Basic C6th Nonpedal Lap Steel Method
by DeWitt Scott

Made famous by the legendary Jerry Byrd, the C6 nonpedal system of steel guitar has many advantages due to its versatility. It is especially useful in playing two and three-string chord combinations and for easy single string passages. Patience, dedication and many hours of practice are needed to perfect the "slants", especially the reverse "slants", but the final result is well worth the effort. This excellent text, written by Steel Guitar and Country Music Hall of Fame member DeWitt "Scotty" Scott, is in notation and tablature.

This method starts at square one on the 6-string lap steel, and takes you gradually through simple songs and techniques to finished arrangements of classics like "Aloha Oe" and "St. Louis Blues". Even advanced players will enjoy Scotty's arrangements towards the end of the book.

Back-Up Behind The Singer
C6th Lap Steel
by DeWitt Scott

This little (23 page) book and CD will teach you a varity of fills and techniques to use when backing a singer. The tuning is the standard C6th lap steel tuning: C E G A C E (low to high). On some of the songs Scotty raises the 6th string to C# instead of C. Songs include:

1. Someday I'd Like To Play The Steel Guitar
2. The Great Speckled Bird
3. Amazing Grace
4. Bubbles In My Beer
5. Cheatin' Still The Same

"Your Cheatin' Heart"
Steel Guitar Song Book by Don Helms

If you're like me, you've spent many hours listening to Don Helms' solos on Hank Williams records, trying to get them just right. Well, here's some good news. Don has tabbed out all of those hits and assembled them into one book. Each song is played as a steel guitar instrumental, complete with the classic signature hooks and fills.

Don plays an 8 string E13th tuning, but this course can be played on just the top six strings (E6th): E G# B C# E G# (low to high). The sound is high and lonesome, and instantly familiar. Songs include:

1. Your Cheatin' Heart
2. Hey Good Looking
3. Jambalaya
4. Mansion On The Hill
5. Take These Chains From My Heart
6. I Saw The Light
7. You Win Again
8. Wedding Bells
9. Cold Cold Heart
10. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry

The accompaning CD has two versions of each song - one with Don Helms playing the steel part, and the other as a rhythm track, so that you can perform the steel part yourself.

"St Louis Blues"
Steel Guitar Song Book by DeWitt (Scotty) Scott

A member of the Steel Gutiar Hall of Fame, Scotty's renditions of the classic steel guitar repertoire are always a big hit at steel guitar shows. In this book he shares his C6th lap steel arrangements of 5 Hawaiian songs and 5 country classics:

1. Hawaiian Wedding Song
2. Blue Hawaii
3. Beyond The Reef
4. Harbor Lights
5. How D'Ya Do
6. Beer Barrel Polka and Tennessee Polka
7. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
8. Sun Shadows
9. Cold Cold Heart
10. St. Louis Blues

Scotty's recording of these songs is available separately from the Music section of this online catalog. The cassette is item #A-159-C ($10), and the CD is item #C-082 ($16).

Scotty's 20 Non Pedal Solos
10 Country, 10 Hawaiian

A collection of beautiful lap steel arrangements for the C6th tuning by Dewitt Scott.

1. Among My Souveniers
2. My Isle of Golden Dreams
3. Red Sails in the Sunset
4. Remington Ride
5. Dance of the Goldenrod
6. To You Sweetheart Aloha
7. Down Where the Tradewinds Blow
8. Hawaiian Wedding Song
9. Keep Your Eyes on the Hands
10. Ka-Lu-A
11. Adventures In Paradise
12. Blue Hawaii
13. Beyond the Reef
14. Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain
15. Born To Lose
16. Steel Guitar Rag
17. Panhandle Rag
18. Harbor Lights
19. Release Me
20. Cold, Cold Heart

Memory Time
by "Little" Roy Wiggins

The album has long been out of print, but we still have this songbook of Little Roy's classic arrangements. The songs are tabbed for 8-string E13th (B D E G# B C# E G#). The low two string are not used, though, so you could play these songs on a 6 string lap steel if you strung it up right. Little Roy's string gauges are .036 .034 .030 .020 .017 .017 .014 .010. The songs tabbed are:

1. Bouquet of Roses
2. It's a Sin
3. Who At My door Is Standing
4. I Walk Alone
5. I'll Hold You In My Heart
6. Mommy Please stay Home With Me
7. I'm Throwing Rice
8. Anytime
9. Cattle Call
10. Molly Darling
11. One Kiss Too Many
12. Rocking Alone in an Old Rocking Chair

The Mel Bay Steel Guitar Method
by Roger Filiberto

Now complete in one volume, this time-honored method addresses the six-string lap steel guitar in E7 tuning. This approach incorporates both note reading and melody chord playing. The melody chord approach is the one utilized and made famous by New Orleans' great guitarist and teacher, Roger Filiberto. This book constitutes one of the most practical, well-written methods available for the lap steel guitar; it teaches techniques and chord harmony applicable to Hawaiian, bottleneck/slide and even resonator styles.

The E7th tuning used (low to high: B D E G# B E) is an excellent starting point for players who want to eventually play E9th pedal steel. This book uses standard music notation instead of tablature, with "hints" to guide you to the correct string for each note. Originally published in 1968, the techniques presented have a timeless quality.

The Art of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar
by Stacy Phillips

This book is an excellent study of the history and unique musical stylings of the Hawaiian guitar. Stacy Phillips successfully pinpoints the characteristics of Hawaiian guitar solos. A special feature is the inclusion of a superb historical survey of Hawaiian music. Written in tablature only, in a variety of authentic tunings. DeWitt "Scotty" Scott comments: "There are two types of Hawaiian music, the 'authentic' style and the 'tourist' style. Stacy is presenting the 'authentic' style and this is much needed to keep the Hawaiian music alive."

This course includes many pages of articles about the history of the instrument with vintage photos. Many of the songs include a discussion about their unique features. The tablature is fairly detailed as it captures the nuances of advanced techniques. This course is as good as they come!

The Art of the Hawaiian Steel Guitar, Volume 2
by Stacy Phillips

Tuff Fun Tab
by Herb Remington with the Rick Alexander Band

Hall of Famer Herb Remington needs no introduction to most steel players. As a member of Bob Wills' Texas Playboys and as an independent artist in his own right, he helped shape the instrument into what it has become today.

This course is a wonderful folio in Herb's own hand for the 8-string A6 tuning. The tablature is printed on heavy cardstock for durability. Herb's tab always includes timing notation, so nothing is left to chance. The songs are:

1. Love Me Tender
2. Blue Spanish Eyes
3. Westphalia waltz
4. Hawaiian Wedding Song
5. Mexicali Rose
6. White Christmas
7. Maiden's Prayer
8. Back Home Again In Indiana
9. My Buddy
10. Song Of The Islands
11. In The Garden
12. Sweet Talk

An excellent CD accompanies this course. For each song, you first hear it with Herb's steel guitar, as the song should be played. The next track is exactly the same, but without the steel guitar so that you can play along. Rick Alexander provides the accompaniment, and it is top notch!

A Different Slant
by Mike Ihde

An instructional book of tablature and a play-along CD of the backup tracks for the "A Different Slant" album. This tab is for the innovative Leavitt tuning for 6-string lap steel (C#, E, G, Bb, C, D).

This course is great for players who want to move beyond the basics into the more complex harmonies of jazz. The charts include standard music notation with chord names and lap steel tablature. There are ten jazz standards in this course:

1. Tenderly
2. Where Or When
3. Someday My Prince Will Come
4. The Girl From Ipanema
5. Moonlight In Vermont
6. Blue Hawaii
7. Have You Met Miss Jones?
8. When You Wish Upon A Star
9. Satin Doll
10. Misty

Joaquin Murphey
Classic Western Swing Steel Guitar Solos

Beautifully transcribed in standard notation & tablature by John McGann, this book walks you through 18 hot solos by the "Charlie Parker of the Steel Guitar". Most of the solos are from songs by Spade Cooley or Tex Williams. The original recordings were non-pedal, of course, but the tablature works equally well on C6th pedal steel, and with 8 or 10 strings. Includes commentary by steel guitar historian Andy Volk.

The charts include standard musical notation, chord names and C6th tab. Some of them can be played on a six string lap steel, while others require seven or eight strings. There is no CD, but the audio sources for these recordings are readily available from a variety of sources listed in the back of the book.

1. Spadella
2. Crazy 'Cause I Love You
3. Cow Bell Polka
4. Hide Your Face
5. I Can't Help the Way You Feel
6. I've Taken All I'm Gonna Take From You
7. What's The Matter With You
8. Texas Playboy Rag (1st solo)
9. Texas Playboy Rag (2nd solo)
10. Spanish Two Step
11. Careless Love
12. The Covered Wagon Rolled Right Along
13. Swanee River
14. Jimmie's Jump
15. Throw a Saddle on a Star
16. Kid with the Rip in His Pants
17. Rich Man, Poor Man
18. Call the Hounds

Click here to see an example of the tab.

Rick Alexander
Non-Pedal Steel Guitar Basics DVD

Rick Alexander covers a lot of ground in this DVD, from the basic hand techniques through harmonized scales and bar slants. Geared towards Hawaiian music, most of the examples are given in A6th and E7th tunings. The disk concludes with performances of 6 full Hawaiian songs, using an overhead camera.

George Piburn
Lap Steel Guitar 101, C6th Tuning

This course is for the beginner and is very precise and clear. The illustration is very understandable. The audio is clear. The video is also. I think anyone could learn from the DVD. I think this method is very good. I know others will enjoy it. -C6 Beginner  

No prior experience needed.  Your best tool to start learning, Lap Steel Guitar 101 is a 2 DVD/1 CD set geared toward steel lap enthusiasts who would like to learn the basics of playing with the C6th tuning, low to high strings C-E-G-A-C-E.

The Lap Steel Guitar 101 DVD covers techniques you will need  to know and practice, from how to wear your picks to creating Lap Steel specific sounds like Vibrato and Harmonic Chimes.  GeorgeBoards™ method will have you playing Lap Steel Guitar in no time at all and having a lot of fun learning too!

This lap steel video course is 2 Full hours - 2 Full DVDs.  Super camera angles put you in the player's seat.  Start with proper picking hand position.  Learn how to pick and mute.  Practice bar control along with the DVD movie for smooth sounding, accurately tuned licks. 

The Lap Steel Guitar 101 DVD set includes movies on playing:

• Major Chords, 7th Chords
• Picking and Scale Exercises
• 1-4-5 and Diminished Slants
• Blues licks
• Minor chords and Slides
• 2 note Harmonies
• Steel Guitar Rag
  Plus more!

You Get All 3 Discs:

1. "Lap Steel Guitar 101 Part I" DVD
2. "Lap Steel Guitar 101 Part II" DVD
3. "Lap Steel Guitar 101" Practice Tracks Audio CD

These DVDs are designed to play on your home television set on full screen with good audio and behave like rental movies.  Use your remote control to select the movies of your choice.  The pause, back up, and replay features of DVDs simplify the learning experience. The CD contains 6 tracks played by professional musicians.  Track 6 provides accompaniment to Steel Guitar Rag.

Item #V-016, $35

Rob Haines
Anyone Can Play C6 Lap Steel Guitar (DVD)

Anyone Can Play C6 Lap Steel Guitar is designed for the absolute lap steel beginner. The course will take you through the very basics of getting started, including the proper way to hold the steel, tuning, changing strings, right and left hand technique, as well as licks and positions. Advanced techniques, intros and a classic song are also taught. Rob will also cover topics such as the necessary gear and an explanation of how to get the right sound out of your lap steel guitar. You will learn everything you need to know to have a good foundation for further learning. Rob acquired in over 30 years of playing professionally.