Playing vertically vs horizontally...

James Inkster · From: Ukee, BC

Hi!

It seems a bit weird to have to ask this, but I'm not surrounded by steel players and was wondering how most people do things.

I find that when playing at any decent tempo I often end up playing "vertically" (ie., perpendicular to the strings, parallel to the frets). I play in E9 tuning and find I have so many notes within a fret or two that I can quickly get at... I practice lots of scales, etc, in those vertical positions and like the conservation of movement. I feel intonation and speed win when I play vertically.

But... I'm starting to feel my sound is getting a bit stale and that's when I realized how often I play vertically, and I'm thinking I might start working on a more horizontal approach. I'm just unsure how I'll get the speed and intonation anywhere near what I find I can get vertically.

For fast single-note stuff do you find you play more horizontally, vertically, or ?

Somewhat related question... but when you're playing fast, do you tilt the bar (so you're only touching the string of the note you're playing), or do you leave the bar flat and mute the other strings? I tend to lie flat and mute, but maybe that's another area to work on...

Any tips appreciated!

Twayn Williams · From: Portland, OR

Practice "stitching" one chord to another by playing on one or two strings between the two chords. Let's say you're on the the I chord at the 3rd fret. The next chord is the V chord on the 10th fret. When moving from the 3rd fret to the 10th, don't just play all of your I chord notes at the 3rd fret and when the V chord comes around simply jump to the 10th. Instead, start working your way up from the 3rd fret while still on the I chord towards the 10th fret. When the V chord is reached you should also be at the 10th fret.

You can start by playing a scale walk-up on one string from the I to the V. Then a walk-up in 6ths, etc. Also find a pattern on just 2 strings for the notes in the I chord (1-3-5-6) and play those while working up to the V chord. Once you have these 2 ideas down, expand them out to other string groupings and other chord pairs, especially the V-I movement.
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Mike Neer · From: NJ

I call playing along the strings "vertical" and playing across the strings "horizontal." When I first started playing old time Hawaiian style, I played more along the length of the strings. Once I changed over to C6 and other similar tunings, I started playing more in positions, which quickly got stale for me.

I experimented a lot more with navigating the fretboard vertically and discovered some amazing things. I wrote a little book called Bebop Lap Steel which is intended to be an introduction to the kind of vertical playing (sorry for the shameless plug).

So the Hawaiian style has definitely been a big factor in me approaching playing in this way. Also, learning all the slant positions along the strings helps you to keep a nice flow.
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James Inkster · From: Ukee, BC

Good thoughts, thanks guys.
Sounds like I'm no the right page already, then... More work required, tho Smile

Perhaps I've got my horiz and vertical terminology backward.

Mike, it was actually through reading your blog that I started playing in E9 (well, I actually tune down to D9, but same diff). That's what got me back to thinking about playing more along the strings -- you mentioned all the combinations you could play with the 1 tone interval between the F# and G# strings.
Your Bebop lap steel book is very appealing to me -- my goal is to play that type of music, chromatically -- but for now I'm focusing on really learning this tuning inside out, not C6.

Now, back to the woodshed, thanks guys!

Mike Neer · From: NJ

That's great, James. I'm glad you found the blog useful and that you are using that tuning. It rocks. BTW, there's a mini B6 tuning in there on strings 2, 3 and 4.
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Links to streaming music, websites, YouTube: Links

Billy Tonnesen · From: R.I.P., Buena Park, California

IMHO, there is more showmanship in playing if you can incorporate moving up and down the neck as much as possible. If you park your bar and play mostly with your feet and knees, your audience cannot really see or appreciate was is going on under your Guitar. Somehow you are making music but but the audience is not that impressed in how it is being done. (ramblings from an old codger)

Jason Hull · Posted 5 May 2011 4:36 pm **Re: Playing vertically vs horizontally...**

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