Bit of Jazz guitar for Omegastrat

[Omegstrat6]

Blues rhythms

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQYz6FOT11Y

Again, thanks for posting Soulman-I really like T-bone Walker! He influenced so many people too including BB King and SRV and was doing all that showy playing the guitar behind his back stuff before Buddy Guy and Hendrix. More importantly, he had some great licks and some cool passing chords. Always loved his "Stormy Monday".

[kettering_baggie]

I found it difficult enough trying to play slide using a steel "bottle neck" on my Strat but have never played a proper lap steel. My understanding is that they have markers but no actual raised frets but don't know if this makes them easier or harder to play? I assume they are mostly six string and played in an open tuning?

Anyhow, it's early days Ketts and I'm sure you will get there. Its always frustrating at times when you first start to learn a different instrument but I'm sure the rewards will be worth the effort!

It feels strange to try to play! There are no frets as such, but the ‘frets’ are lines across the fretboard. Most tunings are open D, open G or C6. It is certainly a challenge, I’ll just have to see how it goes! My inspiration for giving it a try was Jerry Douglas, a wonderful lap steel and dobro player, and when I saw the instrument in an auction, I just had to bid on it!

[soulman101]

It feels strange to try to play! There are no frets as such, but the ‘frets’ are lines across the fretboard. Most tunings are open D, open G or C6. It is certainly a challenge, I’ll just have to see how it goes! My inspiration for giving it a try was Jerry Douglas, a wonderful lap steel and dobro player, and when I saw the instrument in an auction, I just had to bid on it!

Hi Ketts , there was a video posted yesterday by Paul a top guitar player, trying a lap steel guitar for the Ist time .

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJGHn1h46XU

[Omegstrat6]

Hi Ketts , there was a video posted yesterday by Paul a top guitar player, trying a lap steel guitar for the Ist time .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJGHn1h46XU

That is a pretty cool sound. Can't recall seeing anyone with a lap steel having those 3 tremolo type arms on the instrument but makes sense given the sounds you can create.

Since Ketts first posted about getting a lap steel, I've been inspired to read up a little about them and one of the limitations was of being stuck with just one open tuning. This apparently led some players/ manufactures to build instruments with two (or more) separate necks, each tuned to a different open chord. Later on, the issue was dealt with by the development of the pedal steel which allowed you to play a greater variety of chords. That instrument is a lot bigger, however, and doesn't have the portability of a guitar or lap steel so I understand the theory behind the odd tuning on the lap steel shown in the video, which effectively allows you to play 3 chords across the strings, but don't think my brain would cope with that! 😁

Anyhow, thanks for posting Soulman👍 I'll also have to check out Jerry Douglas, who Ketts mentioned.

[kettering_baggie]

Jerry Douglas is/was in Alison Krauss’ backing band, Union Station and he is the musical director for the Transatlantic Sessions, which were a series of jams for musicians from Scotland, Ireland and the USA (mostly) recorded in a house in Scotland without an audience. I loved those sessions, wonderful music by wonderful musicians and Jerry Douglas plays in many of them, dobro and lap steel.