Just got myself a lap sllide... need some tips

gotz id

Well being a pearl jam fan introduces you to all kinds of music! Ofcourse they made me aware of Ben Harper, to which I have become a big fan of. Hell, I've even taken guitar lessons at his family's shoe ...

So I came across one of these beauties on musician's friend for $200 off their catalog price...:


http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040621183837063205044183889714/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/518751/

I know what some of you are going to say... I could have gotten this for $60 bucks! But I just coulodnt get over how ugly it looks compared to the Chandler!

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/sid=040621183837063205044183889714/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/518800/

Anyway, so to the question. Anyone happen to know a good way to begin? I figure I'll take a look at some Ben Harper tab sites and figure out some tunes.

How about some good slide music to listen to? I have all of Ben's stuff and a lot of that 1950's surfur music to play with so far.

I'll probably look for somone to teach me later, but for now can anyone recomend an instructional book of some sort?

Schmakt

My friends are in a band that used to have a slide player... sometimes it was really awesome but, too often, the slide would take over the sound of the song and turn it WAY too country for my tastes...

Robert Randolph is a great pedal steel player... is that close to what you have? Those links just seem to take me to the main musiciansfriend page...

also, Lucero and mid-era Cast Iron Filter

gotz id

Oh no no no!


Its the Chandler RH-2 Lap Steel Guitar.


More built for hawaiian and blues.

mccreadyisgod

Musician's Friend has changed their protocol... you can just copy the item # from the end of the URL and paste it into their search engine.

The first item is # 518751, and the second is # 518800.

I BELIEVE that slide guitars are tuned open...??? Anyone know?

I'd love to pick up one of these:

http://www.gibson.com/products/oai/dobro/hounddogsq.html

gotz id

You 'can' play them with standard tuning (I think "sleepwalk" is standard).

But yes for the most part you have to use your open tunings.

who's_pearljam?

I love lap steel guitars. There are tons of tunings for them. You almost never use standard tuning, though.

Probably the most common tuning is open D
D A D F# A D (Low to high)
The F# string is the third in the chord so is the major. But if you mute it, then you can fake minors.
Bring all the strings up 2 steps and you have open E
This is also the most fun "plug it in and crank it up power chord and pretend like you're David Gilmour" tuning.:D Like in "One of these days" on Dark Side of the Moon


The C6 tuning is very common, too. You can reach a lot of variations by playing various combinations of 2 or three strings. But if you play all the strings in this tuning, you'll have a smile on your face because it'll be Hawaiian music!

That's: C# E G A C E

Check out Ben Harper,
Also, David Lindley is amazing. (most famous for Jackson Brown "Running on Empty") but he's done much more than that.
He has really great world music and is probably one of the best. His old band was El Rayo-X

Ry Cooder has great stuff (Paradise and Lunch, Paris, Texas) and it seems like he's played on every other album ever made . (Like, on the Stones' Let it Bleed ) He's the one that started Keith Richards on open tunings

Ronnie Wood is the Tone King of rock and roll lap steel.

mccreadyisgod

Well, Bob, I guess I done been ejumicated.

gotz id

Thanks Who is PJ!!!

Ry Cooder is totally badass

dreadhead

if u wann listen to some kik ass slide music. check out john butler trio. totally awesome, u won't regret investing in some of his music