Mel Bay's Deluxe Pedal Steel Guitar Method [Spiral-bound]

Scott Dewitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 2002

This is the standard-bearer for pedal steel instruction books. It is extremely comprehensive in scope. Written by DeWitt Scott, founder of the International Pedal Steel Guitar Convention and member of the Pedal Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, this course teaches E9 tuning, Nashville set-up pedal steel with three floor and three knee levers. If you want to learn pedal steel, this book will show you how. The accompanying CD is in split-track format, allowing the student to play with the rhythm accompaniment, the pedal-steel solo parts, or both.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

DeWitt Scott is one of the most experienced, knowledgeable, and beloved steel guitarists on the world-wide scene. He is the founder of the renowned International Pedal Steel Guitar Convention held anually in St. Louis. He has written or co-written numerous books and articles on the pedal steel, toured the world many times doing lectures, concerts and workshops, produced countless recordings. His list of honors and organizational affiliations is truly impressive. These are too numerous to list here, but some of the more noted ones include: member of the Country Music Hall of Fame; member and president of the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame, member of the Advisory Board of the Pedal Steel Guitar and Hawaiian Steel Guitar Associations, Silver Cup Award for the Worldwide Support of Pedal Steel Guitar, Musicians Hall of Fame Award, Western Swing Hall of Fame Nominee, and honorary member or president of numerous international pedal steel guitar societies and associations. DeWitt has performed with the St. Louis Symphony Pops Orchestra and has given concerts or seminars in Norway, Denmark, Holland, Germany, France, England, Switzerland, Canada, Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland and Japan. We, at Mel Bay Publications, consider ourselves honored to include "Scotty" as one of our fine staff of writers.

Product Details

• Spiral-bound: 200 pages
• Publisher: Mel Bay Pubns (August 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786665262
• ISBN-13: 978-0786665266
• Product Dimensions: 11.8 x 8.8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #688,512 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best book for getting you to play the pedal steel guitar fast!, November 11, 2007

By 

Peter J. Benjamins (CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mel Bay's Deluxe Pedal Steel Guitar Method (Spiral-bound)

This book will get you playing the pedal steel guitar fast! I don't have much time to practice playing the instrument (average of 1/2 hour per week) so I have to make the most of every opportunity. I have purchased almost every book available in the hope that one of them will get me off the ground. This is the one that had me playing the first time I used this book (and is getting me to make time to play more often). Most of the songs are traditional folk songs, but you will learn how to make those amazing sounds that got you to buy the pedal steel guitar in the first place! (I didn't realize how much of those steel guitar fills and solos you hear on popular tunes had their roots in traditional folk songs). You will probably get some solo and intro ideas from the samples in this book. The author also introduces playing exercises as the pieces get more difficult to play.

Although this book covers setting up the instrument and the basics of how to use the picks, this book would better serve you if you at least know the mechanical basics of the instrument. The illustrations are not as sharp and clear as they could be (typical of the publisher, Mel Bay) although the music notation and tablature are just fine.

I highly recommend this book, it will get you pickin'!

7 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Not for beginners, August 20, 2006

By 

Edward F. Shimkus (La Luz, NM,) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mel Bay's Deluxe Pedal Steel Guitar Method (Spiral-bound)

I know nothing about pedal steel guitars and I assumed that "the standard" for instruction would at least start me out in the right direction. It did not. Take for example a discussion on pics. "The length of the shank [of the thumb pic] will affect your playing so be sure to try several sizes and lengths before you decide." How can I try it before I know how to use it? How does the length of the shank affect the sound? How should it fit the thumb in the first place? A discussion of the finger pics was equally lacking. Consider the statement, "[the bar] . . . varies in weight." So? What weight does one choose and based on what? Finally, on pics, how does one stroke or pic the strings? In the same manner as one strokes or pics a classical guitar with the fingernails? It does not say. What about one's position at the instrument: hands straight, arched, in your pocket; forearms parallel, sloped up, down; feet in relation to the knees and all in relation to the knee and foot pedals? It does not say. For me, a beginners book of instruction first answers the question, "Hey, what's that thing?" Then it goes on to describe the thing in detail. Then it details how one mounts the thing. Then it details how one handles the thing. Then it ties it all together and details how one uses the thing. This book does none of that. Rather, it starts with tuning the instrument, gives a rudimentary introduction to music and then turns you loose on a tune. Huh?