I would contract a very good Piano teacher / Guitar teacher, and go get 3 to 6 lessons of theory..chord theory, basic discussions..explanation of the numbers vs chords etc....a music discussion...

And I don't mean to go home and practice after the lesson but rather see if you actually can comprehend what it is this teacher is talking about. Maybe take a song that you really like and have the teacher talk about it theoretically...kind of like a college class but not for 6 months .

the perspective player will either start to understand or not.

Never in a million years would I recommend that someone with ZERO music exposure spend $$$ on an Instrument like a Pedal Steel as a first Instrument... Even 6 months of beginner Guitar would be a plus..anything with some exposure..

This is why Music stores have zeroed in on RENTALS for beginners and small children. Small investment..see if it's happenin'..., like Dance lessons...
just my take....

t

2. Meet with him only once every two weeks because a week flies by much to quickly and there's too much pressure to be 'prepared' for the next lesson. Then its not fun anymore. For me, every 2 weeks is perfect.

3. Hopefully you'll get a teacher like mine (Dick Meis) who has a plan and a teaching program, starting with Book I and working incrementally thru the other books.

4. Always have at least 2 questions you want answered at your lessons, even if you have to think some up. Write them down so you don't forget to ask. (Like, "why does my thumbpick keep getting caught in the strings"? Or, "will all this REALLY seem to come more naturally if I keep practicing"? "Are you sure"! "Promise"?

I think somehow our brains try to convince us that all those hot shot players out there were just born that way...and never had to go thru all this 'practicing'. But the good news is...if you sit down and play 10 minutes several times a day, you WILL begin to see progress, and when you do, it just encourages you to keep going, and your practice time gets longer too.

5. At the lessons ask your teacher to 'demonstrate' how a song should be played and soak up his technique. He'll enjoy this too because he's ordinarily so busy he doesn't have time to play for fun and this gives him that chance.

After teaching me how to wear the picks and hold the bar, my teacher began at the beginning, with Book One, a 3-ring binder with 'Exercises' he'd written that sounded just like real short songs but were very simple and taught me the various grips. Each 'song' introduced me to a new grip to be used with the ones I'd already learned. Before long I started seeing the method to my teacher's madness and really appreciated his well thought-out program.

When I got into Book II I started learning how to use the LKR pedal and have been using that with various songs. Still, each song gives me just a little bit more difficult move to learn, but nothing overwhelming. Now the songs themselves are my motivation to practice, just because they're so pretty and I WANT to play them that way.

If you don't have a teacher in your town, get your hands on someone's 'program', one that starts you at the stark beginning. You'll have to be your own motivator and that's always a little hard...its easier to practice when you'll be held accountable at the next lesson. But, carry on one step at a time and I'll guarantee you that you'll get over that "beginner's hump" that you'll go through for a couple of months, or even a little more. But keep at it and you'll begin to even feel like you 'belong' behind that guitar.

Theory...some want it, some don't. My teacher just taught me an inverted chord grip this week. Cool! I think my teacher integrates this into his program later. I've gotten a few music theory books to absorb what I can.

Now to your question? I'd be a little sad to think I had to learn to play from a CD unless I'd started a hundred years ago. There's no time for that. And I know there are tons of good teaching materials out there, but without some 'guidance', they'll just pile up and you'll not know where to begin. There's nothing wrong with buying all of them, if fact, it seems to be something we just can't help. But I think everyone needs some sort of structured lessons when just beginning to learn. And another key toward the goal of being a real player is to just..."stick with it". I know its going to be worth it.

[This message was edited by Leila Tuttle on 08 June 2005 at 05:03 PM.]

Winnie and Bill's book is a great starting place, particularly if you have no teacher at hand (and even if you do).

To me, understanding basic music theory is mandatory if you want to be able to move about the neck and play in different positions. I say MANDATORY because, well, it is, although there's no reason that you can't use the PSG to learn that theory, but learn it you must.

This thread contains a number of good suggestions, as a relatively recent devotee herself Leila has a very good perspective on the challenges of learning from scratch.

quote:

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if you sit down and play 10 minutes several times a day, you WILL begin to see progress

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Listen to other players and fill your head with the sounds that you like, they'll emerge later when you least expect it.

Keep asking questions and practice, practice, practice. I know of very few of us who are satisfied with our progress, even thirty or forty years later - for steelers that's simply a sign of good mental health!

Play on....

------------------
Dave Grafe - email: dg@pdxaudio.com
Production
Pickin', etc.

1978 ShoBud Pro I E9, Randall Steel Man 500, 1963 Precision Bass, 1954 Gibson LGO, 1897 Washburn Hawaiian Steel Conversion

[This message was edited by Dave Grafe on 09 June 2005 at 10:01 AM.]

In such a case, ideally, steel instruction could be combined with some sort of keyboard theory so the student could more easily see the relationships of the notes and intervals laid out in front of them.

*edit - I also agree with the every 2 weeks instead of 1 comment as well as the Winston/Keith book as being as good a place as any to get your feet wet.

[This message was edited by John Poston on 09 June 2005 at 10:08 AM.]