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Topic: Harmonic Mechanisms (Van Eps) For Steel Guitar |
Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 20 May 2014 8:02 am |
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Here is a little blog entry based on George Van Eps's Harmonic Mechanisms concept. I really get a lot out of this and wanted to share. This is really ground zero for this--there will be plenty more going forward.
Hopefully, at some point I will upload a decent video demonstrating the usefulness of this.
Enjoy!
http://www.mikeneer.com/lapsteelin/2014/05/20/harmonic-mechanisms-for-steel-guitar/
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links
Last edited by Mike Neer on 22 May 2014 7:29 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 20 May 2014 8:36 am
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great post - always enjoy your efforts.
i wonder if anyone has ever gotten through all 3 volumes of HM? boy, that would be some serious patience and determination.. 
i start shaking even thinking about it
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'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 20 May 2014 9:55 am
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Thanks Mike!
If I understand you play the C major scale triads?
C Dm Em F G Am Bdim? |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 20 May 2014 10:03 am
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Van Epps was a brilliant man. Thanks for translating his concepts to our instrument, Mike. Every time I opened that book in a music store I was quickly intimidated.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 20 May 2014 11:34 am
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Andy, don't be intimidated by it. I realize that the original book uses standard notation, but it also has number designations for the placement of the digits.
Anyway, I hope this piques the interest of steel players. If you play 8 string C6 with a high G, or if you play A6 tuning, you can use the same exact exercises #1 and 2 on the top 3 strings!
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Brad Bechtel
From:
San Francisco, CA
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Posted 20 May 2014 12:03 pm
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Thanks for sharing this, Mike. Very interesting...
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Brad’s Page of Steel
A web site devoted to acoustic & electric lap steel guitars |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 20 May 2014 2:31 pm
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Hey Brad, this all works beautifully in G tuning, especially on the top 3 strings for 1-3-5 (root position) triads.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 21 May 2014 3:45 am
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Here's hoping that this doesn't get lost in the shuffle. I think this is good, solid info that can be used by any player in practically any tuning. How it manifests itself in your playing is one of the beauties of individualism. It works for me because sometimes I think of my steel as a piano.
Anyway, I would advise sticking with exercises #1 and 2 only at this point. The triad inversions require some other techniques that I would like to demonstrate.
It really is nice to have a firm grasp on using those bottom (or mid if you have more than 6) strings. I spend a lot of time down there when my brain is firing on all cylinders.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Jean-Sebastien Gauthier
From:
Quebec, Canada
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Posted 21 May 2014 4:31 am
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| Thank Mike, I add it to my daily exercises. |
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Mike Neer
From:
NJ
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Posted 22 May 2014 7:22 pm For A6 tuning
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In A6 tuning, the Root, 3rd, 5th triad exists right on the first three strings. Here is a quick example of how you can practice and fool with this exercise, all the while learning every diatonic triad available.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogctLLcIUsg
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 23 May 2014 3:02 am
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If you want to see and hear how Van Epps applied these kinds of exercises to his music there's a great freebie from jazz guitarist Jordi Farres who has a performance CD of a bunch of Van Epps' arrangements plus all the music (in standard notation) all available as a free download here:
http://www.jordifarresmusic.com/?page_id=153
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 23 May 2014 3:41 am
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that A6 exercise would also work for those of you with hi G on your C6 tuning.
this is great - thanks Mike (& Andy for the link, cool)
- for those of you wondering about the necessary slant - remember this exercise is built off building chords from the major scale 1-3-5 / 2-4-6, etc (you can - and should - do it with other scales too) and the 7th degree has a b5 in it - the diminished chord
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'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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Guy Cundell
From:
More idle ramblings from South Australia
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Posted 23 May 2014 4:28 am
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| Very useful concept. Thanks, Mike. |
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