Question for the pro's

[Will C]

This is a really great question, Jason. Interestingly, I approach it completely differently from DH at first. If I've never played it before I look up the chords, and I always tend to start in the same key it was recorded in. F, Bb, Eb as well as C, D & G are all great.

I listen to the chords, and I'm listening for the melody notes. Not all inversions of chords contain the note you're listening for. The inversion you choose tends to dictate what position you are working at. That wouldn't be a factor if, like Dave, you just started with the naked melody.

Of course, you can find the melody notes in different places too, like "on the way from one chord to another" if you see what I mean. And some chords are counter-intuitive. I'm working on Chris Rea's "Fool if you think it's over" and it calls for a D - but a D7 works better, and makes it easier/quicker to go from one chord to another. That way, you can play almost the whole song without moving the bar if you want.

Similar with "Isn't she lovely" by Stevie Wonder. Only 4 chords really, but you have to think about how to build them. And sometimes you go for different chords than the songbook suggests, because they contain the notes you need, and they are easier to get.

There's a lot in this. It's why I find it all so fascinating. I wish I had discovered the steel 30 years ago.

[Nick Bidmade]

This is a really interesting and useful thread.
I like Mark's suggestion. There must be countless tunes that can be picked out using the scales.
Using the 2 note scale (any key) you can easily play 'Welcome to my World' (the old Jim Reeves classic).
Also this morning (I'm an early riser - clean in body and soul!) I was picking out a 2 note scale in C and was straight into 'Fly me to the Moon'! (with the odd 'accidental thrown in for interest).
I must have played the scale a thousand times and never heard this tune in it.
Without hijacking the thread completely, what other tunes do steelers know that fall into the 2 or 3 note scale? I think it would be a great learning tool to be able to have 'real' tunes to play when running up and down the scales to make the necesary exercises a little more interesting.
Suggestions?

[JohnDavisStringsHere]

Nick, I hate it when a thread goes all intelligent and I can`t get in on it !!!

that fall into the 2 or 3 note scale?

What`s one of them ?? Fish have scales, steel guitars have strings?? Wish I knew a bit more about it....... I know a couple of chords, and I reckon if you now a chord then you should know a toon?? I put an old dance band standard up on Ytube for my mate Ron to show him how much of the toon he could play by knowing just a couple of chords but I don`t think there were any scales in it ??? ( I could be wrong )
Yours in blissful ignorance, JD

[Jason Lynch]

Nick, trying a two note major scale across the strings a while back, and I found "Yours" Old julio intheglasshouse tune, if memory serves!
JD. You know plenty of scales, you just dont know you know 'em!

[Will C]

Nick, how about "Blue Spanish Eyes?"

JD tells me it's useless talking to him about numbers, like: "third note of the scale" - but I bet he can count his change ok at the shop!

Will C

[Tony Russell Davis]

I picked this thread up late too!
Here's another tip building on the metronome & tempo thing. If you "break down" during a practice session try to catch up with the place the tune has got to in real time -'cos that's where the singer/other musicians will be in a live situation. If you have lost it totally, then go back to the last bar or more, and repeat THROUGH the fault-line. Keep doing that until you have got it down. Tony.