19am

Boy you have had a journey with arthritis.  Actually, I araldited an aluminium tube to the top of a lap slide (same length as the slide) popped my index finger in that and it takes the load off the thumb.

I will follow your leads.

All the best, Peter

Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on November 29, 2018 at 5:48am

My advice is to learn all the notes up & down the neck, and play, play, play. Lap slide is basic enough for anyone to master, I taught myself at the age of fifteen, just need a bit of patience. Plenty of material on YouTube,check out Matt Smith on D’Addario and Co. channel,he’s got some beginners stuff. Good luck

Permalink Reply by BrianQ. on November 29, 2018 at 8:31am

Peter, what really helped me out to get my bearing on the fretboard was ,starting off barring all strings at once. I learned where all the notes were & then applied scale positions to my playing. So basically I started by treating it kinda like a diddley bow? So with that said, you could apply diddley bow scales to playing all strings barred? You may wanna check out the “cbg tabs” group for some diddley bow tabs. I learned to play lapsteel in less than a year, so it’s really just getting past the awkwardness of the unfamiliar playing position.Hope this helps, you’ll be tearing it up in no time, cheers 

Permalink Reply by Peter Hendley on November 30, 2018 at 12:20am

What excellent tips I am getting from you all. Much appreciated. cheers back.