Beginner National Steel player - need advice

[zoe-national-0]

After lusting for one for 40 years I just bought a 1934 National 14 fret Style-0. I just love looking at it and the tone is awesome. I played a dobro for several years (poorly) back in college and then sold it and have been guitar-less since. Now that I'm retired I decided I want to devote the time to learn how to play and get that National.

So I've forgotten everything I learned from the dobro and I"m realistically starting from ground zero. I bought the Guitar for Beginners lesson book by Guitar Head and I'm working through the material and making lots of mistakes, but that's cool. This is a long term project.

So my goal is to play roots and blues with a slide. What I'm looking for here is good advice on a couple of things. I've been reading lots of the posts and sucking down info like a sponge. So if anybody has good advice for newbies I'm all ears. My main question is what path should I be taking to reach my goal (roots & blues with a slide)? I'd hate to be rolling down the typical guitar path for 6 months and then find out that none of the traditional stuff is really relevant. It's not the 6 months that would bother me, it's the learning stuff off tangent that would. That's the (retired) Engineer in me, always optimizing If the best path is a year of traditional guitar learning and then transition into some slide work, so be it. I just don't know. Opinions requested.

- Zoé

[Kerbie]

Welcome Zoe... and that's a sweet National! I've played a '34 National... I loved it and wanted to keep it. Too bad it belonged to somebody else.

This is certainly the place to soak up all things guitar. Hope you enjoy it.

I love blues too. You might want to take a look at Toby Walker's website. He's one of our sponsors... terrific player and teacher. Plays blues, slide, fingerstyle, reso, guitar, etc. His site is loaded with lessons from beginner to advanced. Best of luck.

[catt]

I don't know what you mean "traditional stuff" here. But I would think you'll want to put your Nat in an open tuning (G, D, or E) and notice you'll have the IV and V chords at the 5th and 7th fret. Have fun!

[zoe-national-0]

I don't know what you mean "traditional stuff" here

By that I mean using a Standard tuning and following the lessons that most guitar beginners use (not just reso players), not jumping right into an open tuning and sliding away. I understand the benefits of using something like an open G, but remember, I'm a total novice. I'm smart enough to know that I don't know anything. That's like asking me to try to do a breast stroke in a pool before I even know how to float Open tunings are where I'm headed, but right now I think that would just inhibit my learning. Thanks for responding.

- Zoé

[catt]

Typically, the form/style (bottleneck) utilizes the open tunings. If your goal is to play in the style, I would think you'd want to start by learning to tune your guitar in G or D/E.

How did you tune when studying dobro?

[godfreydaniel]

You’ll need to use an open tuning to play slide. I’d suggest open G. To get there from standard tuning you tune down the 1st, 5th and 6th strings a full step (two frets). Here’s an article that really helped me get started way back when:

http://www.bobbrozman.com/tip_slide.html

There’s a lot of free instructional stuff on YouTube, and here’s a great site for more instructional material:

https://www.guitarvideos.com/

[godfreydaniel]

If you feel like you want/need to learn standard tuning now, I’d say do both, but maybe work on the open tuning(s) with a more relaxed approach, focusing on getting a clean controlled sound with the slide. This way you can develop your slide technique now instead of putting it off until you’re comfortable with standard tuning.

[zoe-national-0]

Thanks for the advice. I like the one about also trying open tunings in parallel with my standard tuning. That will be helpful when my fingers are sore like they are now

Like I said, I'm starting with standard tuning as most instructional material (like the one I'm using) expects that. So I'm learning about reading tabs, chords, finger exercises and all that beginner stuff you guys have absorbed into your DNA and forgotten.

- Zoé

[FrankHudson]

Love the looks of that sweet guitar too. My older Epiphone Biscuit is probably different in sound and response.

I'm no resonator expert, but I do love traditional blues stuff. Studying that, and playing in that tradition looked at from a "engineer's prospective" is an interesting perspective.

The Blues originators played in many variations of technique. They often had local teachers or players they modeled themselves after or who showed them licks and tricks. But it was also idiosyncratic too. And of course as originators what they were doing was, well, originating, not just studying and duplicating.

That said most of them used open tunings for slide, and many for songs without slide too. One can play side in "standard" -- and on electric guitar it's not that uncommon to stay in standard, as many slide parts in a band context and with the greater sustain protentional of an electric don't need as many strings sounded together.

If you want to learn the traditional pieces in standard and open tunings one guitar is not the ideal solution engineering wise. One can do it, but it has it's compromises. You may want string gauges that favor one over the other, or a differing setup of string height.

You could decide that you'll learn best learning standard or an open tuning or two first. You have a guitar that's ace for slide, so in that option I'd go with learning an open tuning first. Or you could decide that you would like to learn both at once for the widest repertoire the soonest. I'd consider a second guitar for the standard tuning stuff if you do that. If cost is a concern, Blues pieces often respond well to less expensive instruments, even something as cheap as the Gretsch Jim Dandy.

[zoe-national-0]

Good Advice Frank. Thanks.

It finally occurred to me to put "National Steel Guitar" into Pinterest. I use it for Home Improvement project ideas and the like but didn't think about trying for this. It led me to some cool beginner blues lessons. I probably would have found them eventually but it was a nice quick pointer.

- Zoé

[tdq]

I'd second that you don't have to use open tunings for slide, although it's more common than not. I started learning slide when I broke my left arm and had it in plaster - so my first forays were with the guitar on my lap. But I learned a few things in standard tuning and didn't start open tunings until years later.
So I'd get up to speed as much as possible in standard, learning chords and maybe picking out a few melodies, to get the feel and build up some muscle strength and dexterity. Buy a slide and noodle with it, even if it sounds horrible at first. Getting comfortable with it is a good first step.

[MrDB]

I say begin with the end in mind. If your goal is to play roots and blues with a slide then start learning roots and blues with a slide.

There are a lot of videos out there to help you along the way. Toby Walker is a good one. Daddy Stovepipe is another. There are many more. YouTube is a great resource to search out instructional videos and teachers.

Great choice with the National. I'd love to have one but I'm a pretty sloppy slide player so my $500 Gretsch is fine for now.

[pszy22]

Originally Posted by zoe-national-0

Good Advice Frank. Thanks.

It finally occurred to me to put "National Steel Guitar" into Pinterest. I use it for Home Improvement project ideas and the like but didn't think about trying for this. It led me to some cool beginner blues lessons. I probably would have found them eventually but it was a nice quick pointer.

- Zoé

I find pinterest.com to be an excellent tool to help organize information.

[Br1ck]

If you have the money, technology has enabled us to take lessons from the finest musicians out there. You can go one on one, or take one of the lesson series from Peghead Nation or Artistworks. There is a lot on the internet but is all over the place in quality and organization.

I'm taking a Zoom weekly seminar now on intermediate mandolin given by Tristan Scroggins. He does four week at a time blocks which are recorded, so you get the Zoom location and password next day so you can go over the lesson. This repeatable lesson format is better to me than in person lessons.

Most well organized formats like Peghead nation have many options and seem pretty dedicated to teaching at all levels. Most have a try out period.

[zoe-national-0]

Thanks for the pointer to PegHead Nation. It looks interesting. I'll bookmark it for later when I have more experience under my fingers. right now I'm developing my calluses, doing spider drills and starting to work on chords and strumming patterns.