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Topic: For newer C6th players - the X-Slant |
Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 17 Nov 2021 8:42 am |
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Most C6th players know this one but in case you're a newer steel player, this is a classic Jerry Byrd bar manipulation C6th lick used to move through two inversions of a dyad that covers a dominant 7th chord. You can resolve it to the I chord - in this case F (or F6th or Fm) or go to the next chord in the cycle of 4ths or 5ths. It's tricky to play in tune but with practice, you'll get it under your hand and it becomes a cool arrow to pull from your quiver of licks that's moveable to any key (as well as some other tunings). The best way to practice slant licks like this is to first play each individual note to get the sound in your ear. Note that the third string note is the same so the goal is to keep that note rock steady while executing the X-slant move.
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Last edited by Andy Volk on 19 Nov 2021 2:41 am; edited 3 times in total |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 17 Nov 2021 9:31 am
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| Works the same in an A or G (Dobro) tuning. Common move for the old Hawaiian guys. |
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Gene Tani
From:
Pac NW
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Posted 17 Nov 2021 10:23 am
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I'm still working the 2 finger behind the bar pulls.
Next thread will be
| Quote: |
| Easy three finger behind the bar bends |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Glenn Wilde
From:
California, USA
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Posted 17 Nov 2021 3:47 pm
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| You've sunk my Battleship......😏 |
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Ian Rae
From:
Redditch, England
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Posted 17 Nov 2021 4:11 pm
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The sooner they invent pedals the better
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 17 Nov 2021 4:41 pm
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Ha! Nobody ever said playing steel guitar was easy. As Wes Montgomery's famous quote said, "I never practice. I just open the case and throw in a piece of meat."
_________________
Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Phillip Hermans
From:
Berkeley, California, USA
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Posted 17 Nov 2021 10:48 pm
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Thanks for posting this Andy!
I stumbled across this technique messing around with slants. Haven't tried to pull it off at a gig yet but this inspires me to keep practicing! |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Phillip Hermans
From:
Berkeley, California, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2021 1:30 am
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| Doug Beaumier wrote: |
This has been posted here in the past, but I play an X-slant in this old video of “Send Me the Pillowâ€. It’s in the intro, 8 seconds into the video.
——> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GO2Tf8KLJ14 |
Thanks for posting this great example!
It reminds me of a question I have had while practicing slants. I often hear folks saying to "NEVER MOVE YOUR WRIST" when doing slants. For forward slants this is easy enough with practice, reverse slants is more tough.
It looks to me like you move both your wrist and elbow to pull off this X-slant (and sound great doing it!)
Does any do this maneuver with only "the fingers"?
Any other conventional wisdom on the subject?
Happy to hear criticism of said conventional wisdom too!  |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 18 Nov 2021 2:52 am
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Great example, Doug! You can use this move in a bunch of genres of music including Hawaiian, Country, Jazz and Blues. Here's a Blues in Bb I just wrote out this morning for practicing these slippery moves. https://soundcloud.com/aev/x-slant-blues
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Last edited by Andy Volk on 18 Nov 2021 2:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 18 Nov 2021 6:57 am
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| Quote: |
| It looks to me like you move both your wrist and elbow to pull off this X-slant (and sound great doing it!) |
The main rule for me is "swivel the bar within the hand", instead of twisting the wrist. That's easy to do with a single, forward slant, but with an X-slant there's a lot going on, a lot of motion. You're moving from a reverse slant to a forward slant (or the reverse of that). I don't think I moved my wrist or arm all that much, but the player has to move them somewhat to get a good view of the frets with an X-slant. Especially on the lower (wider) frets. Just my opinion.
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Dale Rottacker
From:
Walla Walla Washington, USA
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Marty Broussard
From:
Broussard, Louisiana, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2021 7:39 am
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Very cool topic. Thanks Andy!!
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Former steel guitarist for Tracy Byrd & The Byrd Dawgs, Mark Chesnut & The New South Band, Mark Nesler & Texas Tradition, Wayne Toups & ZydeCajun, Belton Richard & The Musical Aces
"Technique is really the elimination of the unnecessary..it is a constant effort to avoid any personal impediment or obstacle to achieve the smooth flow of energy and intent" Yehudi Menuhin |
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Carey Hofer
From:
South Dakota, USA
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Posted 18 Nov 2021 12:23 pm
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| Been playing lap steel for less than a month. This was very helpful. I was having a little trouble with the X slant until I looked at the video which cleared things up for me. Those 8 seconds not only showed me how to play the phrase but also how to do the backward and forward slants. Thanks for taking the time to help out us beginners! |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 23 Nov 2021 5:02 am
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| It's even more difficult when you play with a stevens type bar like I do. It's not impossible though. I haven't heard anyone talk about "dogleg bends" in a while. I still use them occasionally. Anyone else? Are they even still called that? |
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 23 Nov 2021 10:28 am
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Do you mean split bar slants or some kind of behind-the-bar bend? Never heard the term dog-leg in regards to steel.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Michael Johnstone
From:
Sylmar,Ca. USA
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Posted 29 Nov 2021 6:16 pm
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Here's some slant stuff I did in this little promo video I did for CruzTone steel guitars. Great guitars BTW. I'm playing A6 with a 5th on top and a 7th on the bottom. Like Jr. Brown's tuning but tuned down to A. It helps to use a longer bar with a bit of reach. And practice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqYJKYWtbVw |
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Steve Atwood
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 30 Nov 2021 4:54 am
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Really nice playing, Mike! I enjoyed hearing that again. Are CruzTones no longer made?
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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Mark Mansueto
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 30 Nov 2021 6:02 am
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| Andy Volk wrote: |
| Do you mean split bar slants or some kind of behind-the-bar bend? Never heard the term dog-leg in regards to steel. |
This is the best example of what I know of a dogleg slant where you hit two strings with the end of the bar:
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Andy Volk
From:
Boston, MA
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Posted 30 Nov 2021 6:09 am
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Ok, a rose by any other name ....... I call 'em split-bar slants. Jerry Byrd was the past master of this technique.
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Steel Guitar Books! Website: www.volkmediabooks.com |
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