| Author |
Topic: Too many open strings... |
Brian Evans
From:
Nova Scotia, Canada
|
Posted 30 May 2020 2:36 am |
|
| Very much a rookie here. So I was playing a very simple old song (St Louis Blues) and since I am tuned in Em7/G (EGDGBD) it seemed natural to play it in Em. Chords are Em7, and Am7, basically. My very first impression was, how do I deal with just playing so many open strings as backing chords? I guess most of what I play, I rarely just hang out on the un-barred open string chord. Just curious about what people do with the open strings. |
|
|
 |
Morgan Scoggins
From:
Georgia, USA
|
Posted 30 May 2020 11:34 am
|
|
Hi Brian.
I play A6 tuning on an 8 string lap steel. I usually like to play songs in the key of A. Like you, I don't often play open strings in that key or any other key. It makes blocking much more difficult. Those open strings like to really ring out like the open strings on an acoustic guitar playing bluegrass. Playing in the key of A with A6 tuning is great because I have room high and low to move the bar up and down the frets. When I play a melody line I often go to the
notes on the fifth and seventh fret. That is where the chords of D and E are found and all of the notes of the A scale are found in this area. Otherwise you can find the same scale around the 12th fret, but I understand that those high notes are not always appropriate.
Good luck with your playing and let us know how you are coming along.
_________________
"Shoot low boys, the're ridin' Shetlands" |
|
|
|
Gene Tani
From:
Pac NW
|
Posted 31 May 2020 2:02 pm
|
|
When i was starting out on lap steel i avoided playing near the nut or open strings, intonation was hard, slants too, needed a lot of bar pressure. But over time, I decided to use those positions, still avoid slants but increase bar pressure automatically and lean over to look at bar over the fretline.
_________________
- keyless Sonny Jenkins laps stay in tune forever!; Carter PSG
- The secret sauce: polyester sweatpants to buff your picks, cheapo Presonus channel strip for preamp/EQ/compress/limiter, Diet Mountain Dew |
|
|
|
Tony Boadle
From:
Skibbereen, County Cork, Ireland
|
Posted 31 May 2020 3:34 pm
|
|
Morgan's comments were a Eureka moment for me. Coming from a guitar and then banjo background, I was forever automatically sliding up and down the neck on my E6th eight-string for my I, IV and V.
It never really occurred to me that I could do so much single string work in E by just hanging around the fifth and seventh frets.
Yes, I know it's basic musical common sense, but if I was blessed with that, I wouldn't be playing banjo!
Thanks Morgan, I owe you a pint of Guinness..... |
|
|
|
