Customer Reviews

DVD-Learn To Play Pedal Steel Guitar

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've been playing guitar for over twenty years and finally bought a Pedal Steel.

This DVD is really an invaluable tool to anyone wishing to become familiar with

many different aspects of the Pedal Steel.

* All the basics; terminology,tuning, picking, blocking (dampening strings rapidly for that "pro" sound).

* Demonstrates how to run major scales in different configurations and the many inversions of the major

(and minor) chords with the pedals and levers.

* Reveals a few stock "hot-licks" that give you just enough knowledge to be dangerous

* Suggests many other sources of Pedal Steel information and insight into what it's like to be a pedal steel pro

I'd like to also add that what made this DVD so wonderfully useful was ripping it to a video ipod.

Placing the ipod on the music stand next to the Mel Bay Pedal Steel Guitar Chord Chart

and using the headphones to pace myself through each new exercise and technique. The DVD itself is

only an hour or two, but I let myself take it in very small steps and after six months and two cycles through it, five minutes at a time, with hours and hours of practice - I'm totally addicted to my pedal steel.

Bruce seems like a nice guy and was easy to take virtual direction from. I'd love a more advanced DVD, which he elludes to in the DVD but is not yet available...which is not surprising, given the relative obscurity and underuse of the pedal steel in modern music.

If you're gonna plop down the huge chunk of change that is a pedal steel, you need to know that it takes years to learn to play. It takes a ton of patience just to tune the thing, much less learn all the chords and licks. Approaching the tutorial with that frame of mind will maximize your enjoyment of it. If you expect this DVD or any other product to magically teach you to play the pedal steel for your gig or session tomorrow, you're throwing good money after bad. It's clear that the instructor views the pedal steel as a discipline that provides a real longer term satisfaction. If you're on board, you must purchase this DVD.

Let me start by saying that this DVD taught me more than the instructor that I paid $40 per hour for lessons did. But you have to go at your own pace and be sure that your guitar is near the TV and the pause button is close at hand.

I only have one criticism of this DVD and it isn't Bouton's fault. The DVD needs a director. Sometimes Bruce jumps ahead of the beginner's pace and sometimes he gets a little dyslexic (ie: the last parts of Mansion on the Hill are a mess). They should have gone back and re-shot that part before distributing this DVD to the public.

If things like that don't bother you, then by all means pick it up. I must say that those flubs definitely got me annoyed because I paid $$ for this, and there are obvious errors, minor errors, but errors nonetheless. Still, an excellent learning tool.

I purchased this for my daughter who is a true beginner on this instrument hoping to give her an introduction. I was looking for the very basics. Unfortunately this DVD assumes you know a great deal about the pedal steel. Bruce jumps right in with exercises, scales, and a song without going into the stuff you need to know first. How to hold the bar (taught about a third of the way in), how to hold the picks, how to pick, how to tune the guitar, how the strings are numbered, how the pedals are numbered, etc (never taught). Early in the tape he freely admits he hopes you have someone in the neighborhood who can teach you. Gee, isn't that why I bought this DVD? You definately need a pause on your remote because Bruce blows through what he is doing in the examples.

Very disappointing from a true beginners standpoint. It will benefit the more intermediate player more.

I've played guitar for about 40 years, as well as 5 string banjo. I'm self taught and play by ear. This DVD provides alot of information for the money and is well suited for people with some experience with stringed instruments. It had me started in no time, but I can see where an absolute beginner would need more. To be brief, there is alot to playing pedal steel guitar. If you have no experience with stringed instruments and expect to learn soley with any book or DVD, you'll be disappointed. Here's what it doesn't cover, that would confuse true beginners. It doesn't explain how to wear finger and thumb picks, how to size them, etc. It doesn't cover fine tuning or tuning the pedals. Bruce admits that he could spend 2 hours on tuning alone and he's right. And as others have commented, Bruce gets out of sequence a little on some things. But for me, the DVD was alot of fun and I was playing basic licks and a song in about 2 days. Bruce seems like a good guy and offers tips and tricks you won't get in 10 private lessons. In my experience, when learning any instrument, you never get everything you need in any one book or video. You'll need to buy 2 or 3 and take pieces from each one. I also purchased "Anyone can play E9 pedal steel" with Rob Haines. It's also very informative, with more for the absolute beginner including info on picks, tuning and basic drills. If you really want to learn, get both. Watch Haines' first and get started with scales. Then you can move on to Boutons and learn to play an actual song.

Just what all beginner PSG players need. I have been looking for the ideal DVD course for a while as I don't have easy access to a teacher, and this course is proving just what is needed.
Easy to follow and understand. Very clear graphics too.

This is a must have for any pedal steel player. Vital information in an easy to understand method.

Although this guy is rock'n a sweet 80's skullet, the DVD is very informative. Pedal steel is not for the light hearted and probably one of the most complex instruments but this DVD does a good job at breaking down scales, licks, muting techniques, etc. At times this guy loses his place and/or speeds ahead too quick but just plant to use your pause button. It's not a perfect lesson plan but there is quite a bit of useful information to absorb here. One warning, if you get caught by your girlfriend watching this DVD, you are bound to take some heat as this guy is pretty goofy looking....sorry Bruce Bouton...

This is the best beginner/intermediate instruction of
any type I have seen to date. I finally learned how
to put those melodic runs both horizonally and vertically together by watching Mr Bouton over and over.
Thanks for the great lesson - hope to see more.
Everett Cole