New player needs help

[Nighthawk99]

Hi everyone,I've just joined the forum,so please be gentle.
I've got a Revelation standard lap steel,tuned to C6,and can't for the life of me get my head around tabs,or music theory etc.
I can pick two and three string chords and it sounds reasonable(to me at least).I've bought a couple of Troy Brenningmeyers lessons,but I've no knowledge of music theory or how to play tabs.
I've looked for teachers in my area-Leicester-but no luck.I think having someone to show me at least the basics to get me started is what's needed.
All ideas would be welcomed thanks.

[nevada150]

Hi Nighthawk,
I don't think there's an easy way to learn C6 Lap Steel. I watched Doug Beaumier on YouTube and bought one of his books. He explains how to read his TAB and plays quite simple versions of the tunes. Once you get familiar with the tuning you can add extra strings and harmonies if you want to. If you don't read music or really understand Theory (Like me and many others) TAB is the way to go.
Don't give in.
Keith.

[Danny Mitchell]

Howdy Nighthawk,
Welcome to the forum. As Keith has already shown, you'll find help here, for sure. Have a gander at these lessons from Joe Wright, they're pretty damn good

http://sierrasteels.com/lessons/lap-lessons.html

[Nighthawk99]

Thanks guys I'll check them out tomorrow.

[tpj]

I bought the 'Steelin Scales' by Mike Neer. It starts with great explanations of basic theory and then moves on to exercises that help improve technique. It's all for C6 too.

[Nighthawk99]

Thanks for all your help so far,I've bought Hal Leonard's Lap steel guitar method,but none of the exercises are in my tuning of C-E-G-A-C-E,I guess that's what I'll have to stay with,because my GHS Custom strings are for those tunings?Or can I alter it to something else using those strings?
I use a Snark SN-5X chromatic tuner,which seems to be very accurate.

[nevada150]

The strings you have used can also be used for A6 and B11 tunings, and probably a few more, but most of the tuition materials you'll find are for C6.
Stick in and it will come.
Keith.

[Nighthawk99]

Thanks Keith,it's appreciated.
@Danny,on the sierrasteel lessons,he's using an 8 string,mine is 6 so does it matter?Also,I've tried the"karate chop"thing and when I do it it deadens the strings completely,could it be the case that I'm doing it wrong,or perhaps my strings aren't high enough above the finger board?

[Tony Russell Davis]

I've had a quick look at the "karate chop" thing. I was lucky that it's very early in the Joe Wright piece because I was already irritated by him not using picks from the start I'm guessing he brings them in later (and if so - why not right away? Bad habits are hard to break). I have a thing about using picks
Anyway, the way to see it is that your right hand rests on the strings, relaxed. If you try to hold that karate chop position it won't work because your hand will tense up. When you pick a string, that's when you raise off the strings enough to let it ring. It need be only a couple of mm or so. After some practice you can find the place on your hand (not Joe's) where there is a little gap that you move forward and back across the strings as you pick, so it just clears the one you want to sound. The palm-edge clears because you have very slightly rolled your hand anticlockwise to put pick onto string. On my hand it's about where that crease from between index and second fingers reaches the edge of my palm. It's not easy to describe - it just comes with practice. But the secret is a RELAXED picking hand. The fleshy part of the hand still rests on the bass strings - that's how little it needs to be raised. Naturally you raise further to play chords.
If you live anywhere near Bedale, N/. Yorks come and see me?

[Nighthawk99]

Wow thanks for that Tony,I'll work my way through it this week and let you know how I get on.
I'm in Leicester,so, sadly,nowhere near to you.I'm finding everyone so helpful on here and it's all greatly appreciated thanks.