[MusicTlk] Playing Lap Steel - slide guitar

Tue Jun 7 14:14:32 UTC 2022

Mike,
No. I just use the dots to help me understand where I need to place my slide. After that it’s just muscle memory doing it over and over again. I play the banjo obviously there are frets with the banjo. I just get used to placing my fingers where they need to go as my muscle memory gets better. When you’re playing fast you don’t have time to feel for any dots or other tactile items. That’s the fate of somebody who is blind.

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 7, 2022, at 9:44 AM, Mike Jolls via MusicTlk <musictlk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Hi Dennis
> 
> Since you’ve done this before, let me ask another question.  I have thought about placing dots on the side of the guitar next to the frets.  That might give me the extra visual cue I need.  But here’s another question.  If I’m inferring correctly that you don’t have any sight, how would dots help you?  With no sight, I’m assuming they wouldn’t, visually speaking that is.  However if you had a special way of holding the slide with your hand, that would free up a finger.  You might be able to use that free finger to track the dots to help you  place the slide.  Is that what you’re saying here?  And if so, how do you hold your slide?  My assumption would be to hold the slide with the first and second fingers and let the thumb drop down to track the dots.  I would think the thumb would almost have to be only way to do it because the rest of the fingers have to hold the slide or trail behind the slide to mute the strings.
> 
> Is my thinking on the right track?
> 
> 
> Sent from Mail<https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=550986> for Windows
> 
> From: dpdevendra at gmail.com<mailto:dpdevendra at gmail.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 7, 2022 7:29 AM
> To: 'Music Talk Mailing List for Blind Musicians'<mailto:musictlk at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: 'Mike Jolls'<mailto:mrspock56 at hotmail.com>
> Subject: RE: [MusicTlk] Playing Lap Steel - slide guitar
> 
> Mike,
> 
> Yes I have a  similar slide guitar.  My guitar had physical wires, so I
> could  touch the wires to see where to place the slide.  The only suggestion
> I would have is to place dots on the side of the neck where the lines are
> located.  They you can practice placing the slide over the dots.  That is
> pretty much the only thing I can think for helping.  I love the sound of the
> slide guitar but fretting it is a challenge.  I do not have any sight so
> there was no locating the wires with my sight.
> 
> 
> Dennis DeVendra
> dpdevendra at gmail.com
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: MusicTlk <musictlk-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Mike Jolls via
> MusicTlk
> Sent: Tuesday, June 7, 2022 8:10 AM
> To: musictlk at nfbnet.org
> Cc: Mike Jolls <mrspock56 at hotmail.com>
> Subject: [MusicTlk] Playing Lap Steel - slide guitar
> 
> Hi everyone.  This post is about playing slide guitar (actually lap steel)
> as a visually impaired / blind person.
> 
> I've been practicing the instrument in C6 tuning.  Unlike a regular guitar,
> this instrument has no physical metal frets.  Instead, fret lines are pained
> on the fretboard.  They are very narrow lines.  The strings are raised above
> the fretboard about an inch and aren't close to the fret board/metal frets
> as on a traditional guitar.  A metal slide bar is moved along the strings to
> select the notes/chords you want to play (you have to visually line up the
> bar with the painted fret lines to do this).  For non-visually impaired
> people this is no problem.  Of course given my vision, this just can't be
> easy (I'm not surprised one bit).
> 
> Given my extreme nearsightedness, this isn't easy.  Traditionally the
> instrument lays in your lap and you're looking down on the guitar as you
> move the bar.  Even at this short distance, it's visually challenging to see
> those small painted fret lines on the fretboard.  It doesn't help that my
> left hand, which holds the bar on the strings above the fretboard, obstructs
> my view of the fret lines.  It's therefore hard to see exactly where the bar
> is placed, and that means it's difficult to exactly play the note I want.
> I'm often a bit sharp or flat and that's really frustrating.
> 
> I have found that placing the guitar on an X brace stand puts the guitar a
> little closer to my eyes.  That helps, but it doesn't completely solve the
> problem.  I'm still sharp/flat because again, it's hard to visually see to
> line up the bar and the fret lines.
> 
> Therefore, I've run out of ideas on my own to conquer this problem.  I'm
> wondering if anybody has any experience with this instrument?  I HATE being
> sharp and flat.  In my mind, it comes down to being able to see to line up
> the fret lines and the bar, and so far that just hasn't worked for me.  I'm
> hoping there are other blind players who have found a way to do it
> non-visually.  Perhaps someone might say this is similar to a violin
> (non-fretted instrument) where you just have to do it enough times to
> mentally learn where the notes are located and you eventually get to where
> it's muscle memory.  I do understand that, because I've used that technique
> with the piano successfully.
> 
> OK, enough.  If anybody has experience with this sort of instrument and can
> give me some advice, I'd appreciate it.
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Mike Jolls
> 
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