Lap Steel Tuning for Kids

Bud Harger · From: Belton, Texas by way of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

I'm preparing to introduce 6-string lap steel to one or more of my grandkids...age 8-to-10 (we have 9 grandkids; 7 of them age 10 and under). I hope to spur some interest, without intimidating them.

QUESTION: What tuning would you recommend that I start with? I'm considering C6th (E-C-A-G-E-C), but there may be an easier tuning conceptually for kids. Any suggestions?

QUESTION: Any beginner-level teaching material (probably with tuning) that you know of?

Thanks,

bUd

C. E. Jackson · Posted 11 Jul 2010 7:57 am

I have worked some with a young granddaughter and am currently working with a 6 year old grandson. Have found that A tuning (E,C#,A,E,C#,A) works well. With this tuning I can teach them to strum and chord in 3/4 and 4/4 time early on, and they can also play along with Pap after learning to chord. Later can teach them to play in high and low register for variety. Also, it worked well when I was taught and learning (in 1949). I have selected a Gibson BR-9 for the teaching instrument.

Peter Lindelauf · From: Penticton, BC

I'm about to give a Chinese Recording King lap steel to a friend's son who is 8 years old and interested in learning to play. Figured open G would be the friendliest place to start. DGDGBD.
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Rick Barnhart · From: Arizona, USA

This one's tuned to open D. It just seems easiest for him. For now, I've got him using a flat pick. He doesn't know it yet, but I've got more plans for this lil' fella...

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D Schubert · From: Columbia, MO, USA

I'd set it up with open D or E, so that they could play a do-re-mi melody on the first string, as well as making I-IV-V chords with a straight bar.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

Isn't that sorta like teaching someone to drive from the right side with an automatic transmission, like they do in some foreign countries, then hoping one day that they'll be able to jump right in on the left side with a manual five speed and a clutch?

Why not do them an honest 'service' and teach them a standard tuning on which they can base all of their future playing? That approach makes sense to this olde man.

Rick Barnhart · From: Arizona, USA

You make a good point, Ray. But this kid has the attention span of a gnat. I'm just tryin' to ignite the spark of interest, in hope that the flame takes off. I only wish I was able to have started at his age. Wink

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Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

For a kid at that age I would have chosen a major chord tuning, mainly because of their strumming capabilities, so they get a feeling of actually 'making music' without things being too complicated at first.
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Felix Blevins · From: Dunlap, Tennessee, USA

If all else fails try, from High to Low E B G# E B G#.

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

Any six string tuning that repeated the first three strings in the next lower register used to be called a "High Bass" tuning.

Bud Harger · From: Belton, Texas by way of Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Ray Montee wrote: Why not...teach them a standard tuning on which they can base all of their future playing?

That's what I want to do. That's the very reason I suggested the C6th approach.

Ray, what tuning would you recommend to accomplish that?

When I started playing (Dickerson 6-string) in 1948, I used an E tuning, I think. It seems like it had a triad base. It was not a very versatile tuning, I do remember that.

Let me know what you think.

bUd

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

My comments were NOT directed at YOU!

Each suggestion in it's own right was worthy, IMHO.
It just seemed to me that a couple of them really had no basis for future playing.......as such.

Not anxious to cause a confrontation with anyone. It just seemed some of them were quite a bit off of the beaten path.

THANKS for taking the time to work with him.

Eugene Cole · From: near Washington Grove, MD, USA

Ryan Barwin · From: Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

High C6th is easier than standard C6th...low to high: E G A C E G

But I'd go with regular E major tuning...E B E G# B E.
There's several reasons for this.
1. It's versatile. Good for country, rock, blues, etc. It's even good for western swing and some jazz, if you're good with a lot of slants. But for kids, they're probably going to want to play more rock stuff, and it's great for that.

2. It's easy to make it sound good right away. A kid can play (very rough sounding) slide guitar blues pretty quickly. C6th sounds Hawaiian until you get really familiar with it, and that's not something a lot of kids are going to be interested in.

3. It relates well to E9th, (at least the positions) if the kid wants to learn pedal steel later on.
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Bill Creller · From: Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)

When I was very young, the E major tuning was easier than the old A major. I hated the A major back then!

Then C6th opened the door to even easier playing. If the child is old enough to grasp the C6th, it will be a good short cut, in my view.......

Blake Hawkins · From: Florida

My firist tuning was an "A major low bass" and an old
Nick Manaloff instruction book.
After a few months of struggles, I found a teacher
(We were living in Japan at the time.)
Who introduced me to the "High Bass", and then when
I complained that I wanted to learn "Steel Guitar Rag" he showed me the "E Major" tuning.
About 6 months later, a high school friend who had
taken "real lessons" at a younger age showed me
the C6th. Suddenly I could make sounds similar
to the country recordings of the day.
I started late at age 15.
The earlier tuning studies were not wasted...they helped me relate to what was going on with the C6th.

C. E. Jackson · Posted 12 Jul 2010 5:30 pm

The following comments are in addition to my earlier post:

I looked back at the 3 Jerry Byrd courses which I have and reviewed the tunings Jerry used for instructing beginners.

The 1960 course started with the A major tuning E C# A E C# A, followed by E major, E 7th, C# minor, C# minor 7th, and C 6th tunings.

The 1990 video instruction atarted with the A major tuning, followed by E 7th, and C 6th tunings.

The last instruction course I believe was in the early 2000s (don't find a date on my course). Instruction in this course started with A major, followed by E major, E 7th, C# minor, C# minor 9th, E 13th, B 11th, and C 6th tunings.

In Jerry's book, he gives "The Evolution of Tunings for Steel Guitar" on page 120.

As stated earlier, I learned and was taught using the A major tuning, but have had no difficulty playing in each of the above tunings. Currently, the majority of my playing is in the A 6th tuning on 7 string lap steels.

Although I never met Jerry Byrd, I did have written communication with him during the last years of his life, and was always a very devoted fan.

Ray Montee · From: Portland, Oregon (deceased)

I sat down awhile ago and listened at length to JERRY BYRD explaining about his teaching routine.

He mentioned that most of his students ranged in age from 11 to college age. The majority had no idea what steel guitar was all about so they had fertile minds for him to mold.

Initially, he'd have them concentrate on the LEFT HAND........bar control and accuracy of fretting.

He started them out with six strings in A-tuning, Typically they'd cover 11 lessons in that tuning. He explained it was easier for the 'new ears' to hear the accuracy with their forward slants. The use of a tuning with "thirds" enabled the students to more readily recognize their good progress. He wouldn't get into reverse slants until later in the course.

(Personally, I have NEVER really liked that tuning, except for the BUD ISSACS' tunes; amd others like "B-Bowman Hop", "Playboy Chimes", "New Panhandle Waltz", etc.)

JERRY told me that he next moved the student into the E Maj. and E7th tunings in about 6-8 lessons.
This tuning required fewer bar slants and provided some great chords to strum.

Moving on, he'd then go thro' C#min and finally C6th.
He stressed that NOTE reading was an OPTION.

After about 22 lessons, the majority of his students could play really quite well.

Just tho't I'd share this with you. JERRY shared quite a lot of info' with me down thro' the years.

Ernest Cawby · From: Lake City, Florida, USA, R.I.P.

I would agree with Blake here A major with high bass is the best for new leaners.C6 is not a major tunning as for as I am conderned. With a you have the chord on the first 3 strings on the 3rd fret 1 & 2 the 3rd fret slant 5th fret slant and on up you have the scale notes.
They started us with A low bass and diagrams and we strumed the strings, it was easy and sounded good right off the bat, after 3 weeks we then tuned hight bass and started learning songs by notes. I think the diagrams just gave us the sound and feel of steel guitar.

ernie

Richard Sevigny · From: Salmon Arm, BC, Canada

I think it would depend on what the child's musical tastes are like and how musically sophisticated they are.

Major tunings (especially E or D) allow the player to start making music right away and would give them a chance to concentrate on technique.

As much as I like C6's melodic flexibility, I wonder if it's a too complex for a novice player with little or no musical knowledge.

Ultimately, it would depend on how much time and effort you expect to invest.

Just my opinion. Good luck.
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Mitch Drumm · From: Frostbite Falls, hard by Veronica Lake

Here is Jerry Byrd talking about his teaching method for several minutes in 1976. This is what Ray Montee was referring to above.

http://picosong.com/RWs

He starts young students off in A and explains why.

Ron Whitfield · From: Kaaawa, Hawaii, USA

Most students don't want to be loaded up with learning, they wanna rock right now. To me, starting them off with one of the sophisticated (less limiting) tunings is the way to go, and if they stick with it the other tunings are there for them to explore. C6, E13, B11, and their variations are great. I use a glorified E maj - G# E C# B G# E B E and can easily get most everything I'm capable of conjuring in any genre. Get them into exacting slants early, that's where the fun is, and where they'll get the best ear training, along with a great vibrato and proper glissing. Those basics will take them far, and an 8 string guitar should be highly considered to start off with.

Eugene Cole · From: near Washington Grove, MD, USA

Steinar Gregertsen · From: Arendal, Norway, R.I.P.

For 8-10 year old kids I'd say the most important thing to being with is - let them have fun! I've never had any lap steel students at that age, but quite a few guitar students, and in my experience the best way to feed their interest is to make it fun. The serious stuff comes soon enough....
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Richard Sevigny · From: Salmon Arm, BC, Canada

Steinar,

I agree wholeheartedly with your statement.

Eugene,

I like your approach to teaching C6. When completely deconstructed, it's actually two power chords (A and C) separated by a minor third.

As far as its suitability for a 10 year old I think back on my own son. I put him in guitar lessons about at 9 or 10. At that time he was little interested in music theory and didn't give a damn about anything except power chords. His teacher was more patient and imaginative than me and found songs that a) he liked and b) taught him a bit of music theory. Now, after 5 years of school band (playing trombone, of all things) he's become more musically sophisticated (he's outgrown the metal phase and has steered more towards pop & jazz).

That's what I was basing my "complexity" statement on Winking

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