Hey everyone, I've been getting interested in different forms of playing besides regular 6-string acoustic and electric and I've stumbled upon the idea of playing a lap steel. I have a few questions: I've seen 10-string lap steel guitars and I was curious if this is generally what they are like or if it is common to have more or less strings? As well, are they generally tuned in open tunings or is there a standard lap steel tuning? Finally, if anyone could tell me why there are all those pedals and knee things (they kind of look like pedals but they are almost up to a players knees) that would be very appreciative. Basically I'm just wondering what makes a lap steel different.
Steve-0
I've seen 10-string lap steel guitars and I was curious if this is generally what they are like or if it is common to have more or less strings?
6 and 8 string are the most common. Some prefer 10 and others will even go up to 12.
are they generally tuned in open tunings or is there a standard lap steel tuning?
Always in open tunings (with some exceptions, Steve Howe of Yes has one neck in E-major and the other in standard guitar tuning) - and there's no standard, a fact that can make the introduction to lap steel guitar quite frustrating for many players.
They started out tuned to major chords, at first A-major and then E-major, in the late 19th century, then the "6th" tuning came along - adding the 6th interval to the tuning which gave more possibilities for chord voicings, and also closer intervals between strings for faster melodies/solos. From there it just kept on developing, and we got 11th and 13th tunings, etc etc...
I read somewhere that someone had managed to register approx 100 lap steel tunings.. But let's say there's perhaps 10-15 popular and common tunings.
In VERY general terms you can say that most folk/blues/rock players favors major chord tunings, while Hawaiian/C&W/western swing/jazz players favors various extended tunings. The average lap steel player will have a couple of favorite tunings and also know the basics of a few more after some years of playing.
why there are all those pedals and knee things (they kind of look like pedals but they are almost up to a players knees) that would be very appreciative.
What you're describing there is a pedal steel, not a lap steel. The purpose of these pedals and knee levers is to raise and lower certain strings while playing. Introduced in the late 1940s, the pedal steel where meant as a kind of "all tunings on one neck" steel guitar - the pedals were meant to make it easy and quick to go from one tuning to another without having to drag a 4-neck monster around. Later players found out that the pedals and levers were quite handy when playing solos and harmonies as well, and what we today know as the typical 'pedal steel guitar sound' was born.
Steinar
Thanks alot! Are the tunings for a lap steel and a pedal steel interchangable?
Steve-0
pedal steel hasten strings usually tuned to E9.
lap steels, as Steinar accurately posts, has 6 or 8 strings.
there are tunings for those strings that emulate the pedal steels tuning.
but for practical purposes lap steels utilize different tunings; you have to understand the history of steels and how they came to their respective tunings.
on lap steels one slants the bar . on pedal steel it does not.
slanting the bar gives the player more voicings.
Thanks, Pedal Steel seems like what I was more interested in, though lap steel sounds interesting as well.
Steve-0
pedal steels are what youu hear in classic country. newer country still has them but it seems less so.
pedal steel is an instrument that takes more time to learn IMO.
here are shots of my steel and laps.
