Tag Archives: lap steel guitar

Strategies For Beginning Improvisation, Part 2

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Mike Neer

Hopefully, you’ve had some time to spend with the exercise presented in Part 1. If you have, then hopefully you will never play and listen to music in the same way. It’s just a small step on a journey of … Continue reading →

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“Buddy’s Boogie” live with the Saddle Tones

Posted on January 15, 2012 by Mike Neer

The Saddle Tones are a local band who I have enjoyed playing a few gigs with recently as a special guest. They asked me to pick out a tune for a steel feature and I chose “Buddy’s Boogie”, knowing that … Continue reading →

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New lessons available at Steelin’ From The Masters

Posted on September 13, 2011 by Mike Neer

I’ve just completed 2 new video/tab/notation packages and they are available at Steelin’ From The Masters. The first is Speedy West’s dreamy and beautiful, “Afternoon Of A Swan” for 8 string C6 tuning. This is a difficult one to play … Continue reading →

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Unravelling the mysteries of steel guitar tunings, part 2

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Mike Neer

Warning: I spell all of my steel guitar tunings from high to low. After several years of playing (the first few being laden with frustration and confusion), I’ve arrived at the point where it’s all starting to make sense to … Continue reading →

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Bebop Lap Steel Guitar book now available!

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Mike Neer

I have completed the Bebop Lap Steel Guitar at last and it is available beginning today. The package includes the book itself (36 page .pdf) and 5 Tabledit files (tab/notation and MIDI, which you use to listen to the playback). … Continue reading →

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Bebop Lap Steel: An Introduction to Bebop for C6 Tuning

Posted on January 5, 2011 by Mike Neer

This is the title of my new e-book which will be ready to go in just a few days. I’m really excited about this one and I’ve put a lot of time into it. I’ve thought long and hard about … Continue reading →

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Sol Hoopii’s “Twelfth Street Rag” now available as tab/video package!

Posted on December 20, 2010 by Mike Neer

I am so excited about this one! One of the greatest performances ever captured is Sol Hoopii’s 1938 Decca recording of Twelfth Street Rag–the electric version. Surely this is his tour-de-force and he exhibits such a mastery of his instrument … Continue reading →

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Tom Brumley “Seven Come Eleven” tab/notation available

Posted on October 12, 2010 by Mike Neer

I have just finished my adaptation of Tom Brumley’s Seven Come Eleven for E9 non-pedal steel guitar. It is a wonderful tune and a real challenge to play. I once posted a very rough video of a chorus of it … Continue reading →

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Improvising and conjuring up influences

Posted on October 6, 2010 by Mike Neer

Improvising is something that I most like to do spontaneously in the hopes of never playing the same thing twice. But, alas, I can’t always make it work the way I’d like to, which is why sometimes when I have … Continue reading →

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On The Sunny Side (revised with audio)

Posted on October 3, 2010 by Mike Neer

For those of you who are following along with this process of arranging for On The Sunny Side Of The Street, I now offer up the first variation of the first 2 verses (I still haven’t done the bridge and … Continue reading →

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Some “Dos and Don’ts” of Lap Steel Guitar

Posted on September 22, 2010 by Mike Neer

Here are a few tips for those who are learning to play the steel guitar. Some of them may seem obvious; some of them not so much. 1. Don’t be discouraged by the difficulty of getting your chord grips together … Continue reading →

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Better late than never….

Posted on September 18, 2010 by Mike Neer

OK, so my wife is right about me: I don’t like to stop and ask for directions. I always wind up taking the long, scenic route. Is that so bad? Hey, I read Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance. … Continue reading →

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Trial by fire

Posted on September 17, 2010 by Mike Neer

In Jan. ’04 I began gigging with the Moonlighters. If you really want to force yourself to learn something new, FEAR is the greatest motivator. I’d noodled around onstage with a lap steel by making atmospheric sounds with a singer/songwriter, … Continue reading →

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In the beginning…..

Posted on September 16, 2010 by Mike Neer

There was a lonely lap steel sitting in its chipboard case under a table on a dusty, dry summer day in Englishtown, NJ. “$50,” he said, almost as if a plea. “I’ll give you $40.” The deal was done. It … Continue reading →

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Giant Steps for Lap Steel, C6/A7 tuning

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Mike Neer

This arrangement of John Coltrane’s “Giant Steps” is for 6 string Lap Steel Guitar tuned to C6/A7 (E C A G E C#). It is a good exercise in changing chord grips quickly and moving from one end of the … Continue reading →

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Welcome to the Lap Steelin’ Blog

Posted on September 15, 2010 by Mike Neer

I am starting this blog in the hopes that it will serve as a gateway to getting more players more deeply involved in exploring the possibilities of the steel guitar, or specifically, the lap steel guitar. There are so many … Continue reading →

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