Beginner question: How do you practice?

Eric Davidson · From: Kentucky, USA

I'm a re-beginner after having taken a break after our twins were born. So Im wondering if anyone has a recommended practice regimen that may have worked for them? For instance, I'm now working on Jeff Newman's Right Hand Alpha DVD which has been really great. Ive been working on those exercises in the video for maybe 30 minutes, then looking at chord positions and their location with AB pedals and without, while trying to keep correct hand position with respect to blocking etc for maybe another half hour. I'd be interested to see what other folks may have done that worked, or maybe didnt work, for them when starting out. Thanks!

Bill Moran · From: Virginia, USA

I was bad to sit down and play what I already knew. I would start adding to it with licks I had heard on radio or whatever. Having said that I never had a program I used day after day. Thats probably why I never made a good player. Learn scales and to play them at any speed . Hear a lick and go find it. I have sit with a 6 string guitar playing parts so I could make sense of them on steel. Having said that everybody does things different. Just be comfortable with what your doing and the rest will fall in place in its own time.
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Bill Miller · From: Gaspe, Quebec, Canada

Where I live there has never been the option of taking one on one lessons from a good steel player. And I'm not good at sitting down and sticking with printed material or even video tutorials. So mostly I've learned by listening to music and playing along. I wouldn't recommend it over the more accepted methods but it does work pretty well for me. With time you develop good intonation, timing and the ear to dissect what is being played in order to copy it or at least get the general feel of it.
This forum has been an invaluable resource as well. I'd be severely disadvantaged were it not for what I've picked up on here over the years.
But overall the best way to learn is probably with real time, one on one instruction with a good teacher. It allows for immediate and pertinent responses to issues that arise and provides a watchful eye against bad technique and habits.

John Spaulding · From: Wisconsin, USA

Eric - You might find some helpful tips on practicing and other aspects of learning how to play here: The Paul Franklin Blog

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

Eric, what you're doing seems like a good mix of technique and theory.
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Jerry Recktenwald · From: Louisville KY

If you do not have any fun playing and just practicing , boring. HAVE SOME FUN PLAYING ! Enjoy it.
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Kevin Fix · From: Michigan, USA

I learned years ago playing along with vinyl or the radio. Now I play along with YouTube when I need to learn new material. Learned by ear and play by ear.

Douglas Schuch · From: Valencia, Philippines

I am currently playing with a local band that is forming, and one of the songs required a backwards roll on the intro (the band leader wanted the into like on the record). I discovered that while I can play a forward roll blazingly fast, I suck at backwards rolls played at a quick triplet speed. I often use Paul Franklin's exercise for bar movement (if you search, you will find it, but basically, you start open, or fret one, then move the bar up 1 fret, play a chord of triplet, move another, up and down the neck. Then do it again moving 2 frets at a time, then 3, etc). So I started doing that exercise using backward rolls, thus drilling a discovered weakness. It very quickly improved my accuracy and speed on backwards rolls.

There is a human tendency to work on what we are fairly good at, and ignore what we are weakest at. If you can play great chords and dyads all over the neck on slow ballads, but are no good at speed picking licks, intros, etc, you won't get any better at the latter by always playing slow ballads. But to learn speed-picking (or whatever your weakness is), you don't start by playing full songs - you will get frustrated. Drill it.

A resource that is IMO under-recognized by our community is the free lessons taught by Joe Wright on the Sierra Steel Guitar site:

http://www.sierrasteels.com/lessons/lessons-index.html

He teaches primarily via drills - yes, it's a lot more "fun" to get a piece of tab and start learning new songs - but Joe's teaching method (as well as Paul F's via his METHOD course) do a great job of teaching fundamentals with drills. Joe's is particularly heavy on drills.

I would suggest finding a drill that address an area you wish to improve on and start your practice with that. But, as Jerry R. says, also spend some time having fun!
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Charley Paul · From: California, USA

I would purchase a subscription to the Paul Franklin Method. It is really fabulous. In addition to solid advice about the mechanics of playing, Paulâ€™s insight into how to think about the instrument (and music in general), was really exceptional. Worth every penny for me.

I have only positive things to say about this course.

Eric Davidson · From: Kentucky, USA

Some great feedback everyone!

Iâ€™d love to have one on one lessons but I donâ€™t know anyone currently, but Iâ€™ll keep looking. Really enjoying getting back into it!

Eric Davidson · From: Kentucky, USA

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Once you have some sort of over all awareness of where the chords and notes are and can find the basic ones without thinking about it much itâ€™s time to get into details. I personally will play one note until it sounds good. I pick the note with my thumb and see how every small change in angle or force changes the sound of the note. Then I do the same thing with each finger. After I feel like the note sounds pretty good I play the same note on a different string and repeat. While Iâ€™m playing the same thing over and over again I check out things like tension in my shoulders and my breathing.

Donâ€™t slop thru anything. Practice slow and focused. Try breaking down a lick into its smallest components.

For me that stuff is fun. It clears my mind and helps get the clutter out of my playing.

But whatever you choose the more you practice the better !
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Bobby Nelson · From: North Carolina, USA

You could get one on one lessons with Skype.

Craig Bailey · Posted 24 Mar 2019 3:47 am

I view learning new material and practicing as two different things. I try to separate the two and do both each day.
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John Spaulding · From: Wisconsin, USA

The Paul Franklin Method is definitely for beginners... and everyone else!

You might consider taking the Foundations: E9 Pedal Steel Basics course first, as it is just the "beginner" Lessons up to playing the Harmonized Scale...enough info to get you from the practice room to gigging on stage.

Paul starts out with the open strings and explaining the tuning, how to hold the bar, how to choose and wear your picks, chords and scales, all of the most basic elements of playing.

If you already play non-pedal and other instruments, you are ahead of the game and Paul will make sure you don't form any bad habits on the pedal steel.

Paul talks about both the Method and Foundations in a comment here: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=340844&highlight=foundations

More: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=340653&highlight=foundations

And more: https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=339744&highlight=foundations

You can apply the $99 enrollment to the full Method should you choose to continue studying with Paul.

Here's the entire Course syllabus:

GETTING READY TO PLAY
A Message From Paul
The Parts of the Pedal Steel Guitar - VIDEO
For 6-String Guitarists - VIDEO
Open Strings/Intervals - VIDEO
The Open Strings - QUIZ
Thinking In Intervals PDF
E9 Tuning - QUIZ
How To Sit Behind The Guitar - VIDEO

TUNING UP
Tuning Your Guitar By Ear - VIDEO
Tuning Your Knee Levers - VIDEO
Tuning Your Guitar With A Tuner - VIDEO
The Jeff Newman Tuning Charts PDF

THE PICKS AND THE BAR
Choices For Picking Techniques - VIDEO
How To Wear Your Picks - VIDEO
Choosing And Holding The Bar - VIDEO
Bar Pressure - VIDEO
Bar Exercises - VIDEO
Vibrato Concepts - VIDEO

THE PEDALS
Introduction To The Pedals - VIDEO
The Intro To The Pedals - QUIZ
TAB Basics - PDF
Intro To Pedals TAB PDF
The Volume Pedal - VIDEO
Adding Expression With The Volume Pedal - VIDEO

INTRODUCTION TO CHORDS
Intro To The Four String Groups - VIDEO
The Four String Groups - QUIZ
Chord Names On The Fretboard - VIDEO
Chord Names On The Fretboard -QUIZ
Timing: Working With A Metronome - VIDEO
Practicing The String Groups - VIDEO
The 1-4-5 Progression - VIDEO
More On 1-4-5 Progressions - VIDEO
Goodnight Ladies TAB PDF
1-4-5 Chord Progression - PRACTICE TRACKS
1-4-5 Chords In Every Key PDF

PICKING AND BLOCKING
Picking Exercises: The Arpeggio - VIDEO
How To Practice H.O.T.R.S. TAB PDF
Intro to Blocking The Strings - VIDEO
Pick Blocking - VIDEO

CHORDS: MAJOR AND MINOR
Using The Pedals To Make Chords - VIDEO
The Pedals - QUIZ
The Four String Groups - Major Chords - VIDEO
Beginner Chord Etude TAB PDF
Major Chord Practice Tracks - VIDEO
The Four String Groups - Minor Chords - VIDEO
Minor Chords - QUIZ
Minor Chord Practice Tracks - PRACTICE TRACKS
Pads & Power Chords - VIDEO
Power Chord TAB PDF
Chord Progressions - VIDEO

DOMINANT 7th CHORDS
Open Position Dominant 7th Chords - VIDEO
Pedals Down Dominant 7ths - VIDEO
Dominant 7th Extensions - VIDEO
Playing The Blues - VIDEO

SCALES AND HARMONY
The Major Scale - VIDEO
Basic Harmony PDF
Adding Harmonies to the Major Scale - VIDEO
The Harmonized Major Scale - VIDEO
Harmonized Major Scale TAB PDF
Major Scales and Triads PDF
Putting It All Together - VIDEO
Drones In Various Keys - DRONE TRACKS

STYLES AND LICKS
Western Swing and Blues Rock - VIDEO
Western Swing and Blues Rock TAB PDF
5511 Ballad Intro - VIDEO
5511 Ballad Intro TAB PDF

WHAT'S NEXT?
No Longer A Beginner - VIDEO
Thanks From Paul!

RESOURCES
Tips On Practice Routines - VIDEO
Suggested Listening
Basic Music Theory - PDF
Thinking In Intervals - PDF
Paul's TAB Symbols Explained
The Nashville Number System - PDF
Links to Some Pedal Steel Resources
Chord Formulas - PDF
Cycle Of 4ths and 5ths - PDF
Major Scales and Triads - PDF
How To Read TAB - VIDEO
How To Read TAB - PDF
Blank TAB 10 String - PDF

Eric Davidson · From: Kentucky, USA

John, thatâ€™s great info! I didnâ€™t realize there was the 99$ beginner course. Iâ€™ll be looking into that today, very excited about that

Matthew Walton · From: Fort Worth, Texas

This video focuses on guitar, but has some great insight on practicing techniques: https://www.homespun.com/shop/product/a-guitarists-guide-to-better-practicing/
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Justin Emmert · From: Greensboro, NC

Here is my current practice outline:

1. Right and left hand drills as a warmup- 5-20 minutes
2. Learn something- right now I'm working on transposing single note melodies to harmonized scale positions and connecting them. Subbing in different chord voicing- 7ths, 9ths, dim, aug, sus, etc. Basically composing my own solo. It's basically an exercise in harmonized scales and intervals. 20-30 minutes
3. Learn a lick or intro- 10-15 minutes
4. Learn a classic song- intro, solo, licks etc. I generally loop parts of the song, slow them down and figure out the part. Have been working on Heartaches but the Number lately. I do sometimes use tab to speed up the learning curve. I spend however long I want on this.

I am a PF subscriber and watch and refer back to his videos and the Facebook page in every practice. It's truly making me a musician, not just someone who learns to play a tabbed out song. Only been in a month and so much has been cleared up. My thinking about the instrument and how it should be played has drastically been changed.

Fred Treece · From: California, USA

I posted a review of my first year playing psg last year. It is long winded, self indulgent, and definitely not as useful as some of the other posts here, but maybe it will shed some light for you.
https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=325028&highlight=observations+year+one

Ron Hogan · From: Nashville, TN, usa

Eric,

If you learn a lick, use a rhythm track to practice with. You can learn a lick and practice it all day, but thereâ€™s nothing like a rhythm track to improve on it.

Over the years, I would learn a lick, but then play it with the band and it wasnâ€™t the same. A rhythm track forces you to be right on. Here is A few samples of me practicing with and without a rhythm track. The first one is probably the best to listen to.

Click here

Click here

Click here

Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

when I sit down, I warm up by running thru my major triad grips up & down the neck. Then I have a handful of licks from a psg licks book that I bought from another forumite - the ones I'm currently using are closed position A/B pedal licks. I'm using the book less as a learn-a-lick book and more as a tool for picking & blocking accuracy. Anyway, about 5-7 licks that I play up & down the neck.

At that point, I've run my major triad grips, done some palm blocking and some pick blocking, done some rolls and some cross picking, my feet have gotten warmed up on the A/B pedals, and I'm ready to dive into songs. If I don't have time for a full on practice (I try to practice 1-2 hours at a time), I just run those technique/warm-up exercises for 20-30 min and call it a day. In the event I'm up against a deadline for learning a tune, I do the opposite - omit the technique stuff for working up the song.

As stated above, FUN is important. Took me a long time to have fun with the technique stuff, so I avoided that in favor of tunes for years. I wasn't ready for repetition & drills back then, but now I enjoy it. I don't really know what changed.

Bob Hoffnar · From: Austin, Tx

Chris Walke · From: St Charles, IL

Ron Hogan · From: Nashville, TN, usa

I have 3 MP3 rhythm tracks that I'd be glad to send anyone. Mainly for C6 practice. Three different speeds. Created on Band In a Box.

PM or email me with your email address.

Ron Hogan

Len Amaral · From: Rehoboth,MA 02769

I agree with Bob Hoffnar. I might also add, I find the sweet spot on the bar, between the first and second knuckle under your pointer finger and move across the strings to get a robust tone. If you start to get a sitar effect, you need to apply a bit more pressure.

Try picking a note, add vibrato and ease into the volume pedal a little. Small steps like this will help to achieve a pleasing tone.

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