The British Steelies Society

There's no easy answer Zumbilly. Believe me, I really wish there were! Speed, on any instrument, is a by-product of meticulous attention to detail. Isolating all the various aspects of the technique and making sure everything is working properly. Making sure there is no tension or discomfort. Making sure there is economy of motion, etc, etc, etc. With some instruments, like the violin, you simply must have a reasonable level of "proper" technique. If the basics are not right the result is disaster. The steel is one of those instruments that allows people to sit down and, after a while, play simple stuff without ever acquiring a sound technique that will enable them to advance to higher levels. Guitar and piano also fall into this category.
As for the question of what does one play. That's a really difficult one to answer. The question really is how does one learn to improvise? Wish I knew the best answer to that. Knowing your scales and picking patterns is certainly a start. There are stories of Charlie Parker and John Coltrane spending umpteen hours on a simple C scale. Have you heard that Paul Franklin had his dad make him a steel guitar neck mounted on a board so he could while away the long bus journeys by practising his picking technique? So, do you learn set patterns, set licks, trust to inspiration on the night? I suggest the answer is all of the above.

Billy, many of those who are not fans of speedpicking ( i was once one of you so i think i know where you're comin' from)
are that way because they never really got down & learned it
doing a simple major scale, licks & banjo rolls will get you there
start slow at 80 beats or less if needed
here's a major scale exercise i do most every day in a cycle of 4ths just to warm up (among others)
playin in the cycle of 4ths makes you play in all the keys - that way w: habit you'll know them
when i learn a lick, banjo roll or even certain chord movements, i apply the cycle of 4ths as well to them
try it you'll like it Billy !
here's a basic vertical major scale :
this will help you improve : bar control, pick blocking, use of the 2nd string & anticipating your next move

Start on fret 8 C then go to fret 1 F then 6 Bb then 11 Eb then 4 Ab then 9 C# then 2 F# then 7 B then 12 E then 5 A then 10 D then 3 G & back to 8 C
(play it 10 times)- fingers : t = thumb - i = index - m = middle
[tab]
2------------------------------8m------/------8m----------------------------/
3---------------------------------------/--------------------------------------/
4-----------------------------------8i-/--8i----------------------------------/
5----------------------8t--8A--------/------------8At--8-------------------/
6------------8m--8B----------------/----------------------8Bm--8---------/
7--------8i-------------------------/-------------------------------------8i-/
8---8t-----------------------------/-----------------------------------------/ *1t Blam ! yer in F on 1 !
--------------------------------------------------------------------------now go w: that till you get to the Bb & move on to Eb & so on

http://sd-2.archive-host.com/membres/up ... tab703.pdf

Thanks for that, James what are your other exercises?

here's the same scale playing the 7 degrees & at the octave in C


1°---C ( Ionian) maj7
1
2----------------------------------8
3
4---------------------------------------8
5------------------------8---8A
6-------------8---8B
7--------8
8---8

2°---D ( Dorian ) minor 7
1--------------------------------------8
2-----------------------------8
3
4----------------------------------8
5-------------------8---8A
6--------8---8B
7---8

3°---E ( Phrygian ) minor 7
1--------------------------------------8
2----------------------------8
3-------------------------------------------8
4---------------------------------8
5----------------8----8A
6---8----8B

4°---F ( Lydian ) maj 7
1---------------------------------8
2---------------------8
3----------------------------------------8---8B
4---------------------------8
5---------8----8A
6---8B

5°---G ( Mixolydian ) dominant 7
1
2----------------------------------------------15D
3
4------------------------------------------------------15
5--------------------------------15----15A
6----------------15----15B
7---------15
8---15

6°---A ( Aéolian ) minor 7
1----------------------------------------------------------15
2-----------------------------------------15D
3
4--------------------------------------------------15
5--------------------------15----15A
6----------15----15B
7---15

7° ---B ( Locrian ) minor b5
1-------------------------------------------------15
2---------------------------------15D
3----------------------------------------------------------15
4------------------------------------------15
5------------------15----15A
6---15----15B

1°---C ( Ionian) maj7

1----------------------------------------15
2-------------------------15D
3-----------------------------------------------15----15B
4----------------------------------15
5------------15---15A
6---15B

of course once you've got those goin up ( ascending) , you must then do them goin' down ( descending)

wow! thanks again

I do this excercise every day among others:

on the first string, first fret pick T, 1, 2, T, 1, 2. Then move to the 2nd fret T, 1, 2, T, 1, 2. Then to the 3rd fret and all the way up the neck and back down. Then repeat on the other strings. Start dead slowly and with a metronome. You can vary the speed and the rhythm. Vary the finger pattern but use all your picking fingers. I find it's a great exercise for strength and dexterity of the picking fingers. Best done when you first sit down at the steel. I think you need to be disciplined like this otherwise you'll just mess around doing things you're already good at. While this might be fun it won't bring you any further down the road to being as good as you want to be. You'll eventually get frustrated and either give up or start making excuses, that you never liked such and such a style anyway. However, I also think it's important to reserve some time in your practise session to just messing about and having fun if you've earned it with some genuine application to the instrument.