Beginner Lap Steel Lesson - Behind Bar Bends, Chords, and Harmonics

[@jacoblabelle655]

It's people like you that make the world a better place. Thanks! I've always loved lap steel guitar, Torn and Frayed is one of my favorite songs. I learned to play that solo without a slide. But you showed me how to do it with a slide... Never thought to bend the strings with my left hand... Genius!!!

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

Love that song too.

[@nicklloyd9165]

Your volume pedal technique is fantastic, too.

[@ronnie5129]

Ryan, thanks for this video here, 35 years ago i found a 1957 Supro in a pawn shop, for $100, it has that old Horseshoe looking pickup, it looks a lot like yours here, I tune to a C6 , because i was after that Hank Williams Sound, for Country, I hear Mr. Duane Allman here in your playing, Duane is My Hero, Cousin Figel

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

That is so kind - I love Duane’s playing so much - he’s my hero too!

[@2sohx]

That pinky bend you perform is a nice trick dude

[@jmsjms296]

What a pretty little Supro!

[@DThompson55]

I love that bend behind the bar trick. i'll have to work on that.

[@guitashamilele]

Thanks so much for the easy camera position, and of course for playing on open E!

[@robertcope2465]

Mind blown! Thanks for revealing your technique. I learned a ton:) You gave away so much knowledge and unveiled so much of the mystery I feel like I can confidently take another shot at the lap steel. Thanks for the love!

[@retox2929]

Thanks Ry

[@ginocordone349]

Oh my god. I never thought to bend the string before the slide like that. Thats so crazy. Thanks for sharing!

[@justinshane1989]

best instruction I have found by far, thank you so much!

[@MarcBrinitzer]

Nice video Ryan! Love the harmonic and the pinky-bend behind the bar!! do some more in open E if you would. Long time guitar player but total newbie on lapsteel

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

Thanks Marc! I’ll be set up for more lessons this summer

[@terrencebarnes9729]

Great lesson Sir. All meat and potatoes no filler. Only makes it hard to decide between a b bender for a Tele, a lap or go all in on the real 10 string.

[@buenafe]

Thank you creating the video. I'm new to lap steel (C6). I picked up a lot of good tips from you.

[@wideawakenotwoke6178]

Great have you tried A6 that's good similar to C6 have you looked at Troy Breningmeyer he does lessions

[@MountainHomeJerrel]

Thanks for making this video and sharing these techniques with us.

[@steveno.8248]

so good...so helpful...thank you!

[@GilbertFleming]

More lessons please

[@StevenParente]

Very good lesson!

[@stucrawford8858]

What a great lesson!

[@ThisMichaelBrown]

Really nice tutorial, thanks!

[@flamindigo]

as a "regular" guitar player, I tend to want to be too busy. This guy has some really cool ideas about HOW TO slow down and sound more like a steel guitar player.

[@stefjudd]

Great video, Thank you! 🙏

[@BrickBlacktoe]

Great lesson! Thank you!

[@lawrencerasmus]

Thanks ! This is the info I wanted

[@lecleto]

Thank you for share your fantastic knowledge. I´m looking for this for years. Actualy I´m using a Nashville tuning on my lap steel to get these country and pedal steel feelings, but in this video you realy show me how Open E is powefull. Thank you! Best regards from Brazil.

[@notsure4508]

Thinking the same.been playing guitar all my life,just bought a lap ,but the tunings are so many ,hard to learn and I just want to to play country stuff and this may be the best at open E

[@TMSeaward]

Terrific. Thanks.

[@wardpowell3962]

I saved this video, lost it and just refound it! Great playing!

[@TheMKEWERBY]

Interesting tips, Ryan! I think I could even use variations of this on my Fender Esquire w/my steel slide. Couldn't I?

[@willemdefouw3605]

Great

[@nicolaspet6919]

Great lesson ! thank you very much ! Tiny dancer tutorial pleaaaaaaaaase 🙏🙏😇🤩

[@ingom6397]

Great info, 👍

[@silvernoise1]

Brilliant video Ryan, thank you. I couldn't find the domnant 7th chord. at what point do you talk about it? thanks.

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

Thanks! It’s 3 frets up on the B and G# strings. That gives you a flat 7th and 5th.

[@krisabbott9238]

Thanks so much I really enjoyed that. PS I finally found someone I get and you only have 2 videos :(!!

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

Thank you - I will make more!! ❤️❤️ Just living that newborn baby life right now 🤪

[@michaelcrawford8117]

Congrats!!!

[@murphy1203]

Great video,thank you! Do you have any reccommendations for a beginner on what type of Lap guitar you might reccommend? thank you.

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

Tone matters with lap, and especially the pickup - I believe in these old Supro Valcor models. I bet they float around on Reverb and eBay.

[@murphy1203]

@@ryanradcliffguitar Ryan thanks so much! It looks amazing the sound is incredible, I look forward to learning how to play. Thanks again!!

[@sjirk]

Please make some more lap steel videos, this is really great! Btw.. what kind of brand lap steel is that?

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

Thanks - this is an old Supro/Valcor from the early 60s or late 50s

[@iangoodall7228]

Hi. I am new to lap steel. Do you have a video explaining the muting please?

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

@@iangoodall7228 I’ll make one

[@kignacio]

How is this your only video! Where can I hear you play? I don’t see you on Spotify. Thank you Ryan.

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

Hey K, here are some tracks I play lap on: Spotify: Dirty Heads - Strike Gently Brandon Pfaff - Trembling Throat Annie McQueen - Pick Me Up Bandcamp: Billy Kernkamp - Gimme a Woman Honeypie - No Difference

[@aceintheholevideos]

Is the volume pedal spring loaded?

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

That’s just a standard Goodrich passive volume pedal.

[@robertfoster1339]

Thanks for cool video.. I play on a mid 50’s Rickenbacker 6 string. I also like tuning to E lots of places to slant. I wish I would have kept my old Morley volume pedal I need to get a different one now. What manufacture of volume pedal are you using? Your Supro Sounds really nice

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

Thank you - that’s a Goodrich passive volume

[@claudiossenclaret1717]

Que efectos de sonido usas aparte del pedal de volumen?

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

I’m using a Goodrich L-120

[@douglasalmeida968]

Olá tudo bem ? Eu adquiri uma Lap Steel de 8 cordas e gostaria de saber se posso utilizar a afinação open E ? E como afinar as 2 cordas extras ?

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

If I had an extra two strings I’d probably want an extension like the 2nd or the major 7th. The popular Pedal steel tuning is E-G♯-B-D-F♯-G♯-B-E. Start there - it adds the second and a flat seventh.

[@douglasalmeida968]

@@ryanradcliffguitar thank you brother

[@guitarshik]

Дякую ! Дуже корисистно бро )

[@2ttrashwagon582]

dont have one yet, but imma build one out of an old tailgate from my friends chev. its cheaper than buying one and hopefully it'll sound unique

[@ThePortableHam]

So I just Inherited my grandfather's lapsteel And I was wondering what size strings would be suggested for an open E tuning

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

I like a heavy set - like 12s. Better tension for the bar and will keep you in tune.

[@filianablanxart8305]

Those are heavy by armpit guitar standards , but way light for a steel .

[@cristobalvicenciobazaes1369]

Hello, I am from Chile. What effects pedal do you recommend for a lapsteel..please.

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

@@cristobalvicenciobazaes1369 I use a volume pedal and a slapback delay, with reverb coming from my amps. Beyond that, I use boost and overdrive pedals - anything will do.

[@cristobalvicenciobazaes1369]

@@ryanradcliffguitar hello. Thanks my friend.

[@frets52]

hi Ryan , What gauge strings are you using and are they round ,semi flat ,or flat wound,oh and do you use a wound G string?I just got a 51 Supro and am a Guitar player for years.Thank you so much.Great playing

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

Hey Donnie - I think this is a set of 12s or 13s, wound G for sure. Normal round wound.

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

12s is right

[@caygeonkid]

Interesting..do all lap steels come with a whammy pedal like you are using to get that pedal steel sound..

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

No whammy - I’m using my hands and a volume pedal

[@ale.from.the.tower.1]

Hi Ryan! It's possible tune the lap in Open G (GBD GBD) or Open A (AC#E AC#E) Can you tell us a complete good strings gauge to use? Thanks :)

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

I’d go with either - depending on the tension you want. For a gauge I’d use the same as this gauge - Daddario 12s standard set. The intervals are close enough to standard tuning - so it won’t feel that unbalanced.

[@onabanjofemiisrael7612]

More grace

[@paulamorgan5456]

What string are you raising to get the pedal steel sound affect is it the second and third for the 1st and 2nd string and you are tuned to open tuning E tuning

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

I’m using my pinky to pull the B string up a step. Tuned to open E.

[@katjakruit]

Great video, lots of inspiration! I'm just starting on the open e tuning and first time trying behind the bar bends. The full note bend on the 2nd string seems impossible though! What string gauges do you use?

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

I use 12s on this lap steel to keep tension high for the bar. Keep at it!

[@alicasoto4497]

@@ryanradcliffguitar wow.. thats cool.. what kind of lap steel guitar do u recomend for a beginner?

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

@@alicasoto4497 whatever is affordable and stays in tune, with a tone that inspires you. The cheaper Gretsch ones look cool!

[@ale.from.the.tower.1]

@@ryanradcliffguitar 12s on the B string or on the E string? :)

[@matthewmeek4989]

@@ryanradcliffguitar mmm

[@emdiggy]

Can i tune my lap steel to open e if it has a string set specifically for C6 tuning?

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

I wouldn’t - the gauges are likely very different. But you can of course get a regular set of strings and tune that to open E.

[@filianablanxart8305]

Or just get a set for lap specific strings .

[@mauricebujold5107]

thank you

[@HeatherSeaward]

Hi Do you give online lessons ?

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

Yes! Email me at [e-mail]

[@ShamefulBoner]

Great video! I just started lap steel and I learned quite a bit from watching this. Do you ever play in c6?

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

ShamefulBoner I considered buying a second lap steel and getting into it - this one is too old to restring and retune all the time.

[@yukuriptide]

Hello, what string gauge do you recommend for open E tuning? Thank you for your reply.

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

As thick as you can find - I believe this lap has 12s on it. Wound G. Gives better tension and ensures the weight of the bar doesn’t pull down too much.

[@yukuriptide]

@@ryanradcliffguitar Merci pour votre réponse.

[@brettlanier4796]

You’ll want to put together a custom string gauge set for open E lap steel. I think I use .60, .44, .34, .23wound, .20, .16. Too heavy it gets bassy and you lose a lot of tone and nuance, too light and it’s hard to keep in tune.

[@MrPatdeeee]

I'm sure kind Sir; you know that the first original Hawaiian (Steel) Guitar in the 1880's; that used the open Key E*; they had a D note on the 5th string. This gave a 7th chord on every fret. Yes you loose the bottom 5th note. But that 7th is used so much; the Hawaiians (who invented the SG) gave up that B string. Then later they built a 7 stringer. And they got that B back. I kind of think they did this solely for that 7th. Not sure. Later; when they made 8 string SG's; they added the low 3rd note. But the "Western Swing" SG players did this. (HI to LO) E C# B G# E D B E. For this gave them a 13th chord; that fit perfect in their style of playing. Also gives a minor chord (C# minor open strings). For what it's worth. Thanks for your channel. Great. * The 2nd tuning they invented; was A major (HI to LO) E C# A E A E (low Bass). But some did this (HI to LO) E C# A E C# A (Hi Bass). And the 3rd invention was a C# minor tuning. (Hi to Low). E C# G# E B E. Some called it E6. Then over the years; it is said here are more than one hundred tunings; that SG players came up with. WOW! Of course, that spawned "Pedal" Steel Guitars. And the rest is History.

[@MrPatdeeee]

Thanks

[@JettSteele]

Beato!

[@nicholashunter8638]

For beginners???

[@iamrocketray]

Wish I knew what he was talking about. I know very little about music. I have a lap steel guitar, I know how to tune it and that's about all. This lesson if much too advanced for me.

[@ryanradcliffguitar]

@@iamrocketray rewatch as many times as you like - that’s the beauty of it

[@iamrocketray]

@@ryanradcliffguitar Thank You !