Reverse Slants -- Best Bar? Best Technique?

Alan Kirk · From: Scotia, CA, USA

Just wondering if anyone has an opinion one way or another about which type of dobro bar is the most comfortable for doing reverse slants.

I've been trying to learn the Stacy Phillips method of repositioning the thumb before doing the slant, but it seems a bit awkward.

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Jeff Strouse · From: Jacksonville, Florida, USA

A bullet nosed bar with an indentation on the other end for the thumb will definitely work well.

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

I used a Stevens steel for many years. Now I use a Lap Dawg. Both of them work for reverse slants for me. I could never master the reverse slant by simply looking at a still photograph, as was printed in Stacy Phillips "The Dobro Book". That was his first book, the green one. However, when I got his 2 videos from Homespun Tapes, and watched him do the reverse slant, it looked so easy, that I just went over, and over, and over the technique. It is not easy, but that video showed that it could be mastered, and I am comfortable with the technique today.

You describe your attempts as "repositioning the thumb before doing the slant". That indicates to me that you view the technique as a series of discrete steps. You must see the video, or watch an accomplished player perform the reverse slant. Try to view it as a single flowing motion, rather than as a series of steps.

Don't give up. It is worth the effort.

HowardR · From: N.Y.C.-Fire Island-Asheville

Of course, practicing technique is the most important factor, but I find the Jim Burden bullet bar has the best recessed end for reverse slants. I wish my Scheerhorn had a recess.

George Keoki Lake · From: Edmonton, AB., Canada

Jerry has explained the reverse slant technic very well in his instruction book...might be a good idea to pickup a copy, (new or used). Lots of good illustrations to help you also.

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

I assume your question concerns playing the Dobro where soo many use a "Stevens" bar.

Since I only used this bar for a very short while while learning to play the lap steel, I can't say. I shall always believe this bar is like training wheels on bicycles. But many Dobro players use them. Why I have not a clue. So maybe they know something I do not know. Probably so.

If you ask what is the best way to reverse (or forward) slant the round bar most non Dobro players use, I would suggest your getting a Dunlop model 902 bar. I believe it is the one Jerry recommends. It's bullet nose and indentation in the back is perfect for making those quick reverse (and forward) slants.

Of all the advice about slanting, I believe Jerry's advice about NOT moving the hand; rather moving just the fingers; is the best. This is a bad mistake made by soo many. Try to learn to keep the left hand straight and use the fingers and thumb to execute the slant.

It will be difficult at first, but with practice it will soon be like anything else and you could do it in your sleep.

While you are trying it out, NO better place to do it is in emulating Jerry's V7 to I chord resolve on his C6 tuning.

Try the following going from a C7th to an F chord:

1. Execute a reverse slant on strings 1 and 3 at the 12th and 13th frets.

2. Immediately move into a forward slant using the same two strings on frets 13 and 12.

It will look like this X

You may throw the bar across the room several times

, but once you can do this without thinking about it, ya got it made bubba!

carl

A Better Way

[This message was edited by C Dixon on 16 February 2004 at 02:45 PM.]

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Carl - The Stevens bar is used to enable us dobroists to perform the rapid hammer-ons and pull-offs. I've tried to do these with a bullet bar, and I cannot control a bullet through these rapid movements. If Alan is going to play only the so-called "Oswald style", with no hammers or pull-offs, I would recomment that he try a bullet bar; however, to cover all of the dobro styles, one needs a Stevens-style bar.

C Dixon · From: Duluth, GA USA

Bryan,

Thanks for your input. I have a question for you. Forgetting the hammer ons an pull offs, are you proficient with a round bullet bar. IE, can you make rapid slants, etc without moving your wrist, just your fingers and thumb?

carl

Bryan Bradfield · From: Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada.

Carl -
I own several bullet bars. Some have indentations in the "back", and one has indentations in "front" and "back". Because dobro is my first instrument, I never have really given the bullet bars a fair try. I use a Stevens style bar 99.99% of the time. I feel I am very proficient in reverse slants with a Stevens style bar. I frequently exercise going from a reverse slant to a straight position, and from a straight position to a forward slant in rapid succession. And yes, that is with thumb and fingers only, no wrist contortions.
I am now also playing a pedal steel, but I must admit that after a minimal try with a bullet bar, I use the Stevens bar on the pedal steel. Am I the only one in the world using a Stevens on pedal steel?

[This message was edited by Bryan Bradfield on 15 February 2004 at 04:09 PM.]

[This message was edited by Bryan Bradfield on 15 February 2004 at 06:40 PM.]

Michael Johnstone · From: Sylmar,Ca. USA

Most of the so-called Sacred steel guys use a Stevens,Shubb or one of those trick Carter bars on pedal steel but their tone suffers some because of it in my opinion.Also they're hard to slant - no question about that.On my U-12 I use a 15/16ths x 4" and on my Stringmaster I use a 7/8ths x 3 3/8ths" and I'm slanting and tipping those bars all the time no problem. On Dobro I use a Shubb SP2 and although I tip and hammer a lot and it's good for that,I don't slant it much - it's too damn hard to do - although I recently saw David Borisoff do it easily so I know it can be done....

Aaron Schiff · From: Cedaredge, CO, USA

I use a Shubb-Pearse SP2, a John Pearse 10 String bar and a BJS Hawaiian. The BJS is too small for my hands, so most of the time it is the dobro or the 10 string bar. I interchange them pretty much. I find that the 10 string bar gets significantly better tone and that the dobro bar is better for really fast hammer ons and pull offs. However, I can play Cherokee Shuffle on the dobro with the 10 string bar. I like both bars for slants, but it took longer for me to learn to control the 10 string bar when picking it up due to the weight and lack of control surfaces. I think it is worth while to learn to use both types of bars for dobro and non-pedal steel, but I haven't found a reason for a dobro style bar for pedal steel.

Bob Stone · From: Gainesville, FL, USA

My two cents.

If you are playing "Dobro" style you need a sharp edged bar like a Scheerhorn or Swallow to get loud clean hammer-ons and pull-offs. You simply can't get enough power using a bullet bar on an acoustic instrument. A bullet is fine for hammers ad pull-offs on an electric.

For reso playing I switched from a Scheerhorn to a Gary Swallow composite bar about a year ago. It is even higher than the Scheerhorn. I have no problem in doing reverse slants with either bar. It just takes practice. You have to maintain a light grip on the bar--which is a good idea anyhow--to get your hand over the hump when rotating into the reverse slant position.

Alan Kirk · From: Scotia, CA, USA

Thanks for all the great advice, guys.

I've been using a Schubb Pearse SP-2 bar, the ends of which are both slightly concave. I was just wondering of a more standard shaped bar, like a standard Sheerhorn, with pretty much straight, flat ends (rather than concave ends) might be somehow easier to do reverse slants with.

But it seems that no matter which bar you talk about it all boils down to practice, practice, practice, ...

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